University of Osaka

Toyonaka Campus

The Toyonaka Campus is home to faculties of Humanities, Law, Economics, Science, and Engineering Science. It is also the academic base for Graduate Schools of International Public Policy, Language and Culture, a portion of Information Science, and the Center for the Practice of Legal and Political Expertise. All undergraduates attend classes on the Toyonaka Campus during their first year of enrollment. Sports activities are primarily concentrated on the Toyonaka Campus, with the exception of tennis, which is located in Suita.

Suita Campus

The Suita Campus houses faculties of Human Sciences, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Engineering. It contains the Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences and a portion of the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology. The campus is also home to the University of Osaka Hospital and the Nationwide Joint Institute of Cybermedia Center and Research Center for Nuclear Physics.

Minoh Campus

The Minoh Campus was incorporated following the merger with the Osaka University of Foreign Studies in October 2007. Its location was moved recently. The Minoh Campus is home to the School of Foreign Studies, the Research Institute for World Languages, and the Center for Japanese Language and Culture.

Nakanoshima Campus

In addition to these three campuses, the former Nakanoshima Campus, the university's earliest campus located in downtown Osaka, served as the hub for the faculty of medicine until the transfer to the Suita Campus was completed in 1993. In April 2004, the Nakanoshima Campus became the university's Nakanoshima Center, serving as a venue for information exchange, adult education classes, and activities involving academic as well as non-academic communities.

English-medium programs

The University of Osaka's School of Human Sciences on the Suita Campus hosts an English-medium four-year undergraduate degree program. The program started in 2011 as a result of the national government's G30 (Global 30) Project. Although the government ended the G30 Project in 2014 and replaced it with the Top Global University Project, the Human Sciences International Undergraduate Program continues. Areas of study include sociology, anthropology, philosophy, education, behavioral sciences, psychology, human development, and area studies. Focus is on the development of an interdisciplinary, international, and problem-solving orientation to research and education. The degree programme is based on international benchmarking standards, has competitive entry requirements and attracts students from all over the world.

UOsaka's Graduate School of Humanities hosts another English-medium program in Global Japanese Studies for graduate students, one of the Graduate Programs for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies.

Academic alliances

The University of Osaka holds international academic exchange agreements with a large number of universities and research institutes from around the world. These academic exchange agreements foster opportunities for joint research and student exchange activities taking place between UOsaka and these universities and schools. As of May 1, 2024, 156 inter-university agreements and 651 inter-faculty agreements are being managed.

UOsaka's academic alliances include Cornell University (1989), Harvard University (2008), Stanford University (2008), and the California Institute of Technology (2008) in the United States, McGill University (1996), the University of Toronto (1999) and the University of British Columbia (2019) in Canada, Seoul National University (2000) and Yonsei University (1998) in South Korea, Peking University (2001) and Tsinghua University (2004) in China, the National University of Singapore (2008), the National Taiwan University (2008), the University of Hong Kong, and Australian National University (1995). In Europe, alliances include the University of Groningen (2002), the University of Bologna (2006), the University of Geneva (2007), and the University of Cologne (1982). Allied institutions in the United Kingdom include the University of Oxford (1997) and the Imperial College London (2006).

General

The University of Osaka is recognised as a top-tier national research university, with its reputation evident in constant high rankings both domestically and internationally.

In the 2027 QS World University Rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds, UOsaka was placed 95th globally, 23rd in Asia, and 3rd in Japan after UTokyo and KyotoU.

In the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, it was ranked 147th globally, 29th in Asia, and 4th in Japan.

According to Thomson Reuters, it is ranked 22nd for innovation worldwide and 2nd in Japan.

Subjects

Its notable research achievements include leading positions in immunology (first in Japan, fourth globally), material science (fourth in Japan, fifteenth globally), and chemistry (fifth in Japan, fourteenth globally). It also ranks seventh for research funding per researcher in the Japanese COE Programme and third in Japan for the number of patents accepted in 2017.

In the Nature index 2024 annual table, UOsaka was ranked 34th globally for its output in selected journals in the fields of natural sciences and Health Sciences research, among all leading research institutions in the world (3rd in Japan).

