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THE Japan University Rankings
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THE Japan University Rankings 2020

Times Higher Education World University Rankings · · Methodology · Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings official website · Editorial Standards

Evaluates Japanese universities for teaching resources, student engagement, and internationalization.

THE evaluates universities across five pillars — Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, Industry, and International Outlook — making it one of the most comprehensive ranking systems.

How does THE Japan University Rankings evaluate universities?

THE Japan University Rankings, published by Times Higher Education World University Rankings, evaluates universities worldwide using key indicators such as Resources, Engagement, Outcomes, Environment, each assigned a distinct weight according to a publicly documented methodology. Data sources combine academic peer reviews, employer surveys, bibliometric databases such as Scopus and Web of Science, and institutional self-reported statistics, all independently verified by the publisher's research team. The 2020 edition assessed 177 universities from 1 countries and regions, covering teaching quality, research output, internationalization, and graduate employability across undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs. Times Higher Education World University Rankings recollects raw data annually and cross-checks results to ensure the rankings reflect each institution's most current performance in faculty strength, scholarly productivity, global reach, and student outcomes, providing a reliable reference for prospective students, parents, and education researchers.

Which are the top universities in THE Japan University Rankings 2020?

The top universities in THE Japan University Rankings 2020 are: University of Fukui, Tottori University, Chuo University, Ehime University, St Luke’s International University. This edition, published by Times Higher Education World University Rankings, evaluated 177 universities from 1 countries and regions using indicators such as Resources, Engagement, Outcomes, Environment. Rankings reflect weighted performance across multiple dimensions; students should consider methodology differences and their own academic priorities when interpreting results.

How does THE Japan University Rankings differ from other ranking systems?

THE (Times Higher Education) World University Rankings is among the most comprehensive, evaluating universities across teaching (30%), research environment (30%), research quality (30%), industry income (2.5%), and international outlook (7.5%), with 18 fine-grained indicators. Data sources combine the Elsevier Scopus bibliometric database, academic reputation surveys, and institution-reported statistics. The methodology underwent a major 2024 revision, adding a Research Quality category to reduce reliance on sheer output volume. In comparison, QS leans more on reputation surveys, ARWU is built solely on objective research metrics (Nobel Prizes, highly cited researchers), and US News centers on research productivity and citation impact. THE suits applicants seeking a balanced view of a university's combined research and teaching strength.

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🇯🇵 Japan
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Total 177 universities

