Japan Data

Tōhoku University Heads Higher Education Ranking for Fourth Year Running

Education Economy Society

Tōhoku University was chosen as Japan’s top university in a ranking compiled by Times Higher Education, ahead of the University of Tokyo and Osaka University.

For the fourth consecutive year, Tōhoku University ranked first overall in the World University Rankings Japan 2023, compiled by the British magazine Times Higher Education, followed by the University of Tokyo, which also placed second in 2022. In third place was Osaka University, followed closely by Tokyo Institute of Technology. Japan’s former imperial universities continue to have a strong presence in the academic world, with seven of them among the eight most highly regarded institutions. Among private universities, International Christian University moved up two places to enter the top 10 for the first time. Only three private universities were ranked in the top 20.

Benesse Corporation cooperated in the Japanese university ranking, which compared universities according to 16 performance indicators for the following four main areas or “pillars”: resources, engagement, outcomes, and environment.

Top 20 Japanese Universities

The breakdown for each of the main areas in the ranking shows that national universities, and particularly former imperial universities, ranked high in the areas of “resources” and “outcomes.” However, they scored less well in the area of “environment,” which considers the ratio of international professors and students, with Tōhoku University the highest ranking national university in eleventh position.

Top 10 Japanese Universities for Resources

Rank (2022 rank) University
1 (2) Tokyo Medical and Dental University
2 (1) University of Tokyo
3 (4) Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
4 (5) Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
5 (6) Tōhoku University
6 (=8) Kyoto University
7 (=8) Tokyo Medical University
8 (10) Shiga University of Medical Science
9 (―) Wakayama Medical University
10 (12) Aichi Medical University

Created by Nippon.com based on data from Times Higher Education.

Top 10 Japanese Universities for Engagement

Rank (2022 rank) University
1 (2) International Christian University
2 (1) Akita International University
3 (3) Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
4 (19) Hitotsubashi University
4 (=9) Kanda University of International Studies
6 (6) Tokyo Institute of Technology
7 (=9) University of Tokyo
8 (=4) Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
9 (=4) Tōhoku University
10 (12) Kyūshū University

Created by Nippon.com based on data from Times Higher Education.

Top 10 Japanese Universities for Outcomes

Rank (2022 rank) University
1 (1) Kyoto University
2 (3) Tōhoku University
3 (4) Nagoya University
4 (7) Kyūshū University
5 (6) Osaka University
6 (2) Hokkaidō University
7 (5) University of Tokyo
8 (8) Tokyo Institute of Technology
=9 (10) Keiō University
=9 (9) Waseda University

Created by Nippon.com based on data from Times Higher Education.

Top 10 Japanese Universities for Environment

Rank (2022 rank) University
1 (1) Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
2 (2) International Christian University
3 (3) Osaka Jogakuin University
4 (7) Kansai Gaidai University
5 (4) Miyazaki International College
6 (5) Sōka University
7 (20) Kyoto University of Foreign Studies
8 (8) Sophia University
9 (=12) Reitaku University
10 (14) Fukuoka Women’s University

Created by Nippon.com based on data from Times Higher Education.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: Katahira campus of Tōhoku University. © Pixta.)

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