Best Universities in Japan for International Students: Japan’s Top 10 (QS 2027 Rankings)

Japan hosted just over 336,000 international students as of May 2024, according to the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) its highest count on record. For Nepali students weighing where to apply, the real work isn’t finding a university in Japan over 700 exist it’s finding the right one for your field, budget, and Japanese-language level. As the best consultancy in Nepal for Japan-bound students, this is the question we get asked most.

This guide walks through Japan’s top 10 universities by the current QS World University Rankings, what each is genuinely known for, and what the admission, GPA, visa, and cost requirements actually look like today not five years ago. For the full picture on costs, scholarships, and the visa process, see our complete guide to studying in Japan from Nepal.

A note before you read on: admission criteria, visa rules, scholarship terms, and application deadlines in Japan change from year to year and sometimes from program to program. Treat every figure below as a starting point for research, and always confirm current details directly with the university, JASSO, MEXT, or your consultant before you apply.

Why Japan Is a Strong Study-Abroad Choice

• Genuine global rankings: five Japanese universities sit inside the QS World University Rankings 2027 global top 100
• Scholarships that can cover real cost: MEXT and JASSO scholarships can cover tuition, a monthly stipend, and travel for qualifying students
• Lower public-university tuition than the US, UK, or Australia: national universities charge a standard ¥535,800/year in tuition for most programs, the same for domestic and international students
• Legal part-time work while studying: up to 28 hours/week during term, more during official long breaks
• A defined, if competitive, path to a work visa: Japan’s labour shortage means real government interest in retaining skilled foreign graduates (details below)

Japan’s Top 10 Universities for International Students (QS World University Rankings 2027)

QS publishes a new ranking edition each June; “QS 2027” is the current, most recently published edition (released June 2026). Ranks below are pulled directly from QS’s official Japan rankings page, updated July 2026.

International-student percentages are compiled from each university’s own published figures where available; several are estimates from the most recent year we could confirm, since universities report on different cycles. Where we’ve marked a figure “compiled estimate,” it’s a reasonable approximation, not an official statistic check the linked university page for the current number before citing it elsewhere.

1. University of Tokyo (UTokyo) — QS #39

Founded: 1877 · Location: Tokyo · Students: roughly 28,500, about 15% international

The University of Tokyo known locally as Todai is Japan’s oldest national university and its top-ranked institution on this list. It has produced multiple Nobel laureates and a large share of Japan’s political and corporate leadership. The Hongo campus sits in central Tokyo, close to government ministries and major corporate headquarters.

Popular programs for international students:

• Graduate School of Engineering (robotics, AI, environmental engineering)
• Graduate School of Economics
• Graduate School of Information Science and Technology (AI, data science)

Important update for undergraduate applicants: UTokyo’s flagship English-taught undergraduate track, PEAK (Programs in English at Komaba), closed to new applicants after its September 2026 intake that was its final recruitment cycle. If you’re applying as an undergraduate now, you’ll need to go through UTokyo’s evolving English-medium offerings (the university has signaled it plans further internationalization initiatives) or its Japanese-taught track via the EJU. Confirm current undergraduate English-track options directly on UTokyo’s admissions site before planning around this.

2. Kyoto University — QS #64

Founded: 1897 · Location: Kyoto · Students: roughly 22,600, about 13% international (official figure: ~3,000 of 23,000 students)

Kyoto University has produced multiple Nobel laureates, including Shinya Yamanaka (stem cell research) and Tasuku Honjo (cancer immunotherapy). Its academic culture prizes independent research, which QS’s own subject scores reflect Kyoto ranks particularly strongly for academic reputation among employers and peers.

Popular programs for international students:

• Graduate School of Science (physics, chemistry, biological sciences)
• Graduate School of Engineering (materials science, chemical engineering)
• iUP: an intensive undergraduate track combining Japanese-language study with degree coursework, taught partly in English

3. University of Osaka (Osaka University) — QS #95

Founded: 1931 (merged with Osaka University of Foreign Studies in 2007) · Location: Osaka/Suita · Students: roughly 23,000, about 9% international (US News, based on official data)

The University of Osaka sits between Osaka and Kyoto in the Kansai region. It runs a genuinely deep set of industry-collaboration programs, including a tuition waiver system for high-achieving international graduate students.

