List of 100 best universities in Japan

Updated:

EduRank

Top 100 universities in Japan ranked by EduRank based on research outputs, non-academic prominence, and alumni influence. The rankings are determined by analyzing 92.6M citations received by 5.28M academic publications made by 719 universities from Japan, the popularity of 5,126 recognized alumni, and the largest reference database available.

1. University of Tokyo

#1 in Asia
#20 in the World
Acceptance Rate
36%
Enrollment
28,218
Founded
1877

2. Kyoto University

#3 in Asia
#53 in the World
Acceptance Rate
11%
Enrollment
22,455
Male:Female
76:24
Founded
1897

3. Osaka University

#7 in Asia
#90 in the World
Acceptance Rate
13%
Enrollment
23,123
Male:Female
68:32
Founded
1931

4. Tohoku University

#11 in Asia
#121 in the World
Acceptance Rate
30%
Enrollment
17,591
Founded
1907

5. Keio University

#17 in Asia
#165 in the World
Acceptance Rate
12%
Enrollment
33,518
Founded
1858

6. Hokkaido University

#18 in Asia
#178 in the World
Acceptance Rate
27%
Enrollment
17,541
Founded
1918

7. Kyushu University

#19 in Asia
#179 in the World
Acceptance Rate
14%
Enrollment
18,560
Founded
1911

8. Nagoya University

#25 in Asia
#202 in the World
Acceptance Rate
14%
Enrollment
15,834
Founded
1939

9. University of Tsukuba

#27 in Asia
#230 in the World
Acceptance Rate
18%
Enrollment
16,507
Male:Female
61:39
Founded
1973

10. Tokyo Institute of Technology

#30 in Asia
#260 in the World
Acceptance Rate
10%
Enrollment
10,357
Founded
1881

11. Waseda University

#38 in Asia
#298 in the World
Acceptance Rate
10%
Enrollment
47,094
Founded
1882

12. Hiroshima University

#44 in Asia
#342 in the World
Acceptance Rate
33%
Enrollment
15,066
Founded
1949

13. Kobe University

#52 in Asia
#376 in the World
Acceptance Rate
35%
Enrollment
15,871
Founded
1902

14. Nihon University

#63 in Asia
#436 in the World
Enrollment
77,651
Male:Female
68:32
Founded
1889

15. Okayama University

#77 in Asia
#494 in the World
Acceptance Rate
30%
Enrollment
13,057
Founded
1922

16. Chiba University

#84 in Asia
#518 in the World
Acceptance Rate
32%
Enrollment
13,983
Founded
1949

18. Kanazawa University

#100 in Asia
#600 in the World
Acceptance Rate
30%
Enrollment
10,127
Male:Female
64:36
Founded
1949

20. Niigata University

#106 in Asia
#629 in the World
Acceptance Rate
34%
Enrollment
12,068
Founded
1922

21. Kindai University

#107 in Asia
#635 in the World
Acceptance Rate
50%
Enrollment
38,857
Founded
1949

22. Kumamoto University

#110 in Asia
#643 in the World
Acceptance Rate
18%
Enrollment
7,629
Founded
1949

23. Juntendo University

#117 in Asia
#660 in the World
Acceptance Rate
31%
Enrollment
3,802
Founded
1836

24. Tokai University

#118 in Asia
#661 in the World
Acceptance Rate
50%
Enrollment
28,535
Founded
1946

25. Ritsumeikan University

#119 in Asia
#668 in the World
Acceptance Rate
34%
Founded
1899

26. Nagasaki University

#120 in Asia
#670 in the World
Acceptance Rate
17%
Enrollment
9,090
Founded
1949

27. Shinshu University

#129 in Asia
#701 in the World
Acceptance Rate
36%
Founded
1949

28. Osaka City University

#132 in Asia
#712 in the World
Acceptance Rate
22%
Enrollment
8,230
Founded
1928

29. Gunma University

#158 in Asia
#786 in the World
Acceptance Rate
21%
Enrollment
6,556
Male:Female
63:37
Founded
1949

31. Kagoshima University

#165 in Asia
#801 in the World
Acceptance Rate
30%
Enrollment
10,661
Male:Female
62:38
Founded
1949

32. Tokyo Metropolitan University

#170 in Asia
#817 in the World
Acceptance Rate
21%
Enrollment
9,059
Founded
2005

34. Gifu University

#175 in Asia
#840 in the World
Acceptance Rate
35%
Enrollment
7,227
Male:Female
65:35
Founded
1949

35. Ehime University

#179 in Asia
#845 in the World
Acceptance Rate
34%
Enrollment
9,033
Founded
1949

36. Osaka Prefecture University

#181 in Asia
#852 in the World
Acceptance Rate
21%
Enrollment
8,051
Founded
1949

38. Mie University

#186 in Asia
#873 in the World
Enrollment
8,455
Male:Female
63:37
Founded
1949

39. Yamagata University

#187 in Asia
#878 in the World
Acceptance Rate
34%
Founded
1949

40. Meiji University

#193 in Asia
#894 in the World
Acceptance Rate
47%
Enrollment
31,339
Founded
1881

43. Doshisha University

#207 in Asia
#938 in the World
Acceptance Rate
35%
Enrollment
28,354
Male:Female
62:38
Founded
1920

44. Shizuoka University

#215 in Asia
#958 in the World
Acceptance Rate
40%
Enrollment
10,090
Founded
1949

