The Japan University Popularity Ranking is published monthly by JS Corporation. As of March 31, 2025, the top-ranked national university is the University of Tokyo, the top public university is Osaka Metropolitan University, and the top private university is Aoyama Gakuin University. Among private universities, Hosei University and Nihon University have swapped places; among public universities, the two schools previously tied for ninth place have seen changes in their rankings this year.
JS Corporation, which operates the school information website Japan School, conducts a survey among high school students about "universities they are interested in" and publishes the results monthly as the "University Popularity Ranking." The latest version, compiled on March 31, 2025, aggregates responses from 181,174 high school students between April 2022 and March 2025. National, public, and private university rankings at the national and prefectural levels have been published on the website.
Looking at the Japan University Popularity Ranking, the top five national and public universities are as follows: 1st, University of Tokyo; 2nd, University of Tsukuba; 3rd, Kyoto University; 4th, Osaka University; and 5th, Nagoya University. Within the top 30, the 13th and 14th positions swapped, with Yokohama National University at 13th and Mie University at 14th.
For public universities, the rankings are: 1st, Osaka Metropolitan University; 2nd, Tokyo Metropolitan University; 3rd, University of Shizuoka; 4th, Nagoya City University; and 5th, Aichi Prefectural University. The two schools previously tied for 9th are now ranked differently, with Akita International University at 9th and Hyogo Prefectural University at 10th. Additionally, Aichi Prefectural University of the Arts rose two spots to 11th, and Kyoto City University of Arts rose one spot to 20th. The top 30 remained largely unchanged, with only the University of Aizu rising to 30th.
Among private universities, the top five are: 1st, Aoyama Gakuin University; 2nd, Keio University; 3rd, Kindai University; 4th, Meiji University; and 5th, Waseda University. While the top ten remained unchanged, the 13th and 14th positions swapped, with Nihon University at 13th and Hosei University at 14th. Additionally, Tokoha University rose from 28th to 27th, and Chubu University is ranked 30th.
On the other hand, popularity rankings by prefecture are more grounded in reality, factoring in local universities. For example, in Tokyo, the top national university is the University of Tokyo, but in neighboring Kanagawa Prefecture, it is Yokohama National University; in Chiba Prefecture, it is Chiba University; and in Saitama Prefecture, it is Saitama University. The University of Tokyo ranks third in Saitama Prefecture and second in both Kanagawa and Chiba Prefectures.
◆ Japan National University Popularity Ranking (as of March 31, 2025)
[National and Public Universities]
1st: University of Tokyo
2nd: University of Tsukuba
3rd: Kyoto University
4th: Osaka University
5th: Nagoya University
6th: Kyushu University
7th: Kobe University
8th: Tohoku University
9th: Hitotsubashi University
10th: Hokkaido University
[Public Universities]
1st: Osaka Metropolitan University
2nd: Tokyo Metropolitan University
3rd: University of Shizuoka
4th: Nagoya City University
5th: Aichi Prefectural University
6th: Yokohama City University
7th: The University of Kitakyushu
8th: Kyoto Prefectural University
9th: Akita International University
10th: Hyogo Prefectural University
[Private Universities]
1st: Aoyama Gakuin University
2nd: Keio University
3rd: Kindai University
4th: Meiji University
5th: Waseda University
6th: Sophia University
7th: Kansai University
8th: Komazawa University
9th: Doshisha University
10th: Chuo University