Popular programs for international students:

• Graduate School of Engineering Science (fully English-taught interdisciplinary coursework)
• OSIPP: Graduate School of International Public Policy
• Graduate School of Medicine

4. Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Institute of Technology) — QS #97

Location: Tokyo (Ookayama, plus campuses in Yokohama and elsewhere) · Students: roughly 13,000, about 21% international per its own AY2025 figures the highest international share on this list

Tokyo Institute of Technology officially merged with Tokyo Medical and Dental University on October 1, 2024, becoming the Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo). It combines Tokyo Tech’s engineering and science strength with TMDU’s medical and dental research. If you see “Tokyo Tech” referenced anywhere, this is the institution’s current name to search and apply under.

Popular programs for international students:

• International Graduate Program (IGP): graduate degrees in English
• Computer Science, AI/Machine Learning, Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• Combined medical and biomedical engineering tracks, newly available post-merger

5. Tohoku University — QS #102

Founded: 1907 · Location: Sendai · Students: roughly 17,800, about 13% international (official figure: 2,274 students from 98 countries)

Tohoku was the first Japanese university to admit international students (1911) and women (1913). After the 2011 tsunami it built a research program in disaster science that’s genuinely distinct within Japan.

Popular programs for international students:

• IRIDeS: International Research Institute of Disaster Science
• Graduate School of Engineering (materials science)
• Undergraduate programs in chemistry, mechanical/aerospace engineering, and applied biosciences taught in English

6. Nagoya University — QS #156

Founded: 1939 · Location: Nagoya · Students: roughly 15,800, about 12% international (per Wikipedia, citing official 2021 university data: 1,900+ from 110+ countries)

Nagoya University has close research ties to Japan’s automotive and manufacturing sector, including a documented partnership with Toyota on automotive engineering research.

Popular programs for international students:

• Graduate School of Engineering (automotive engineering)
• Graduate School of Science (physics, chemistry several Nobel-laureate faculty over the university’s history)
• Graduate School of Information Science

7. Kyushu University — QS #171

Founded: 1903 · Location: Fukuoka · Students: roughly 18,600, with 2,000+ international students from a stated 100+ countries

Kyushu sits closer to the rest of Asia than any other university on this list, with formal partnerships across the region and a genuinely international campus community in Fukuoka, one of Japan’s more affordable major cities.

Popular programs for international students:

• Graduate School of Engineering
• English-taught undergraduate tracks (confirm current offerings these change year to year)
• Graduate programs in Asia-Pacific studies

8. Hokkaido University — QS #179

Founded: 1876 · Location: Sapporo · Students: roughly 18,300, with 2,000+ international students

Hokkaido is one of Japan’s original imperial universities, with a strong reputation in agricultural science, environmental research, and veterinary medicine, plus one of the largest campus footprints in Japan.

Popular programs for international students:

• Graduate School of Agriculture and Graduate School of Environmental Science
• Modern Japanese Studies Program (MJSP) an English-Japanese bilingual undergraduate degree

9. Waseda University — QS #201

Founded: 1882 · Type: Private · Location: Tokyo · Students: roughly 47,500, about 17% international (Waseda’s own published figures: ~8,000 students)

Waseda is Japan’s best-known private university for politics, business, and media, with eight Japanese prime ministers among its alumni. Its School of International Liberal Studies (SILS) is a fully English-taught undergraduate program.

Popular programs for international students:

• SILS (undergraduate, fully English-taught)
• Graduate School of International Relations (GSIR)
• Waseda Business School

10. Keio University — QS #213

Founded: 1858 · Type: Private · Location: Tokyo · Students: roughly 33,400, about 9% international (compiled estimate confirm on Keio’s official site)

Japan’s oldest private university and a long-established feeder into Japanese corporate leadership.

Popular programs for international students:

• PEARL: Programme in Economics for Alliances, Research and Leadership (English-taught undergraduate)
• Keio Business School (MBA)
• Graduate School of Science and Technology

What Makes a Good University in Japan for International Students?

Rankings alone don’t tell you whether a university fits your goals. When Nepali students ask us to shortlist a good university in Japan, we weigh five practical factors instead:

• English-taught program availability: do you need JLPT N2/N1, or can you realistically start in an English track? (Note: some flagship English tracks, like UTokyo’s PEAK, are closing or changing verify current offerings, not older articles.)
• Scholarship eligibility: MEXT and JASSO scholarship terms vary by university and program
• Cost of living in that city: Tokyo and Osaka typically cost noticeably more than Sendai or Fukuoka
• Industry connections in your field: Nagoya for automotive engineering, Osaka for manufacturing, Tokyo for finance and tech
• Support services and class size: larger universities offer more program breadth; smaller ones can offer closer faculty access

Admission Requirements to Study in Japanese Universities from Nepal

Academic Requirements

Undergraduate: completion of 12 years of formal education (10+2 or equivalent). Most universities also require the EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission) for Japanese-taught programs, alongside transcripts and, in many cases, an interview.