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University
Country
58 University of Fukui University of Fukui 🇯🇵 Japan 56.3 60.5 60.0 56.1 43.6
59 Tottori University logo Tottori University 🇯🇵 Japan 55.9 61.2 62.3 56.2 37.1
60 Chuo University Chuo University 🇯🇵 Japan 55.5 45.1 75.9 57.2 41.2
61 Ehime University logo Ehime University 🇯🇵 Japan 55.4 55.6 63.0 61.0 39.4
62 = St Luke’s International University St Luke’s International University 🇯🇵 Japan 55.2 65.5 56.8 - 64.1
64 Toyo University logo Toyo University 🇯🇵 Japan 55.0 - 79.5 48.9 70.7
65 = Yamagata University logo Yamagata University (YU ) 🇯🇵 Japan 54.9 54.8 68.9 55.8 33.2
65 = Yamaguchi University logo Yamaguchi University 🇯🇵 Japan 54.9 52.8 69.5 46.2 43.6
68 Hosei University Hosei University 🇯🇵 Japan 54.8 39.2 76.4 57.4 46.7
69 Tokushima University logo Tokushima University 🇯🇵 Japan 54.6 62.2 58.4 58.1 33.0
70 = Utsunomiya University logo Utsunomiya University (UDAI) 🇯🇵 Japan 54.5 50.2 64.8 63.8 38.7
72 = Aoyama Gakuin University logo Aoyama Gakuin University (AGU) 🇯🇵 Japan 54.2 35.1 76.2 59.4 49.3
72 = Kansai University logo Kansai University 🇯🇵 Japan 54.2 43.6 70.9 57.6 44.4
72 = Kochi University of Technology logo Kochi University of Technology (KUT) 🇯🇵 Japan 54.2 52.7 71.4 48.6 35.5
75 = Gifu University logo Gifu University 🇯🇵 Japan 54.0 58.4 56.2 61.8 37.1
75 = Kindai University logo Kindai University 🇯🇵 Japan 54.0 41.6 75.0 57.6 40.7
75 = Soka University Soka University 🇯🇵 Japan 54.0 37.7 53.6 49.8 85.4
78 Gunma University logo Gunma University 🇯🇵 Japan 53.8 61.1 60.3 53.2 32.5
79 University of Toyama logo University of Toyama 🇯🇵 Japan 53.3 56.4 59.7 55.9 36.2
80 Saga University logo Saga University 🇯🇵 Japan 53.2 55.6 61.7 51.0 38.4
81 = Kagoshima University logo Kagoshima University 🇯🇵 Japan 53.0 57.2 61.9 49.8 35.2
81 = Shimane University logo Shimane University 🇯🇵 Japan 53.0 56.6 58.7 51.6 39.4
83 Saitama University logo Saitama University 🇯🇵 Japan 52.9 47.9 62.1 56.4 44.8
84 Shizuoka University logo Shizuoka University 🇯🇵 Japan 52.8 51.1 63.3 55.2 37.9
85 Akita Prefectural University Akita Prefectural University 🇯🇵 Japan 52.6 57.9 64.9 52.6 -
87 University of Shizuoka logo University of Shizuoka 🇯🇵 Japan 52.3 58.7 62.1 42.4 34.5
88 Ibaraki University logo Ibaraki University 🇯🇵 Japan 51.9 47.3 67.4 55.7 33.6
89 Kōchi University Kōchi University 🇯🇵 Japan 51.8 58.1 58.5 49.1 33.2
91 = Iwate University logo Iwate University 🇯🇵 Japan 51.6 48.3 60.2 63.4 34.8
91 = Nagoya City University logo Nagoya City University 🇯🇵 Japan 51.6 68.8 49.2 42.7 33.2
93 Juntendo University Juntendo University 🇯🇵 Japan 51.2 66.5 55.5 38.6 -
94 Mie University logo Mie University 🇯🇵 Japan 51.1 52.5 58.5 50.8 37.9
95 = Aichi Prefectural University logo Aichi Prefectural University 🇯🇵 Japan 50.7 47.3 56.5 30.3 64.0
98 Kagawa University logo Kagawa University 🇯🇵 Japan 50.4 55.2 55.3 53.1 32.7
99 Sapporo Medical University logo Sapporo Medical University (SMU) 🇯🇵 Japan 50.0 78.5 50.2 19.4 -
100 = Ryukoku University logo Ryukoku University 🇯🇵 Japan 49.8 37.0 65.1 48.4 49.6
101-110 Hamamatsu University School of Medicine logo Hamamatsu University School of Medicine 🇯🇵 Japan 48.9 80.6 - 19.4 -
101-110 Kitasato University Kitasato University 🇯🇵 Japan 48.9 57.9 56.0 50.7 -
101-110 Kyoto Sangyo University logo Kyoto Sangyo University 🇯🇵 Japan 48.9 34.8 68.6 49.6 46.4
101-110 University of Niigata Prefecture logo University of Niigata Prefecture (UNP) 🇯🇵 Japan 48.9 37.2 60.3 33.8 66.7
101-110 Seinan Gakuin University Seinan Gakuin University (SGU) 🇯🇵 Japan 48.9 - 71.1 51.4 53.1
101-110 Shiga University of Medical Science logo Shiga University of Medical Science (SUMS) 🇯🇵 Japan 48.9 78.6 - 19.4 37.3
101-110 Tokyo University of Agriculture Tokyo University of Agriculture 🇯🇵 Japan 48.9 42.0 67.3 57.6 -
111-120 University of Hyogo logo University of Hyogo (UH) 🇯🇵 Japan 47.8 54.0 51.1 54.6 31.7
111-120 Kitami Institute of Technology logo Kitami Institute of Technology 🇯🇵 Japan 47.8 46.0 52.5 52.5 45.0
111-120 Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine 🇯🇵 Japan 47.8 82.8 - 19.4 -
111-120 Meiji Gakuin University logo Meiji Gakuin University 🇯🇵 Japan 47.8 30.0 71.4 33.7 57.6
111-120 University of Miyazaki logo University of Miyazaki 🇯🇵 Japan 47.8 60.2 - 35.8 36.4
111-120 Nagoya University of Commerce & Business Nagoya University of Commerce & Business 🇯🇵 Japan 47.8 - 66.4 34.8 80.6
111-120 Nara Women’s University Nara Women’s University 🇯🇵 Japan 47.8 54.4 49.9 42.4 40.6