noun
minor local college; small-time university
A mildly derogatory term for a low-prestige local university, likening it to a station bento—ubiquitous but unremarkable. Coined in the post-war era when many new universities were established.
彼は駅弁大学を出て、地元の中小企業に就職した。
He graduated from a minor local college and got a job at a local small or medium-sized company.
駅弁大学と揶揄されるような学校でも、優秀な学生はいる。
Even at a university derided as a small-time school, there are excellent students.