Graduate: a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution, and depending on the program a research proposal and letters of recommendation. If you’re specifically weighing a graduate degree, our Master’s in Japan guide covers program structure and funding in more depth than we can here. Engineering applicants by far the most common field among Nepali students on this list should also see our dedicated guide to studying engineering in Japan.

GPA: What’s Actually Required

Japanese universities generally do not publish a single GPA cutoff the way many US universities do. Undergraduate admission is built around the EJU score, university-specific entrance exams, and document/interview screening rather than a GPA threshold; graduate admission typically weighs your full academic transcript alongside test scores, references, and (for research programs) your proposal.

Where a specific GPA figure does apply is scholarships. The MEXT Scholarship application guidelines require a converted GPA of 2.30 or above on MEXT’s own 3.00-point scale (not the 4.0 scale used in Nepal or the US) for University Recommendation tracks, and recipients must maintain that GPA to keep the scholarship. Because MEXT converts grades from your home institution’s scale using its own formula, don’t assume your 4.0-scale GPA translates directly check the conversion method in the official guidelines or with your university’s international office.

Bottom line: there is no universal GPA number to hit. Check the specific program’s admission page for its requirements, and separately check MEXT’s 2.30/3.00 threshold if you’re applying for that scholarship.

Language Requirements

For Japanese-taught programs:

• JLPT: N2 or N1 preferred for most programs
• EJU: required for many undergraduate programs, including a Japanese-language section

For English-taught programs:

• TOEFL: commonly 80–100 iBT, varies by program
• IELTS: commonly 6.0–7.0, varies by program

Requirements vary meaningfully by program always confirm the exact score on the specific department’s admissions page rather than relying on a university-wide figure. If you need to build up your JLPT score before applying, our JLPT preparation classes are designed around exactly this timeline.

Application Process and Timeline

1. Research and shortlist (12–18 months out) compare programs, and specifically verify whether the English-taught track you’re interested in is still accepting applicants (see the UTokyo PEAK note above)
2. Language preparation (12–24 months out) begin JLPT or English test prep as required
3. Document preparation (6–12 months out) transcripts, recommendation letters, statement of purpose, research proposal (for graduate applicants)
4. Application submission deadlines vary significantly by university and program; many national universities take applications between roughly November and February for an April intake, but this is not universal
5. Visa application Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the university, followed by student visa submission through the Japanese Embassy via VFS Global Nepal

Deadlines change every cycle and vary by university and program. Treat any specific month range as a general planning guide, not a fixed date confirm the exact deadline on your target university’s admissions page for the intake year you’re applying to. For the current intake’s actual dates, see our Japan April 2027 Intake from Nepal breakdown.

Tuition and Cost of Studying in Japan from Nepal

MEXT and JASSO scholarships can significantly offset these costs some MEXT awards cover full tuition, a monthly stipend, and travel. Scholarship terms, amounts, and eligibility criteria change annually confirm current figures on MEXT’s official site or with JASSO before budgeting around a specific award. For a breakdown of scholarship options specifically available to Nepali applicants, see Scholarships in Japan for Nepalese Students.

Career Prospects and the Post-Graduation Visa Process

Japan’s labour shortage has created real, if still limited, demand for international graduates in IT, engineering, healthcare, and international business.

What actually happens after graduation:

1. Job-hunting period. Graduates can apply for a Designated Activities visa, which typically grants 6–12 months to job-hunt in Japan after graduation, before switching to a work visa.
2. The standard work visa. According to Japan’s official Study in Japan portal, roughly 86% of international students who changed their visa status in 2022 moved into the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa — the main category for office and professional roles (IT, engineering, marketing, translation, international business). This is the visa most graduates should plan around, not a generic “skilled worker visa.”
3. The fast-track option. Higher earners and highly qualified candidates can qualify for the points-based Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) visa. Scoring 70+ points makes you eligible for permanent residency after 3 years; 80+ points shortens that to 1 year one of the fastest employer-sponsored PR routes available anywhere.
4. Standard permanent residency. Outside the HSP fast-track, the general PR requirement is 10 years of continuous residence in Japan, including at least 5 years on a work visa (rules and exceptions can change confirm with Japan’s Immigration Services Agency).

