Best universities in Japan 2026

By seeta.bhardwa@…, 27 November, 2025

Top universities in Japan 2026

Japan Rank 2026	WUR Rank 2026	University	Overall	Teaching	Research Environment	Research Quality	Industry	International Outlook
1	26	The University of Tokyo	83.5	94.7	94.2	68.2	100	50.8
2	61	Kyoto University	74	86.4	82.7	56.9	100	45.6
3	103	Tohoku University	65.8	70.9	70.8	52.8	100	59.2
4	151	The University of Osaka	61.8	65.9	64.9	53.3	100	47.9
5	166	Institute of Science Tokyo	51.6–54.2	56.1	47.6	52.7	92.1	52.2
6	201–250	Nagoya University	56.4–58.6	58.1	56.1	57	99.8	43.8
7	301–350	Kyushu University	51.6–54.2	54.2	46.5	53.5	98.8	49.5
=8	351–400	Hokkaido University	49.9–51.5	53.5	45.1	47.9	96.8	47
=8	351–400	University of Tsukuba	49.9–51.5	52	46.7	50.8	77.1	49.8
10	501–600	Juntendo University	43.6–46.1	37.3	17.2	74.5	83.1	26.3
=11	601–800	Hiroshima University	39.0–43.5	41.7	31.4	47.8	79.8	49.1
=11	601–800	Keio University	39.0–43.5	37	28.3	49.1	73.7	41
=11	601–800	Kobe University	39.0–43.5	41.5	28.9	45	89	38.3
=11	601–800	The University of Aizu	39.0–43.5	27.2	14.3	63.6	58.1	81.5
=15	801–1000	Wakayama Medical University	35.5–38.9	36.4	12.6	57.8	58.5	20.2
=15	801–1000	Waseda University	35.5–38.9	34	26.9	43.5	68	53.3
=17	1001–1200	Chiba University	32.1–35.4	33.7	21.1	43.7	70.3	34.1
=17	1001–1200	Fujita Health University	32.1–35.4	27.9	13.1	58	57.7	23.7
=17	1001–1200	Hamamatsu University School of Medicine	32.1–35.4	34.2	18.6	42.8	60.5	26
=17	1001–1200	Kanazawa University	32.1–35.4	36	21.8	35.6	67.5	34.6
=17	1001–1200	Kumamoto University	32.1–35.4	33.6	19.3	41.3	82	37
=17	1001–1200	Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine	32.1–35.4	33.4	15.9	53.9	70.9	21.2
=17	1001–1200	Nippon Medical School	32.1–35.4	30	11.4	58.7	51.5	22.3
=17	1001–1200	Okayama University	32.1–35.4	34.5	23.1	39.2	87.1	38.8
=17	1001–1200	Tokyo Medical University	32.1–35.4	33.2	18.1	50.9	71.5	21.3
=17	1001–1200	Yokohama City University	32.1–35.4	28.2	10.8	62	65	28.9
=27	1201–1500	Aichi Medical University	27.3–32.0	31	15	47.7	54.7	22.4
=27	1201–1500	Gifu University	27.3–32.0	27.7	23.9	30	68.9	31.3
=27	1201–1500	Hitotsubashi University	27.3–32.0	32.5	21.8	27.6	25.7	64.1
=27	1201–1500	Hosei University	27.3–32.0	16.3	11.3	49.3	35.2	40.2
=27	1201–1500	Hyogo Medical University	27.3–32.0	31	14.2	45	52.3	20.4
=27	1201–1500	Kansai Medical University	27.3–32.0	29.4	12.2	51.6	50	22
=27	1201–1500	Kindai University	27.3–32.0	17.6	13.3	53.6	60	33.5
=27	1201–1500	Kurume University	27.3–32.0	28.6	13.3	52.2	49.8	23.7
=27	1201–1500	Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech)	27.3–32.0	26.4	16.5	30.9	66.9	39.1
=27	1201–1500	Nagasaki University	27.3–32.0	30.1	16	35.4	55.2	40.3
=27	1201–1500	Nagoya City University	27.3–32.0	30.8	18	38.5	69.5	26.2
=27	1201–1500	Niigata University	27.3–32.0	31.2	15.7	40.9	54.3	29.1
=27	1201–1500	Osaka Metropolitan University	27.3–32.0	31.3	16.9	28.8	78.3	27.2
=27	1201–1500	Sapporo Medical University	27.3–32.0	31.4	13.4	38.3	57.5	18.4
=27	1201–1500	Shiga University of Medical Science	27.3–32.0	32.7	13.3	34.2	65.4	25.3
=27	1201–1500	Shinshu University	27.3–32.0	26.7	18.4	32.5	66.8	31.9
=27	1201–1500	The Jikei University School of Medicine	27.3–32.0	30.3	11.2	43.9	45.4	20.8
=27	1201–1500	The University of Electro-Communications	27.3–32.0	25.7	24.1	32.3	69.1	39
=27	1201–1500	Tokai University	27.3–32.0	17.6	12.8	46.9	48.3	31.8
