I know the term college and university may not be appropriate to describe the education system in Tokugawa Japan, but I'm wondering what their educational system (especially higher academia) was like before the Westerners introduced our own concepts.
Japan had a system of national merit exams very similar to that of China. Students would be tested on classical confusion thought, as well as other classical texts that are prominent in Eastern Asian philosophy. There was also scholars known as the Kokugakusha, who tried to reshape Japan's learning environment to be more centered around Japanese culture and tradition.
There was also a transitional period of Japanese academia between the Meiji and the Tokugawa period. This lead to many students going abroad within "Western" countries to learn new ideas and especially to learn new scientific methods and innovations. Additionally, Japanese education became more accessible, especially in rural areas. This lead to a rise in poetry and other literature that focused on rural life. This education of the rural population would also contribute to Meiji Restoration.
Sources: Bob Tadashi Wakabayashi, Anti-Foreignism and Western Learning in Early-Modern Japan.
Anne Walthall, The Weak Body of a Useless Woman: Matsuo Taseko and the Meiji Restoration.