Japan University Research Funding Rankings 2025

What is KAKENHI and why does it matter?

KAKENHI (科研費, Kagaku Kenkyuhi Josei Jigyō) is the main government research grant program in Japan, funded by MEXT and administered by JSPS. Every competitive research grant a professor wins is recorded publicly — making it the most transparent, apples-to-apples measure of a university's actual research activity.

Unlike QS or THE rankings, which weight metrics like international student ratios and employer reputation surveys, KAKENHI money reflects what Japanese researchers themselves choose to pursue, and which institutions win competitive peer review. If you're choosing a graduate school for research quality, this is the number that matters to your future supervisor.

Showing top 50 of 882 universities · FY2025 (令和7年度) · Includes direct + indirect costs Source: JSPS KAKENHI Statistics

#	University	Total Funding	Projects	Adopt Rate
1	University of Tokyo 東京大学 National	¥21.5B	3,992	38%
2	Kyoto University 京都大学 National	¥13.9B	2,813	37.3%
3	Osaka University 大阪大学 National	¥10.3B	2,545	35%
4	Tohoku University 東北大学 National	¥9.8B	2,248	31.5%
5	Nagoya University 名古屋大学 National	¥7.4B	1,667	32.1%
6	Kyushu University 九州大学 National	¥7.1B	1,866	29.4%
7	Institute of Science Tokyo 東京科学大学 National	¥7.0B	1,564	35%
8	Hokkaido University 北海道大学 National	¥6.7B	1,702	33.8%
9	University of Tsukuba 筑波大学 National	¥4.5B	1,313	29.5%
10	Keio University 慶應義塾大学 Private	¥3.4B	1,013	37%
11	Kobe University 神戸大学 National	¥3.3B	1,180	32.4%
12	Hiroshima University 広島大学 National	¥3.1B	1,138	29.4%
13	Okayama University 岡山大学 National	¥3.1B	1,083	29.7%
14	Waseda University 早稲田大学 Private	¥3.0B	1,024	36.1%
15	Chiba University 千葉大学 National	¥2.6B	942	31.9%
16	Kanazawa University 金沢大学 National	¥2.3B	903	30.7%
17	Osaka Metropolitan University 大阪公立大学 Public	¥2.2B	894	25.3%
18	Kumamoto University 熊本大学 National	¥2.0B	682	27.7%
19	Juntendo University 順天堂大学 Private	¥1.8B	794	29.9%
20	Niigata University 新潟大学 National	¥1.6B	700	31.6%
21	Ritsumeikan University 立命館大学 Private	¥1.5B	652	24.7%
22	Nagasaki University 長崎大学 National	¥1.4B	634	30.6%
23	Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology 東京農工大学 National	¥1.2B	295	26.5%
24	Tokyo Metropolitan University 東京都立大学 National	¥1.2B	417	28.9%
25	Tokyo University of Science 東京理科大学 Private	¥1.1B	449	28.1%
26	Shinshu University 信州大学 National	¥1.1B	580	28.5%
27	University of Toyama 富山大学 National	¥1.1B	449	26.3%
28	Nihon University 日本大学 Private	¥1.0B	656	19.2%
29	Tokushima University 徳島大学 National	¥1.0B	449	28.2%
30	Gifu University 岐阜大学 National	¥1.0B	423	22.6%
31	Ehime University 愛媛大学 National	¥1.0B	424	30.2%
32	Yokohama National University 横浜国立大学 National	¥1.0B	331	31.5%
33	Nagoya City University 名古屋市立大学 Public	¥1.0B	476	23.7%
34	Yokohama City University 横浜市立大学 Public	¥0.9B	403	26.4%
35	Kindai University 近畿大学 Private	¥0.9B	449	21.2%
36	Kagoshima University 鹿児島大学 National	¥0.9B	501	19.6%
37	Yamaguchi University 山口大学 National	¥0.9B	448	28.8%
38	Shizuoka University 静岡大学 National	¥0.9B	320	28.5%
39	Gunma University 群馬大学 National	¥0.8B	382	24.2%
40	Doshisha University 同志社大学 Private	¥0.8B	356	30%
41	Hirosaki University 弘前大学 National	¥0.8B	368	24.1%
42	Yamagata University 山形大学 National	¥0.7B	366	23.1%
43	University of Yamanashi 山梨大学 National	¥0.7B	313	21.1%
44	Kitasato University 北里大学 Private	¥0.7B	363	23.2%
45	Nara Institute of Science and Technology 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学 National	¥0.7B	157	25.7%
46	名古屋工業大学 Private	¥0.7B	179	24.8%
47	Mie University 三重大学 National	¥0.7B	387	23.5%
48	Hitotsubashi University 一橋大学 National	¥0.7B	273	54.3%
49	東海大学 National	¥0.7B	380	15.9%
50	University of Electro-Communications 電気通信大学 National	¥0.7B	183	28.8%

Data: JSPS 科研費データ集令和7年度. Covers Kiban-A/B/C and other competitive grants. "Adopt Rate" = new applications accepted this fiscal year. National/Public/Private classification is approximate.