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Top universities in Japan 2025: top 150

Key Insights from the Japan 51������Ƶ Rankings 2025

• Tohoku 51������Ƶ takes first place in the 2025 Times Higher Education Japan 51������Ƶ Rankings.
• The rankings were produced in partnership with Japanese education company Benesse.
• The Japan 51������Ƶ Rankings are calculated based on four broad “pillars” (resources, engagement, outcomes and environment) covering 16 performance indicators. They differ from the THE World 51������Ƶ Rankings in that they are more focused on what institutions offer students than on research data. Click here to read the full methodology for the Japan rankings.
• 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.

Top five universities in Japan

1. Tohoku 51������Ƶ

Many of Tohoku 51������Ƶ’s facilities are built around and within the ancient war grounds of the city of Sendai.

In 1913, Tohoku became the first university in Japan to admit female students. Tohoku 51������Ƶ was also the first in Japan to admit international students. 

In 2009, Tohoku was one of 13 universities selected by the Japanese government to contribute to providing higher education at an international level, and the university introduced a series of degree programmes that are predominantly taught in English.

2. Tokyo Institute of Technology

The Tokyo Institute of Technology is a national research university located in the Greater Tokyo area. 

It is the country’s largest higher education institution dedicated to science and technology. The university is organised into six schools, within which there are more than 40 departments and research centres. 

Nobel Prize laureate Hideki Shirakawa, co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000, attended the university.

3. The 51������Ƶ of Tokyo

The 51������Ƶ of Tokyo was Japan’s first national university when it was established in 1877.

It provides courses across the academic spectrum and has 10 faculties, 15 graduate schools, 11 affiliated research institutes (including the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology), three main libraries and three institutes for advanced study. 

Students are taught at three campuses in Hongo, Komaba and Kashiwa, but there are facilities associated with the university throughout Japan. The university has a slightly unusual course structure in that students follow a liberal arts programme at one campus during their first two years before transferring to another campus to study their chosen major.

The campuses are in close proximity to many of Tokyo’s cultural attractions including Yanesen, a district of temples, and Ueno Park, with its museums and cherry blossoms.

4. Kyoto 51������Ƶ

Kyoto 51������Ƶ is spread across three campuses in Yoshida, Uji and Katsura. It is one of Japan’s oldest universities and is consistently ranked highly in 51������Ƶ.

Kyoto 51������Ƶ has about 22,000 students, 10 faculties, 18 graduate schools, 13 research institutes and 21 research and educational centres.

The university was initially comprised of colleges in law, medicine, letters, and science and engineering. Within two years, the university opened a library and a hospital. Later, it established departments of economics, agriculture and humanities, and the first graduate school was launched in the mid-20th century.

The institution has produced a number of successful researchers, including 11 Nobel prizewinners, two Fields medallists and one Gauss Prize winner.

5. Kyushu 51������Ƶ

Kyushu 51������Ƶ returns to the top five this year, moving up one place from last year’s number six spot.

The university has international students from many countries. The number of foreign students continues to rise year-on-year.

There are 7.5 million items in the Kyushu 51������Ƶ Museum including documents, archaeological artefacts and an insect collection of more than 4 million specimens. 

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See the full Japan 51������Ƶ Rankings here