Browse the full results of the Japan University Rankings 2023

The reputation of public (municipal) universities is improving, data in the latest Times Higher Education teaching-focused ranking for Japan suggests.

The publicly funded universities with a remit to educate local students have seen an increase in their average score based on a survey of recruiters, from 37 last year to 39.9 in the latest ranking.

National universities, originally established by the central Japanese government and seen as the more prestigious institutions, retain their status as the most sought after by recruiters with an average score of 70.5 (up from 69.5 last year). But private institutions, established by educational corporations and the third type of university in Japan when split by founding basis, dropped by 1.1 points on average, from 43.1 to 42.

The data suggests the traditionally less prestigious regionally focused universities are becoming more sought after in the eyes of Japan¡¯s largest companies, potentially catching up with private institutions, based on a survey of?about 800 human resources departments at listed and non-listed companies in Japan.

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Akita International University, established in 2004 by the local Akita prefectural government in the T¨­hoku region of northern Japan, saw its score for reputation among employers rise from 30.7 to 71.5. It rose from rank 17 last year to 15.

Yamaguchi Prefectural University, in the western part of Japan¡¯s main island, which describes itself as ¡°a community-contributing university that can respond to the needs of the community¡±, saw an increase in score for reputation among employers of 22.4 points, from 4.8 to 27.2.

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Aichi Prefectural University, in the city of Nagakute, saw an increase in score for reputation among employers of 19 points, from 50.4 to 69.4, helping it rise up the ranking from position 100 band to position 81.

Kochi University of Technology, a public institution founded in 1997, crept into the top 100 at position 96, up from the 101-110 band last year. Its reputation among employers increased from 51.5 to 71.1.

The survey asks each HR department to identify up to 10 universities they consider the best, based on the strengths of their employees from those institutions, and complete a survey for each of the universities identified, rating the employees from these institutions in several areas.

The data also reveals that several public universities have gone up in the eyes of high school careers advisers and how they rate a university¡¯s competence at developing students¡¯ abilities.

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Nagoya City University increased its score in this metric from 33.9 to 50.3, and rose from rank 61 to 47.

The score for Meio University, in Okinawa Prefecture, rose from 38.7 to 51.6 for how advisers rate students¡¯ ability, and the score for Prefectural University of Kumamoto in the city of Kumamoto increased from 27.5 to 33.2. Aichi Prefectural University also increased its score in this metric, from 40.2 to 50.3.

Overall, the data reveals a slight increase in average score for public universities, from 47.7 last year to 48.8. The data is based on two years¡¯ results from an annual survey of up to 2,000 advisers from Japanese secondary schools; it asks them to name up to 15 universities that they believe teach students to the highest global standards and up to 15 they think are best at developing students¡¯ abilities. This metric stayed stagnant for the national universities and dropped by just under a point for private institutions.

The very top of the rankings table saw little movement this year, although ICU International Christian University did enter the top 10 for the first time, up from position 12.

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Other universities jumped up the ranking based on their score for reputation among employers. Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (a national university) rose from rank 75 to 55. The university¡¯s score for reputation among employers rose by a huge 35.6 points from 36.9 last year to 72.5.

Nara Women's University (national) jumped from rank 83 to 61. The university¡¯s score improved by 26.8 points for reputation among employers, rising from 45.4 to 72.2.

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Tokyo Woman¡¯s Christian University (private) rose from the band 141-150 to 110-120, driven by a steady increase in score for reputation among employers over the past three years, to 43.9 this year.

rosa.ellis@timeshighereducation.com