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🇯🇵Kyoto, Japan·Est. 1897Public

Kyoto University

Japan's Nobel laureate pipeline

Global rank#46
shortlist
Ranking source comparison
SourceScore
QS85 out of 100
THE86 out of 100
USC0 out of 100
USG85 out of 100
ARWU79 out of 100
CWUR88 out of 100
Niche0 out of 100
Leiden86 out of 100
97.6
aggregate score · 6 sources
QS World University Rankings
2024 edition
#36
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
2024 edition
#43
US News Best Colleges (National Universities)
2024 edition
Unranked
US News Best Global Universities
2023–24 edition
#45
Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking)
2023 edition
#47
Center for World University Rankings
2024 edition
#28
Niche Best Colleges
2024 edition
Unranked
CWTS Leiden Ranking
2024 edition
#29

Ranking history

Real snapshots recorded each time this dataset is refreshed — never backfilled or estimated.

Ranking history over time
DateRankScore
August 3, 2026#4697.6
August 4, 2026#4697.6
August 5, 2026#4697.6
August 6, 2026#4697.6
August 7, 2026#4697.6
August 10, 2026#4697.6
August 15, 2026#4697.6
August 17, 2026#4697.6
August 20, 2026#4697.6

Admissions

Most recently published acceptance rate and enrolled-student score ranges. SAT/ACT and GPA are US-specific admissions measures, so they're only shown where applicable.

Applications / year
Acceptance rate
30%
SAT (25th–75th)
ACT (25th–75th)
Avg. GPA

Campus & outcomes

Class size, graduation and freshman retention rates, sticker tuition vs. what students actually pay after aid, how many receive it, post-graduation employment, research output, and a few real, commonly-cited top recruiters. Everything except ratio and enrollment is US-specific or approximate — papers/year and top employers in particular are rounded/illustrative, not exhaustive or precise database exports. Earnings figures and what they imply against cost are in their own section below.

Student : faculty
9:1
Undergrads
13,000
Grad rate (6-yr)
Tuition
Avg. net price
Employed within 6mo
Papers/year (approx.)
9,500
Classes under 20
Freshman retention
Receiving aid
Where grads work
Toyota Motor CorporationNintendoPanasonicJapanese Government Ministries

Studying in Japan as an international student

National universities charge a standard regulated fee that is the same for domestic and international students — unusually, nationality doesn't change the price. These are country-level figures for a typical bachelor's at a public university (2025–26 academic year) — not a quote for this university, which sets its own fees.

Typical tuition, non-national
$4,000–$9,000
per year, approx. USD
Typical living costs
$9,000–$14,000
per year, approx. USD
Who pays less
Fee reductions and exemptions are widely available on financial-need grounds.
Post-study work rights
Designated Activities visa for job-hunting, generally up to one year.
Funding routes
MEXT Japanese Government Scholarship; JASSO Honors Scholarship.

Subject strengths

An Analects Proverbs editorial estimate — derived from this university's specialty and overall standing, not pulled from a named subject ranking.

Ranking source comparison
SourceScore
CS84 out of 100
Eng91 out of 100
Business87 out of 100
Medicine89 out of 100
Law88 out of 100
Sciences91 out of 100
Social88 out of 100
Arts90 out of 100
Strongest in
EngineeringNatural SciencesArts & Humanities
Computer Science
Engineering
Business
Medicine
Law & Policy
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
Arts & Humanities

Similar universities

Close in overall rank, and weighted toward the same country and type — a starting point for students who like Kyoto University but want options to compare.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kyoto University's ranking?

Kyoto University ranks #46 on Analects Proverbs's combined score of 97.6/100, aggregated across 6 major published rankings.

What is Kyoto University known for?

Japan's Nobel laureate pipeline. Its strongest subject areas, by our editorial estimate, are Engineering, Natural Sciences, Arts & Humanities.

What is Kyoto University's acceptance rate?

Kyoto University's acceptance rate is approximately 30%, based on the most recently published admissions cycle.