The introduction of the Times Higher Education Japan university rankings and changes in institutional admissions outcomes

While serving as a benchmark of ‘world-class’ universities, the global university rankings do not include the vast majority of universities. However, Times Higher Education developed a Japanese national university ranking table in 2017, which includes approximately 40% of all Japanese universities. This increased coverage of universities that students may consider can extend the influence of global ranking developers. This study examines the impact of the Times Higher Education Japan University Rankings on admissions outcomes from 2017–2019. The findings indicate that universities ranked outside of the top 100 in 2017 had an increased number of applicants and decreased acceptance rates in 2018 and 2019 when compared to unranked universities. Among the top 100 universities, a more favourable ordinal ranking in 2017 was associated with increased matriculation rates in 2018 and 2019. Thus, it appears that the hegemony of global rankings may expand beyond elite universities via national versions of these rankings.