2025 World University Rankings: Tsinghua University 12th, Peking University 13th, University of Tokyo 26th

Times Higher Education (THE), a British educational data organization, released its 2025 global university rankings on October 9th. Asia boasts 929 institutions, the highest number ever. THE noted that universities in China and other countries have risen in the rankings, with East Asian universities “developing rapidly.” The University of Tokyo ranked first in Japan, rising from 28th in 2024 to 26th.

The rankings assess educational environment, research, and internationality. A total of 3,168 institutions participated, with 2,191 from 115 countries and regions making the list.

For the tenth consecutive year, the University of Oxford in the UK held first place overall, while the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States remained in second place. The top ten spots were dominated by universities from the UK and the United States. However, the number of American universities in the top 500, 102, was the lowest ever in THE’s statistics.

Tsinghua University in mainland China ranked first in Asia, having held the 12th position for the third consecutive year. Peking University ranked 13th. Over 20% of mainland Chinese universities rose in the rankings. South Korea had four universities in the top 100, doubling its number since 2024. Hong Kong had six universities in the top 200, a record high in THE’s rankings.

Japan had 115 universities on the list. Tohoku University ranked 103rd, Osaka University 151st, and Juntendo University ranked within the top 600. Kyoto University, just behind the University of Tokyo, dropped from 55th to 61st.

THE commented that Japanese universities “improved across all indicators related to research quality,” while also analyzing that their “presence at the top of the rankings has declined.”

Phil Beatty of THE noted that the balance of power is shifting from prestigious European and American universities to East Asian universities. Europe and the US are stagnating in securing research funding and acquiring international talent, and “this trend is likely to continue.”

This assessment was conducted before the Trump administration halted funding for prominent private universities and revoked their eligibility to accept international students. Beatty noted that “American universities’ research quality, ability to attract outstanding students, and international presence are likely to decline in the future.”