Universities in Japan

An island nation in East Asia, Japan is a modern and safe country steeped in fascinating history and traditional culture in which to study at university.

The types of University

There are over 780 universities in Japan, and they fall into three main types:

• Public universities
  Public universities in Japan receive their funding from local governments

• National universities
  National universities in Japan receive their funding from the Japanese government

• Private universities
  Private universities in Japan do not receive any government funding

Universities formerly known as ‘Imperial Universities’ are to this day considered amongst the most prestigious universities in Japan, and are also known as National Seven Universities. These include Hokkaido University, Osaka University and Nagoya University.

Language of tuition

Japanese is the most popular language spoken in Japan, and as such is widely used as the language of tuition at universities in Japan.

Many universities also offer courses fully taught in English, such as Hokkaido University, which offer a range of bachelors and masters degrees taught in English.

Popular Japanese cities for students

Tokyo – In terms of population, Tokyo is the largest city in the world, with over 37 million inhabitants. Tokyo is full of adventure, history, culture and opportunities. It is also home to many high quality universities, public, national and private, including Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo University of the Arts and Tokyo City University.

Osaka – If you would like to study in a port city, full of modern architecture, museums and street food, Osaka could be perfect for you. There is a wide range of universities in Osaka, including Osaka University of Economics, Osaka Jogakuin University and Osaka Institute of Technology.

Nagoya – Nagoya is a modern city located in central Japan with a fascinating history to explore (Nagoya Castle is a popular place to visit). There are several universities in Nagoya, including Nagoya University, Nagoya City University and Nagoya Institute of Technology.

Hokkaido – The northernmost island of Japan, Hokkaido has slightly cheaper living costs than Tokyo and is a popular destination for winter sports. Hokkaido hosts the city of Sapporo, which is essentially the cultural and economic hub of the island. There are many universities located in Hokkaido, including Hokusho University, Hakodate University and Sapporo Gakuin University.

Kyoto – Well known for its traditional architecture and customs, Kyoto is a very popular destination for international students with many universities to choose from, including Kyoto University, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine and Kyoto Institute of Technology.

The top universities in Japan

Japan has long enjoyed a reputation for maintaining some of the world’s best universities, which regularly feature in the top of various world university rankings.

Table of the top ranked universities in Japan

See below for a list of universities and higher education providers in Japan. Click on universities you are interested in below to read more and to see which courses are available for international students.