Sophia University has been ranked in four subject areas in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, released at 10:00 GMT (19:00 JST) on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.
The rankings assessed 6,277 universities worldwide, with Sophia University ranked in four subject areas, three of which—Linguistics, Modern Languages, and Politics & International Studies—showing improvement compared with the previous year.
Most notably, Linguistics recorded a significant rise, moving from the 251–300 band last year to 151–200 in the 2026 rankings.
In Japan, Sophia University also performed strongly among private universities, placing second in Linguistics, third in Modern Languages, and fourth in both Politics & International Studies and Sociology.
The university’s rankings in each subject area are as follows:
- Linguistics：
151–200 (previous year: 251–300) - Modern Languages）：
151–200 (previous year: 201–250) - Politics & International Studies：
251–300 (previous year: 301–400) - Sociology：
301–375 (previous year: 301–375)
The QS World University Rankings by Subject, compiled by UK-based higher education analytics organization Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), assess universities worldwide across a wide range of academic disciplines. The rankings are based on indicators including Academic Reputation, Employer Reputation, Citations per Paper, and the H-index, which measures the research impact of scholars.
Sophia University has long placed emphasis on education and research in the humanities and social sciences, particularly in language education and international relations. These latest results highlight the university’s growing international recognition in these fields.
The university will continue to enhance the quality of its education and research while further strengthening its global academic presence.