Top University in Japan

Home >> University Ranking 2008 >> Japan


Ranking

1 University of Tokyo

2 Kyoto University

3 Osaka University

4 Tokyo Institute of Technology

5 Tohoku University

6 Keio University

7 Kyushu University

8 Nagoya University

9 Hokkaido University

10 Tsukuba University

11 Kobe University

12 Chiba University

13 Waseda University

14 Hiroshima University

15 Kanazawa University

16 Okayama University

17 Tokyo University of Science

18 Tokyo Metropolitan University

19 Tokyo Medical and Dental University

20 Osaka City University

21 Niigata University

22 Kumamoto University

23 Tokushima University

24 Osaka Prefectural University

25 Gifu University

26 Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

27 Yokohama National University

28 Yamaguchi University

29 Nagoya City University

30 Kagoshima University



Background:
The ranking was based on four factors: research funding (Kaken only), citations of research publications, entrance exam difficulty, and a reputation survey.

Weaknesses:
This ranking was done to identify "world class research universities" as seen in strengths in science and engineering. For public universities this gives a reasonable approximation to an overall quality ranking, because Japanese public universities have fairly similar profiles, and so strength in one area tends to be matched by strength across the board, including in recruiting good students and in educating them well. Private universities, however, tend to have different profiles, including strengths in education and in the humanities which are not reflected in this ranking. Thus in a list of the truly best, Waseda and Keio would probably belong near the top, and other private universities, including Sophia, International Christian University, Meiji, and Nihon, would probably also be mentioned. Some smaller, specialized universities, such as The Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, The University of Electro-Communications, The Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, and Hitotsubashi University would probably also deserve a place.

Links:
Several other lists of top Japanese Universities, some broken down by field of study, are provided by World Education Services on their Japan papge.

Special Thanks:
Nigel Ward
University of Texas at El Paso