ONE CAREER Announces 'ONE CAREER Job Seeker Popular Company Rankings [University of Tokyo & Kyoto University Edition]' for 2028 Graduates

ONE CAREER Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President, CEO and Representative Director: Hisayuki Miyashita; hereinafter "ONE CAREER"), which operates the job-hunting support service "ONE CAREER," has announced the "ONE CAREER Job Seeker Popular Company Rankings [University of Tokyo & Kyoto University Edition] (Spring 2026 Preliminary Report) for 2028 Graduates."

About the "ONE CAREER Job Seeker Popular Company Rankings"

This ranking is compiled based on the number of times companies' pages were marked as "favorites" by users of the job-hunting support service "ONE CAREER," and is published in ranking format. Since its launch in 2016, it has drawn significant attention from numerous companies, media outlets, and students as an indicator that clearly reflects the latest job-hunting trends and students' values.

To date, ONE CAREER has released rankings targeting job seekers from the following graduating class, including the "University of Tokyo & Kyoto University Edition," "Regional Edition," "Industry-Specific Edition," and "Liberal Arts & Science Majors Edition," providing multifaceted insights to help decode career choices and job-hunting trends.

Meanwhile, for job seekers from the class after next, only the "University of Tokyo & Kyoto University Edition" had been published. Starting with this year's ranking for 2028 graduates, we are adding the "Regional Edition," "Industry-Specific Edition," and "Science Majors Edition" as new categories to reveal more detailed realities of the job-hunting landscape [Note 1].

Note 1: These will be released sequentially.

Key Features of the Rankings

Consulting and think tanks solidify their popularity; specialized firms also enter the rankings

Consulting and think tank firms occupy 6 out of the top 10 spots (7 last year) and 19 out of the top 50 (16 last year), reaffirming their enduring popularity. In particular, Boston Consulting Group (1st place) and Nomura Research Institute (2nd place) maintained their rankings from last year, demonstrating their established brand status as must-check companies early in the job-hunting process.

Additionally, two firms—Simplex Holdings (29th place: up 26 ranks) and Link and Motivation (49th place: up 63 ranks)—entered the top 50 for the first time. This indicates that students' horizons are expanding beyond major established groups such as the MBB firms (McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Company), the BIG4 (Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting, PwC Consulting, EY-Parthenon, KPMG Consulting), and the five major think tanks (Nomura Research Institute, Mitsubishi Research Institute, Japan Research Institute, Mitsubishi UFJ Research & Consulting, Mizuho Research & Technologies) to include a broader range of firms.

Amid growing interest in consulting, more students report hearing from seniors who pursued consulting careers. The number of job seekers adopting the mindset of "let's at least check out consulting and think tanks" is expected to remain high or even increase.

Strengthening preference for stability; importance of "work environment" growing alongside stability

Alongside the entrenched trend of "defaulting to consulting and think tanks," a stronger preference for stability is also emerging. Indeed, four infrastructure and transportation companies ranked in the top 50 (up from two last year), and several companies in general trading and real estate/construction industries improved their rankings compared to last year. Amid rapid change, more job seekers appear to be focusing early on companies with solid management foundations.

However, what they seek is not mere static stability. Looking at specific companies, firms from the Mitsui Group—known as the "Mitsui of people" for emphasizing individual initiative and human skills—such as Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (5th), Mitsui & Co. (17th), Mitsui Fudosan (21st), and MOL (43rd), all saw significant ranking improvements. Additionally, aviation infrastructure firms like Japan Airlines (JAL) (35th) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) (48th) also rose sharply in the rankings. These companies share a common trait: while boasting strong business foundations (i.e., stability), they also project an image of offering early-career employees meaningful opportunities to take on significant challenges.

These findings suggest that job seekers from the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University are not simply seeking stability, but are rigorously evaluating whether a company offers an environment of "proactive stability"—one where they can challenge themselves early in their careers on a solid foundation and enhance their market value.

Early communication success or failure becomes a key differentiator amid increasingly early job hunting

While trading companies and real estate/construction firms are gaining popularity early, their ranking movements differed depending on whether and when they initiated communication with students.

Companies that had not yet published summer internship information for this year or delayed their job postings compared to last year saw relative ranking declines. In contrast, companies that advanced their job posting timelines [Note 2]—such as Sumitomo Corporation (4th: up 15 ranks), Tokyu Real Estate (41st: up 16 ranks), and Mori Building (46th: up 7 ranks)—all improved their rankings.

These data suggest that early information disclosure and early engagement are major factors in capturing student interest. However, it is important to note that this does not apply universally to all cases.

Moreover, as job hunting starts earlier and lasts longer, issues such as "job-hunting fatigue" and impacts on academic performance are becoming increasingly apparent. Moving forward, identifying optimal timing for both job seekers and companies will become even more critical.

Note 2: Survey by ONE CAREER

ONE CAREER Job Seeker Popular Company Rankings [University of Tokyo & Kyoto University Edition] (Spring 2026 Preliminary Report) – Full Rankings

Survey Overview

Survey Name: ONE CAREER Job Seeker Popular Company Rankings [University of Tokyo & Kyoto University Edition] (Spring 2026 Preliminary Report)

Survey Date: Performance data as of May 14, 2026

Target Respondents: Third-year undergraduate and first-year graduate students at the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, expected to graduate in March 2028, who are users of the job-hunting support service "ONE CAREER"

Methodology: Rankings compiled based on the number of "favorites" received on company pages within the "ONE CAREER" job-hunting support service

Valid Respondents: 2,299

Citing the Survey

When quoting or using the survey data, please credit "Survey by ONE CAREER."

If ONE CAREER determines that the quotation or use of the data is inappropriate or inaccurate, we may request that such use be discontinued.

Company Overview

ONE CAREER Inc.

Corporate Profile

Under the mission "Creating as many careers as there are people," ONE CAREER operates as a platform enabling individuals and companies to utilize data related to career choices, offering three core services:

• Job-hunting support service "ONE CAREER" (Student Version) • New Graduate Recruitment Service "ONE CAREER" (Corporate Version) • Mid-career job support and recruitment service "ONE CAREER Career Transition"

Company Name: ONE CAREER Inc. Headquarters: Shibuya Infostation Tower 16F, 20-1 Sakura-ga-oka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Founded: August 18, 2015 Representative: President, CEO and Representative Director Hisayuki Miyashita Business: Career data platform services (recruitment support services, etc.) Stock Code: 4377 (Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market) Corporate Website: https://onecareer.co.jp/