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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 Life Sciences9 Media & Communication9
Master's universities82 Bachelor's universities59 PhD universities23 Professional universities10 Diploma universities10 Bachelor's programs268 Master's programs150 PhD programs31 Professional programs12 Diploma programs10 Bachelor's Social Sciences & Psychology22 Master's Medicine & Health Sciences24 PhD Medicine & Health Sciences6 Bachelor's Business & Management17 Master's Social Sciences & Psychology22 Bachelor's Computer Science & IT16 Master's Business & Management15 Bachelor's Languages & Linguistics14 Master's Education9
All scholarships Deadlines closing soon Master's scholarships12 PhD scholarships8 Medicine & Health Sciences38 Social Sciences & Psychology35 Business & Management33 Arts, Design & Architecture30 Economics & Public Policy28 Life Sciences27 Languages & Linguistics24 Education22 Engineering21 Computer Science & IT21
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27 Best PhD Universities in Japan

Kobe University tops our list of 27 PhD universities in Japan at #482 in the QS World University Rankings 2026. It is followed by Kumamoto University (#20 in Japan) and Fujita Health University (#65 in Japan). Across the whole list there are 31 courses to choose from.

27 universities · ranked best first

how we rank

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Bachelor's Universities Diploma Universities Master's Universities Professional Universities

By university type

Public universities

Browse by subject

Medicine & Health Sciences

How these universities are ranked

Only one university here holds a QS World position — Kobe University at #482 — so it heads the list. The rest are ordered by research impact. Kobe University has the largest research record in this group, with 7,062,570 citations and an h-index of 609.

Public, private and where they are

The split is 27 public to 0 private institutions. The oldest is Kyushu Dental College, founded in 1914. Tokyo University of Foreign Studies is the largest, with 4,268 students.

Inside the course list

The most common subjects are Medicine & Health Sciences (6), Education (4), Social Sciences & Psychology (4) and Music & Performing Arts (2). The usual length is 4–6 years and 4 years. 97% are full-time and 1 can be studied online. Start dates lean to Fall (100% of courses with a stated intake). International University of Japan offers the widest choice, with 3 of these courses.

Frequently asked questions

What are the top universities for PhD in Japan?

Kobe University (QS World #482), Kumamoto University (#20 in Japan) and Fujita Health University (#65 in Japan) lead this list. QS World positions come first; the rest are ranked by research impact.

How many public universities offer PhD in Japan?

27 public and 0 private universities are on this list.

How long does a PhD course take in Japan?

Most listed courses run 4–6 years, with 4 years the next most common.

When do PhD courses start in Japan?

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

Can I study PhD online with a university in Japan?

1 of these courses are listed as online.

Which university has the most PhD courses in Japan?

International University of Japan, with 3, ahead of Kobe University (2).

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