Educads
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All universities in Japan Public universities571
Medicine & Health Sciences51 Social Sciences & Psychology47 Education34 Business & Management32 Computer Science & IT21 Arts, Design & Architecture20 Economics & Public Policy19 Languages & Linguistics19 Science16 Agriculture & Environment13 Law13 Engineering12
Master's universities82 Bachelor's universities59 PhD universities23 Professional universities10 Diploma universities10 Bachelor's programs268 Master's programs150 PhD programs31 Master's Medicine & Health Sciences24 Bachelor's Social Sciences & Psychology22 Master's Social Sciences & Psychology22
All scholarships Deadlines closing soon Master's scholarships213 PhD scholarships209 Bachelor's scholarships203 Diploma scholarships201 Foundation scholarships201 Professional scholarships201 PhD scholarships85 Master's scholarships84 Bachelor's scholarships79 Diploma scholarships79 Foundation scholarships79 Professional scholarships79 Master's scholarships40 Medicine & Health Sciences280 Social Sciences & Psychology239 Business & Management219 Arts, Design & Architecture192 Economics & Public Policy178 Education175 Life Sciences171 Languages & Linguistics168 Computer Science & IT147 Science147
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Top Universities in Japan

University of Tokyo leads the 2,517 universities in Japan at #36 in the QS World University Rankings 2026. Kyoto University (QS World #51) and Institute of Science Tokyo (QS World #84) complete the top three.

2,517 universities · ranked best first

how we rank
1Best overall
UT University of Tokyo logo
QS World #36 #1 in Japan Tokyo, Kantō, Japan

University of Tokyo

Public University · 10 courses

All 10 courses →
JPY 640,000 – JPY 860,000/yrTuition (indicative)
1877Founded
28,000Students
4,000International
Admissions open
#36 QS World University Rankings 2026
#1 in Japan
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2Top pick
KU Kyoto University logo
QS World #51 #2 in Japan Kyoto, Kansai, Japan

Kyoto University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

JPY 640,000 – JPY 860,000/yrTuition (indicative)
1897Founded
22,000Students
3,000International
Admissions open
#51 QS World University Rankings 2026
#2 in Japan
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5Ranked
OU Osaka University logo
QS World #91 #5 in Japan Osaka, Kansai, Japan

Osaka University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

JPY 640,000 – JPY 860,000/yrTuition (indicative)
1931Founded
23,000Students
3,000International
Admissions open
#91 QS World University Rankings 2026
#5 in Japan
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6Ranked
TO Tohoku University logo
QS World #109 #6 in Japan Sendai, Tōhoku, Japan

Tohoku University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

JPY 640,000 – JPY 860,000/yrTuition (indicative)
1907Founded
18,000Students
2,000International
Admissions open
#109 QS World University Rankings 2026
#6 in Japan
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7Ranked
NU Nagoya University logo
QS World #164 #7 in Japan Japan

Nagoya University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#164 QS World University Rankings 2026
#7 in Japan
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8Ranked
KU Kyushu University logo
QS World #170 #8 in Japan Japan

Kyushu University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
22,140Students
—International
Admissions open
#170 QS World University Rankings 2026
#8 in Japan
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9Ranked
HU Hokkaido University logo
QS World #170 #9 in Japan Japan

Hokkaido University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#170 QS World University Rankings 2026
#9 in Japan
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10Ranked
KU Keio University logo
QS World #215 #10 in Japan Japan

Keio University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#215 QS World University Rankings 2026
#10 in Japan
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12Ranked
TT Toyota Technological Institute logo
QS World #446 #12 in Japan Japan

Toyota Technological Institute

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#446 QS World University Rankings 2024
#12 in Japan
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15Ranked
CU Chiba University logo
QS World #490 #15 in Japan Japan

Chiba University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#490 QS World University Rankings 2023
#15 in Japan
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16Ranked
HU Hitotsubashi University logo
QS World #539 #16 in Japan Japan

Hitotsubashi University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#539 QS World University Rankings 2025
#16 in Japan
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17Ranked
SU Science University of Tokyo logo
#17 in Japan Japan

Science University of Tokyo

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#17 in Japan · by research impact
6,542,693 citations · h-index 648
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18Ranked
OU Okayama University logo
#18 in Japan Japan

Okayama University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#18 in Japan · by research impact
5,453,366 citations · h-index 490
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19Ranked
TM Tokyo Medical and Dental University logo
#19 in Japan Japan

Tokyo Medical and Dental University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#19 in Japan · by research impact
4,898,854 citations · h-index 553
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21Ranked
KU Kanazawa University logo
#21 in Japan Japan

Kanazawa University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
1862Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#21 in Japan · by research impact
4,736,343 citations · h-index 513
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22Ranked
OC Osaka City University logo
#22 in Japan Japan

Osaka City University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#22 in Japan · by research impact
3,831,846 citations · h-index 445
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23Ranked
NU Niigata University logo
#23 in Japan Japan

Niigata University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
1949Founded
13,000Students
—International
Admissions open
#23 in Japan · by research impact
3,615,564 citations · h-index 469
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24Ranked
WU Waseda University logo
#24 in Japan Japan

Waseda University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#24 in Japan · by research impact
3,526,395 citations · h-index 429
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Keep looking

in Japan

By university type

How these universities are ranked

16 of these universities hold a QS World position, from #36 (University of Tokyo) to #539 (Hitotsubashi University); they are listed first, in that order. The rest are ordered by research impact. University of Tokyo has the largest research record in this group, with 47,950,867 citations and an h-index of 1,407. 54 universities have neither a QS position nor a research record yet and appear at the end, marked "Not yet ranked".

Public, private and where they are

The split is 571 public to 0 private institutions. By location, Kantō (2), Kansai (2) and Tōhoku (1) account for the most of those we can place. The oldest is Otani University, founded in 1665. University of Tokyo is the largest, with 28,000 students.

What it costs

We hold indicative fees for 5 of these universities. University of Tokyo is the least expensive at USD 5,000 a year and Tohoku University the most at USD 5,000; the middle of the range is about USD 5,000. Check each university's own fee page before you budget — figures change every year.

Frequently asked questions

What are the top universities in Japan?

University of Tokyo (QS World #36), Kyoto University (QS World #51) and Institute of Science Tokyo (QS World #84) lead this list. QS World positions come first; the rest are ranked by research impact.

Which is the cheapest university in Japan?

Of those with published fees, University of Tokyo is the least expensive at about USD 5,000 a year. Fees are indicative — confirm on the university's site.

How many universities in Japan are public?

571 public and 0 private universities are on this list.

How long does a course take in Japan?

Most listed courses run 4 years, with 1–2 years the next most common.

When do courses start in Japan?

Fall is the main intake — 100% of courses with a stated start date begin then, and Spring is the second.

Which university has the most courses in Japan?

Aoyama Gakuin University, with 38, ahead of International Christian University (31).

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