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024 Subject Global National Arts & Humanities  =195  5 Linguistics  101–150  4–5 Architecture and Built Environment  151–200  5–7 Classics and Ancient History  51–100  3–7 English Language and Literature  201–250  5 History  101–150  4–6 Modern Languages  =76  4 Philosophy  151–200  3 Engineering and Technology  =109  5 Engineering – Chemical  101–150  4–7 Computer Science and Information Systems  =146  4 Engineering – Electrical and Electronic  134  5 Engineering – Mechanical  142  5 Life Sciences & Medicine  =113  3 Biological Sciences  84  3 Dentistry  51–100  2–4 Medicine  =112  3 Pharmacy and Pharmacology  151–200  3–6 Psychology  251–300  4 Natural Sciences  =93  4 Chemistry  58  4 Environmental Sciences  301–350  8–9 Materials Sciences  87  5 Mathematics  151–200  4–7 Physics and Astronomy  =45  4 Social Sciences & Management  =199  6 Accounting and Finance  151–200  3–6 Business and Management Studies  351–400  8 Economics and Econometrics  119  4 Education and Training  251–300  3 Law and Legal Studies  201–250  7–8 Politics  201–250  5–6 Sociology  101–150  3–4 Statistics and Operational Research  151–200  4

THE World University Rankings by Subject 2024 Subject Global National Arts & humanities  401–500  8–9 Business & economics  251–300  3 Clinical & health  80  3 Computer science  126–150  4–5 Engineering  126–150  5–6 Life sciences  =68  3 Physical sciences  176–200  6 Psychology  301–400  4–6 Social sciences  301–400  5–9 ARWU Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2023 Subject Global National Natural Sciences Mathematics  201–300  3–5 Physics  151–200  4–5 Chemistry  101–150  5–6 Engineering Mechanical Engineering  201–300  4 Electrical & Electronic Engineering  201–300  2–3 Biomedical Engineering  201–300  3–4 Materials Science & Engineering  201–300  6–8 Nanoscience & Nanotechnology  301–400  5–8 Biotechnology  301–400  5–6 Metallurgical Engineering  51–75  3–4 Life Sciences Biological Sciences  151–200  5 Human Biological Sciences  201–300  4–5 Medical Sciences Clinical Medicine  401–500  4–7 Public Health  301–400  2–4 Dentistry & Oral Sciences  21  1 Medical Technology  301–400  1–6 Social Sciences Political Sciences  301–400  3

Selectivity

The University of Osaka is one of the most selective universities in Japan. In most Japanese university selectivity tables, UOsaka comes after the top two universities, the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University.

Nobel laureates

• 
  Hideki Yukawa, recipient of the 1949 Nobel Prize in Physics
• 
  Yoichiro Nambu, recipient of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics
• 
  Akira Yoshino, recipient of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• 
  Shimon Sakaguchi, recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Sciences

• 
  Hantaro Nagaoka, 1st President of OU, pioneer of Japanese physics
• 
  Hiroshi Ishiguro, creator of Geminoid robots
• 
  Hidesaburo Hanafusa, virologist, 1982 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research winner
• 
  Osamu Hayaishi, 1986 Wolf Prize in Medicine winner
• 
  Shizuo Akira, immunologists, 2011 Gairdner Award winner
• 
  Tadamitsu Kishimoto, 14th President of OU, 2009 Crafoord Prize winner
• 
  Toshio Hirano, 17th President of OU, 2009 Crafoord Prize winner
• 
  Kenkichi Sonogashira, chemist who discovered the Sonogashira coupling
• 
  Mohamed Yakub Janabi, Regional Director WHO Regional Office for Africa
• 
  Pratiwi Sudarmono, Indonesian microbiologist

• Shoichi Sakata, physicist, known for Sakata model, Nobel Prize in Physics nominee
• Takeo Matsubara, physicist at Kyoto University, 1961 Nishina Memorial Prize winner
• Oda Minoru, astronomer and astrophysicist, emeritus Professor at the University of Tokyo
• Yoshiaki Arata, pioneering researchers into nuclear fusion
• Shigeo Satomura, Japanese physicist
• Akira Hasegawa, theoretical physicist and engineer
• Takashi Hibiki, professor emeritus of nuclear engineering at Purdue University
• Yasuo Tanaka, Japanese astrophysicist and member of the Japan Academy
• Sonia Contera, Spanish physicist at the University of Oxford
• Satoshi Kawata, scientist in nanotechnology and photonics
• Satoshi Hiyamizu, professor of electrical engineering
• Tadao Kasami, information theorist, IEEE Fellow, 1999 IEEE Claude E. Shannon Award winner
• Tetsuo Asano, computer scientist, the president of the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST)
• Wahid Shams Kolahi, Iranian scientist and electrical engineer
• Kilnam Chon, South Korean computer scientist
• Nguyễn Ngọc Bình, Vietnamese computer scientist
• Li Siguang, Chinese geologist and politician
• Yoshio Okamoto, Japanese chemist, 2019 Japan Prize winner
• Yukihiro Ozaki, Japanese scientist at Kwansei Gakuin University
• Tomoaki Kato, pioneer in multiple-organ transplantation
• Toshio Yanagida, Japanese biophysicist
• Yoshizumi Ishino, Japanese molecular biologist, known for his discovery of the DNA sequence of CRISPR
• Kiyoshi Mizuuchi, Japanese biochemist
• Yusuke Nakamura, Japanese prominent geneticist and cancer researcher
• Kiyoshi Nagai, biologist at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
• Chunshan Song, chemical engineer

