38 Best universities for Game Design and Development in Japan

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Japan ranked based on their research performance in Game Design and Development. A graph of 81.8K citations received by 8.58K academic papers made by 38 universities in Japan was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of Tokyo

For Game Design and Development

#2 in Asia

#14 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 36%
Enrollment: 28,918
Founded: 1877

2. Osaka University

For Game Design and Development

#14 in Asia

#87 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Enrollment: 23,234
Founded: 1931

3. Keio University

For Game Design and Development

#19 in Asia

#116 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 33,518
Founded: 1858

4. Waseda University

For Game Design and Development

#23 in Asia

#129 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 47,094
Founded: 1882

5. University of Tsukuba

Japan | Tsukuba

For Game Design and Development

#27 in Asia

#162 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Enrollment: 16,684
Founded: 1973

6. Tokyo Institute of Technology

For Game Design and Development

#32 in Asia

#181 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1881

7. Ritsumeikan University

For Game Design and Development

#36 in Asia

#211 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Founded: 1899

8. Kyushu University

Japan | Fukuoka

For Game Design and Development

#43 in Asia

#231 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Enrollment: 18,813
Founded: 1911

9. Nara Institute of Science and Technology

For Game Design and Development

#45 in Asia

#238 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1991

10. Kyoto University

For Game Design and Development

#59 in Asia

#328 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Enrollment: 22,365
Founded: 1897

11. Tohoku University

For Game Design and Development

#61 in Asia

#343 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Enrollment: 17,975
Founded: 1907

12. Hiroshima University

Japan | Higashihiroshima

For Game Design and Development

#76 in Asia

#396 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 15,505
Founded: 1949

13. Nagoya University

For Game Design and Development

#80 in Asia

#403 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Enrollment: 15,959
Founded: 1939

14. University of Electro-Communications

For Game Design and Development

#81 in Asia

#405 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 25%
Founded: 1949

15. Hiroshima City University

Japan | Hiroshima

For Game Design and Development

#86 in Asia

#418 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Enrollment: 2,058
Founded: 1994

16. Gifu University

For Game Design and Development

#87 in Asia

#431 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Enrollment: 7,227
Founded: 1949

17. University of Aizu

Japan | Aizuwakamatsu

For Game Design and Development

#96 in Asia

#453 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Enrollment: 1,371
Founded: 1993

18. Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

For Game Design and Development

#107 in Asia

#524 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1990

19. Shibaura Institute of Technology

For Game Design and Development

#110 in Asia

#540 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 66%
Founded: 1949

20. Nagoya Institute of Technology

For Game Design and Development

#134 in Asia

#634 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1905

21. Kagawa University

Japan | Takamatsu

For Game Design and Development

#136 in Asia

#640 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1949

22. Hokkaido University

Japan | Sapporo

For Game Design and Development

#148 in Asia

#678 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 27%
Enrollment: 17,770
Founded: 1918

23. Chiba University

For Game Design and Development

#150 in Asia

#680 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 32%
Enrollment: 13,983
Founded: 1949

24. Tokyo University of Science

For Game Design and Development

#155 in Asia

#692 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Enrollment: 19,768
Founded: 1881

25. Kyushu Institute of Technology

Japan | Kitakyushu

For Game Design and Development

#173 in Asia

#736 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Founded: 1907

26. Kobe University

For Game Design and Development

#188 in Asia

#784 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Enrollment: 16,214
Founded: 1902

27. Tokai University

For Game Design and Development

#189 in Asia

#786 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 29,700
Founded: 1946

28. Toyohashi University of Technology

Japan | Toyohashi

For Game Design and Development

#190 in Asia

#790 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 29%
Founded: 1976

29. University of Tokushima

Japan | Tokushima

For Game Design and Development

#192 in Asia

#794 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Founded: 1949

30. Okayama University

Japan | Okayama

For Game Design and Development

#198 in Asia

#812 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Enrollment: 13,057
Founded: 1922

31. Saitama University

Japan | Saitama

For Game Design and Development

#207 in Asia

#827 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Founded: 1949

32. Tokyo Metropolitan University

Japan | Hachioji

For Game Design and Development

#211 in Asia

#832 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Enrollment: 9,126
Founded: 2005

33. Iwate Prefectural University

For Game Design and Development

#254 in Asia

#931 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Founded: 1998

34. Chuo University

Japan | Hachioji

For Game Design and Development

#255 in Asia

#935 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 31,739
Founded: 1885

35. Shizuoka University

Japan | Shizuoka

For Game Design and Development

#264 in Asia

#947 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Founded: 1949

36. Tokyo University of Technology

Japan | Hachioji

For Game Design and Development

#282 in Asia

#975 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 27%
Founded: 1986

37. Tokyo Denki University

For Game Design and Development

#288 in Asia

#984 in the World

Founded: 1907

38. Fukuoka Institute of Technology

Japan | Fukuoka

For Game Design and Development

#296 in Asia

#995 in the World

Founded: 1963

The best cities to study Game Design and Development in Japan based on the number of universities and their ranks are Tokyo, Suita, Tsukuba, and Kyoto.