45. Kitasato University

#219 in Asia
#967 in the World
Enrollment
8,576
Male:Female
46:54
Founded
1962

46. Teikyo University

#233 in Asia
#996 in the World
Acceptance Rate
50%
Founded
1966

47. Kansai University

#235 in Asia
#1001 in the World
Acceptance Rate
35%
Enrollment
29,749
Founded
1922

48. Fukuoka University

#237 in Asia
#1006 in the World
Enrollment
20,356
Founded
1934

49. University of Electro-Communications

#239 in Asia
#1009 in the World
Acceptance Rate
25%
Enrollment
5,329
Founded
1949

50. Nagoya City University

#241 in Asia
#1014 in the World
Acceptance Rate
22%
Enrollment
4,685
Founded
1950

51. Tottori University

#246 in Asia
#1027 in the World
Acceptance Rate
34%
Enrollment
6,195
Founded
1949

52. Toho University

#247 in Asia
#1029 in the World
Acceptance Rate
47%
Founded
1925

53. Showa University

#251 in Asia
#1041 in the World
Acceptance Rate
47%
Founded
1928

54. Chuo University

#253 in Asia
#1044 in the World
Acceptance Rate
60%
Enrollment
31,739
Founded
1885

55. University of Toyama

#258 in Asia
#1069 in the World
Acceptance Rate
30%
Enrollment
9,208
Founded
1975

56. Nagoya Institute of Technology

#259 in Asia
#1070 in the World
Acceptance Rate
22%
Enrollment
5,776
Founded
1905

57. Hirosaki University

#264 in Asia
#1082 in the World
Acceptance Rate
41%
Founded
1949

60. Hosei University

#272 in Asia
#1100 in the World
Acceptance Rate
30%
Founded
1880

63. Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine

#291 in Asia
#1153 in the World
Acceptance Rate
8%
Enrollment
1,223
Founded
1872

64. Sophia University

#294 in Asia
#1160 in the World
Acceptance Rate
50%
Enrollment
13,280
Founded
1913

65. Tokyo Medical University

#297 in Asia
#1164 in the World
Acceptance Rate
8%
Founded
1916

66. Shimane University

#306 in Asia
#1191 in the World
Acceptance Rate
38%
Founded
1949

67. Kyushu Institute of Technology

#307 in Asia
#1192 in the World
Acceptance Rate
34%
Enrollment
5,876
Founded
1907

68. Aoyama Gakuin University

#308 in Asia
#1196 in the World
Acceptance Rate
30%
Enrollment
20,285
Founded
1874

69. Saitama University

#313 in Asia
#1207 in the World
Acceptance Rate
30%
Enrollment
9,031
Male:Female
68:32
Founded
1949

70. Kagawa University

#314 in Asia
#1209 in the World
Acceptance Rate
18%
Enrollment
6,539
Founded
1949

71. University of Yamanashi

#320 in Asia
#1228 in the World
Acceptance Rate
30%
Founded
1949

72. Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

#325 in Asia
#1239 in the World
Acceptance Rate
10%
Enrollment
891
Male:Female
83:17
Founded
1990

74. Kwansei Gakuin University

#328 in Asia
#1250 in the World
Acceptance Rate
18%
Enrollment
25,254
Founded
1912

75. University of Miyazaki

#333 in Asia
#1262 in the World
Acceptance Rate
17%
Founded
1949

76. University of Fukui

#334 in Asia
#1264 in the World
Acceptance Rate
34%
Enrollment
5,167
Founded
1949

77. Fujita Health University

#335 in Asia
#1265 in the World
Enrollment
3,065
Male:Female
44:56
Founded
1964

78. Tokyo University of the Arts

#340 in Asia
#1281 in the World
Acceptance Rate
29%
Enrollment
3,217
Founded
1949

79. Rikkyo University

#342 in Asia
#1284 in the World
Acceptance Rate
34%
Enrollment
20,720
Founded
1922

81. Ibaraki University

#348 in Asia
#1300 in the World
Acceptance Rate
34%
Enrollment
8,249
Founded
1949

83. Kochi University

#353 in Asia
#1311 in the World
Acceptance Rate
34%
Founded
1949

84. Sapporo Medical University

#363 in Asia
#1338 in the World
Acceptance Rate
39%
Founded
1950

85. Nara Medical University

#364 in Asia
#1339 in the World
Acceptance Rate
31%
Founded
1945

86. Hitotsubashi University

#366 in Asia
#1342 in the World
Acceptance Rate
33%
Enrollment
6,287
Male:Female
70:30
Founded
1875

87. Ochanomizu University

#367 in Asia
#1343 in the World
Acceptance Rate
12%
Enrollment
2,075
Founded
1874

88. Akita University

#369 in Asia
#1348 in the World
Acceptance Rate
23%
Enrollment
5,157
Founded
1949

91. Iwate University

#391 in Asia
#1407 in the World
Acceptance Rate
33%
Enrollment
5,402
Founded
1949

93. Oita University

#393 in Asia
#1412 in the World
Acceptance Rate
40%
Enrollment
5,781
Male:Female
62:38
Founded
1949

95. Toyo University

#401 in Asia
#1432 in the World
Enrollment
29,300
Male:Female
59:41
Founded
1887

96. Kanagawa University

#408 in Asia
#1450 in the World
Acceptance Rate
47%
Enrollment
18,693
Founded
1949

97. University of Hyogo

#418 in Asia
#1489 in the World
Acceptance Rate
34%
Enrollment
6,551
Founded
2004

98. Kyorin University

#433 in Asia
#1543 in the World
Acceptance Rate
50%
Enrollment
4,820
Founded
1966

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

Average cost of living for students in Japan is $601 + $69-496 for rent (depends on where to live: dormitory, renting with a roommate or solo).