Nippon Sport Science University tops 2026 Olympic medalist ranking

The media outlet ‘University Power Ranking’ has released its 2026 updated ranking of Japanese universities based on the number of Olympic medalists they have produced. The study analyzed 436 Japanese medalists from the 2004 Athens Games through the 2026 Milano Cortina Games.

Nippon Sport Science University secured first place with 143 points and a total of 71 medals, maintaining a significant lead over the second-ranked Nihon University, which earned 55 points and 32 medals. Juntendo University followed in third place with 53 points, largely driven by its consistent production of gymnastics medalists.

Other top-ten institutions include Waseda University (4th), Tokai University (5th), Chukyo University (6th), Shiga Gakuen University (7th), Meiji University (8th), Tsukuba University (9th), and Toyo University (10th). The ranking highlights specialized excellence in certain institutions, such as Juntendo in gymnastics, Tokai in judo, and Shiga Gakuen in women’s wrestling.