On employment outcomes specifically: be cautious of any single “X% of graduates get jobs” statistic actual outcomes depend heavily on your field, Japanese ability, and job-hunting timeline. What’s reasonably well documented:

• Japan’s overall new-graduate employment rate is consistently above 90% (official Study in Japan data), but this figure mostly reflects Japanese students; international-student outcomes run meaningfully lower.
• A 2023 survey by job-hunting platform Disco found 52.5% of international students had received a job offer by July of their final year, versus 86% of Japanese students in the same period — up from 48% the year before, reflecting Japan’s tightening labour market.
• Academic research using JASSO data found that roughly 30–35% of international students who wished to remain in Japan to work actually succeeded in recent tracked years a lower bar than “found a job,” since it captures the full pipeline from graduation to employment authorization.

The honest summary: Japan is actively trying to retain more international graduates and the numbers are trending up, but plan your job search early ideally in your third year, well before Japanese students’ own hiring cycle closes out most entry-level roles.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which is the best university in Japan for international students?

By QS World University Rankings 2027, the University of Tokyo (#39) and Kyoto University (#64) are Japan’s two highest-ranked universities globally. Institute of Science Tokyo has the highest share of international students on this list (~21%), and University of Osaka has one of the largest international student communities by absolute numbers. “Best” depends heavily on your field and language level there isn’t one right answer for every student.

2. Do I need to learn Japanese to study in Japan?

Not necessarily, but check current program availability carefully Waseda’s SILS, Keio’s PEARL, and Osaka’s Global Science Course still run full English-taught undergraduate degrees, but UTokyo’s PEAK program has closed to new undergraduate applicants after its 2026 intake. Conversational Japanese still meaningfully improves job prospects after graduation, since most work visas lead into Japanese-language workplaces.

3. How competitive is admission to top Japanese universities?

UTokyo and Kyoto University are highly competitive for international programs. Exact acceptance rates vary widely by program and reporting source, so treat any single number you see online with caution and check the specific department’s own admissions data where published.

4. Can I work while studying in Japan?

Yes, international students can work up to 28 hours per week with a work permit (official rules here), with different limits possible during official long breaks. Confirm current hour limits directly, as immigration rules can be updated.

5. What GPA is required to study in Japan from Nepal?

There’s no single university-wide GPA cutoff for admission, Japanese universities rely on entrance exams (EJU), transcripts, and interviews rather than a fixed GPA line. The one place a specific GPA does apply is the MEXT Scholarship, which requires a converted GPA of 2.30+ on its own 3.00-point scale.

6. How much does it cost to study in Japan from Nepal?

National university tuition is a standard ¥535,800/year for most programs; private universities and vocational programs vary more. Add roughly ¥70,000–¥100,000/month in living costs. MEXT and JASSO scholarships can reduce this substantially for qualifying students check current award terms before budgeting.

7. What happened to Tokyo Institute of Technology?

It merged with Tokyo Medical and Dental University on October 1, 2024, to form the Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo). It’s the same institution long known as “Tokyo Tech,” now combined with a medical and dental research program.

8. Can international graduates get a work visa in Japan?

Yes, most graduates move onto the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa (about 86% of student visa-status changes in 2022 went into this category). Higher-scoring candidates can access the points-based Highly Skilled Professional visa, which can fast-track permanent residency to as little as 1–3 years instead of the standard 10.

9. What percentage of international students find jobs in Japan after graduation?

There isn’t one clean, current, universally cited figure outcomes vary by survey and definition. A 2023 industry survey found just over half of international students had a job offer by mid-final-year (up from under half the year before), and JASSO-based academic research puts the share who ultimately succeed in staying to work at roughly 30–35% in recent tracked years. Treat any single “X%” claim, including this one, as an approximation rather than a guarantee.

10. Is Japan safe for international students?

Japan is widely regarded as having one of the lowest crime rates among major study destinations, and international students consistently report feeling safe. That said, safety perceptions are subjective talk to current students in your target city for a grounded view.

Ready to Apply to a University in Japan?

Choosing between Japan’s 700+ universities and colleges and keeping track of which programs, deadlines, and visa rules are still current is genuinely difficult without local guidance. Contact Hardford Education for a counselling session on your Japan university shortlist, or start your JLPT preparation to open up more admission options.

Related reading:

• 12 Best Courses to Study in Japan