=27	1201–1500	Tokushima University	27.3–32.0	28.9	20.7	27.2	86.7	24.7
=27	1201–1500	Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology	27.3–32.0	34	25.5	28	82.2	39
=27	1201–1500	Tokyo University of Science	27.3–32.0	23.8	26.8	27.7	74.8	30.4
=27	1201–1500	Toyohashi University of Technology (TUT)	27.3–32.0	30.7	23.6	21.4	83.6	43.4
=27	1201–1500	University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan	27.3–32.0	29	11.9	53.1	53.7	23.1
=27	1201–1500	Yokohama National University	27.3–32.0	28.3	21.9	22.1	82.3	35.3
=52	1501+	Akita University	10.3–27.2	26.3	13.6	18.7	43.3	28.7
=52	1501+	Aoyama Gakuin University	10.3–27.2	16.7	9.4	10.8	29.3	36.4
=52	1501+	Chiba Institute of Technology	10.3–27.2	14.5	8.5	15.2	35.5	21.3
=52	1501+	Chubu University	10.3–27.2	17.2	11.5	15	38.9	36.3
=52	1501+	Chuo University	10.3–27.2	18.2	10.8	14.7	37	31
=52	1501+	Dokkyo Medical University	10.3–27.2	28.1	10.9	27.8	37.4	19.4
=52	1501+	Doshisha University	10.3–27.2	18.1	11.1	12.4	35.5	34.1
=52	1501+	Ehime University	10.3–27.2	25.8	14.8	26.7	54.5	31.8
=52	1501+	Gunma University	10.3–27.2	27.9	13.4	24.2	66.3	27.4
=52	1501+	Hirosaki University	10.3–27.2	24.8	15	30	53.2	29.9
=52	1501+	Ibaraki University	10.3–27.2	17.9	12.8	13.6	42.6	26.8
=52	1501+	Kagawa University	10.3–27.2	25.2	13.4	35.8	62	27
=52	1501+	Kagoshima University	10.3–27.2	26.5	13.8	23.8	56.3	26.5
=52	1501+	Kanagawa University	10.3–27.2	17.9	8.1	11.8	25.8	39.7
=52	1501+	Kansai University	10.3–27.2	21.6	8.8	10	29	34.4
=52	1501+	Kitasato University	10.3–27.2	26.7	12	36	59.8	20.7
=52	1501+	Kochi University	10.3–27.2	24.2	12.9	21.4	46.7	28
=52	1501+	Kochi University of Technology	10.3–27.2	20	14.5	18.7	51.9	41.9
=52	1501+	Kogakuin University	10.3–27.2	17.2	8.1	14.3	35.5	26.1
=52	1501+	Kwansei Gakuin University	10.3–27.2	23.2	10.4	18.9	30.6	37
=52	1501+	Kyoto Institute of Technology	10.3–27.2	25.5	17.7	16.2	72.2	31.8
=52	1501+	Meiji University	10.3–27.2	16.2	10.2	11.6	31.1	31
=52	1501+	Meijo University	10.3–27.2	14.8	11.5	10.8	45.4	25.9
=52	1501+	Mie University	10.3–27.2	26.7	17	26.4	66.5	25.2
=52	1501+	Muroran Institute of Technology	10.3–27.2	20.2	10.4	24.8	47.8	43.6
=52	1501+	Nagaoka University of Technology	10.3–27.2	31.4	16.8	18.4	68	41.4
=52	1501+	Nagoya Institute of Technology	10.3–27.2	22.8	22	25.3	75.3	29.5
=52	1501+	Nihon University	10.3–27.2	15.5	8.9	19.6	45.4	24.4
=52	1501+	Ochanomizu University	10.3–27.2	25.8	18.7	20.2	38.4	40.6
=52	1501+	Oita University	10.3–27.2	26.5	12.1	19.7	34.9	23.3
=52	1501+	Okayama University of Science	10.3–27.2	14.4	11.6	13.3	40.3	24.9
=52	1501+	Osaka Institute of Technology	10.3–27.2	14.4	13.4	13.8	38.6	26.1
=52	1501+	Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University	10.3–27.2	27.5	13.9	32.2	53.2	19.2
=52	1501+	Rikkyo University	10.3–27.2	18.5	9.6	41	21.4	56.4
=52	1501+	Ritsumeikan University	10.3–27.2	20.7	16.2	28.4	63.4	46.9
=52	1501+	Ryukoku University	10.3–27.2	15.9	10.5	16.2	24.2	31.8
=52	1501+	Saga University	10.3–27.2	25.4	14.7	25.4	66.9	27.2
=52	1501+	Saitama Medical University	10.3–27.2	27	10.8	42.7	44.8	19.1
=52	1501+	Saitama University	10.3–27.2	21.8	18.9	21.3	57.2	38.9
=52	1501+	Shibaura Institute of Technology	10.3–27.2	18.2	18.7	23.6	45.8	45
=52	1501+	Shimane University	10.3–27.2	26	13	21.5	41.1	30.4
=52	1501+	Shizuoka University	10.3–27.2	20.9	16.5	18.5	66.1	33.6
=52	1501+	Sophia University	10.3–27.2	22.5	11.1	13.9	33.6	50
=52	1501+	Teikyo University	10.3–27.2	16.2	14	29.6	41.7	27.7