Mathematics and Economic science

• 
  Michio Morishima, co-founder of International Economic Review
• 
  Shizuo Kakutani, mathematician known for Kakutani fixed-point theorem
• 
  Jun-iti Nagata, topologist
• 
  Masatoshi Gündüz Ikeda, Turkish mathematician of Japanese ancestry

• Hiroshi Haruki, mathematician, and author of Haruki's theorem and Haruki's Lemma
• Tadashi Nakayama, mathematician who made important contributions to representation theory
• Katsumi Nomizu, Japanese-American mathematician known for his work in differential geometry
• Hidehiko Yamabe, Japanese mathematician known for Yamabe flow, Yamabe invariant, Yamabe problem
• Toru Kumon, Japanese mathematics educator, developer of Kumon method
• Kengo Hirachi, Japanese mathematician, specializing in CR geometry and mathematical analysis
• Yozo Matsushima, Japanese mathematician
• Masao Ogaki, Japanese economist at Keio University
• Giorgio Brunello, Italian economist
• Kazuya Kamiya, Japanese economics, professor at Kobe University
• Takero Doi, Japanese economist

Business and Arts

• 
  Akio Morita, Sony co-founder, Asian of the Century
• 
  Masataka Taketsuru, father of Japan's whisky industry
• 
  Osamu Tezuka, Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator
• 
  Ryōtarō Shiba, one of the most important writers in contemporary Japan
• 
  Norihiko Hibino, Japanese video game composer and saxophonist

• Kunio Nakamura, businessman, the president of Panasonic
• Takamitsu Azuma, architect. Professor of UOsaka (1985–1997), emeritus Professor
• Seishi Yokomizo, novelist and creator of the private detective Kosuke Kindaichi
• Toshio Masuda, film director
• Tetsurō Itodani, professional shogi player and Ryūō champion
• Junzo Shono, Japanese novelist, 1954 Akutagawa Prize winner
• Chin Shunshin, Taiwanese-Japanese novelist, 1968 Naoki Prize winner
• Glenn Hook, British academic at the University of Sheffield
• Tatsuhiko Seo, Japanese historian
• Shūdō Higashinakano, Japanese historian
• Yutaka Tsujinaka, professor of political science at the University of Tsukuba
• Keiko McDonald, American orientalist
• Akiko Kiso, Japanese classicist
• Harue Tsutsumi, Japanese playwright
• Koushun Takami, journalist and author of Battle Royale
• Taku Mayumura, Japanese novelist, science fiction writer, 1974 and 1996 Seiun Award winner
• Akira Hori, Japanese science fiction writer, 1980 Nihon SF Taisho Award and Seiun Award winner
• Yasumi Kobayashi, Japanese author of horror, science fiction, and mystery, 2012 and 2017 Seiun Award winner
• Takahiro Kimura, Japanese animator, illustrator and character designer
• Ichirō Sakaki, Japanese light novel writer
• Teiichiro Fujita, Japanese economist and economic historian

Politics

• 
  Mitoji Yabunaka, current Japanese Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs
• 
  Heizo Takenaka, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications
• 
  Shinji Tarutoko, former member of the House of Representatives

• Shuzen Tanigawa, Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, member of the House of Councillors
• Satoshi Umemura, Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, member of the House of Councillors
• Mitsuo Mitani, Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, member of the House of Representatives
• Tadashi Maeda, member of the House of Representatives
• Wataru Ito, Japanese politician of the New Komeito Party
• Keisuke Kihara, former mayor of Sakai, Osaka in Japan
• Ko Ko Oo, former Minister of Science and Technology of Burma
• Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed, SAARC Secretary-General