Sonoda Gakuen was established in 1938. With the school's founding spirit of "Surega Shojin," the school has been working to promote higher education for local women for about 80 years. In addition, since its opening, as a university that has worked hand in hand with the local community, the university has focused on lifelong learning for seniors and recurrent education for working adults. In the future, in order to realize a co-creative society, the university will evolve as a new place of learning that transcends gender, age, position, etc., and will be reborn as Sonoda Gakuen University, with the key concept of ``for everyone who wants to learn.''

　Specifically, the Faculty of Business Administration and the Faculty of Human Education will first become co-educational in April 2025, and the Faculty of Human Health will also become co-educational by April 4, which marks the school's 90th anniversary. According to Sonoda Gakuen, this co-educational transition will be seen as the "second opening of the university," and the school will be reorganized into three faculties and five departments: the Faculty of Business Administration, the Faculty of Human Education, and the Faculty of Human Health, and will promote educational reform. The Faculty of Human Education's Department of Food and Nutrition, which is a registered dietitian training course, develops new foods in collaboration with companies. The Department of Child Education will be renamed the Department of Children's Education. In the Faculty of Human Health, the Department of Food and Nutrition will be renamed the Department of Food Management. Please note that recruitment for the junior college division will stop from 2028.

　As of 2022, there were eight women's universities in Hyogo Prefecture, but Sonoda Gakuen Women's University is not the only one undergoing various reforms, such as suspending recruitment, becoming co-educational, and establishing new departments.

　　In April 2023, Kobe Shinwa Women's University (Kita Ward, Kobe City) will become co-educational and become "Kobe Shinwa University", and Kobe Kaisei Women's University (Nada Ward, Kobe City) will be accepting applications from 4 onwards for Mukogawa Women's University Short-term University. The university department (Nishinomiya City) has suspended recruitment from 2024 onwards.

　In April 2025, Kobe Shoin Women's Gakuin University (Nada Ward, Kobe City) will become coeducational and become Kobe Shoin University. Additionally, in the same year, Kobe Jogakuin University (Nishinomiya City), Mukogawa Women's University (Nishinomiya City), Konan Women's University (Higashinada Ward, Kobe City), and Kobe Women's University (Suma Ward, Kobe City) are each planning to establish new faculties. .

reference:[Sonoda Gakuen Women's University/Sonoda Gakuen Women's University Junior College Department] From women's universities to co-educational programs in preparation for an era of diversity. Undergraduate departments will also be reorganized “Sonoda Gakuen Women’s University will become co-educational” (PDF)