=52	1501+	Toho University	10.3–27.2	24.4	15.4	33.9	59.5	21.5
=52	1501+	Tokyo City University	10.3–27.2	17.9	12	15.7	47.3	29.7
=52	1501+	Tokyo Denki University	10.3–27.2	15.2	8.9	14.2	48.5	21.5
=52	1501+	Tokyo Metropolitan University	10.3–27.2	29.7	16.2	29.8	52.8	33.5
=52	1501+	Tokyo University of Agriculture	10.3–27.2	19.9	9.8	22.8	34.7	26.4
=52	1501+	Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology	10.3–27.2	30.2	17.8	22.7	58.1	46
=52	1501+	Tokyo University of Technology	10.3–27.2	16.3	12.9	11.6	31.7	33.1
=52	1501+	Tottori University	10.3–27.2	28.4	14	22.6	55.3	25.8
=52	1501+	Toyama Prefectural University	10.3–27.2	22.8	9.5	7.9	32.6	23.4
=52	1501+	Toyo University	10.3–27.2	15.6	9.1	11	30.5	35.3
=52	1501+	University of Fukui	10.3–27.2	27.7	12.4	18.7	42.9	26.8
=52	1501+	University of Hyogo	10.3–27.2	21.8	13.3	13.1	59.2	25.5
=52	1501+	University of Miyazaki	10.3–27.2	27	12.6	23.2	49.6	26.4
=52	1501+	University of Shizuoka	10.3–27.2	23.4	12.5	16.3	59.6	25.1
=52	1501+	University of the Ryukyus	10.3–27.2	25.8	13.8	30.8	41.2	38.9
=52	1501+	University of Toyama	10.3–27.2	28.4	15.3	28.4	67.3	32.9
=52	1501+	University of Yamanashi	10.3–27.2	28.3	14	22.2	50.2	30.3
=52	1501+	Utsunomiya University	10.3–27.2	19.3	12.8	10.4	34.8	29.1
=52	1501+	Yamagata University	10.3–27.2	28.2	15.1	27.7	71.8	32.1
=52	1501+	Yamaguchi University	10.3–27.2	27.8	14.2	24	58.7	32.2

Key Insights from the Japan University Rankings 2026

The University of Tokyo takes first place in the 2026 Japan University Rankings
There are 115 Japanese universities ranked in the best universities in Japan
Nagoya University enters the top five this year, taking the fifth place position
Many of the universities ranked are specialist institutions in health and medicine
Japan successfully maintains ancient traditions alongside its identity as a nation of technological innovation. This contrast can also be seen in the country’s higher education institutions as they develop their research output and international outreach while preserving Japan’s culture and values.

Choosing a university in Japan

Japan is becoming a very popular choice for international students. Japan is home to many high-ranking universities and more and more English-language programmes are becoming available for international students.

The table for the best universities in Japan was derived from data collected from the THE World University Rankings. The results are calculated using 18 performance indicators underlying five metrics: research environment, teaching (the learning environment), research quality, industry and international outlook. For more insights and a detailed breakdown of our ranking methodology, visit our methodology page. Use the Japan university ranking table above to explore the right institution for you.

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Explore the top universities in Japan based on data collected for the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. The trusted rankings are put together using a robust methdology which includes student engagement, academic reputation and international exchange opportunities.

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Best universities in Japan 2026

Top universities in Japan 2026

Key Insights from the Japan University Rankings 2026

Choosing a university in Japan

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