Sankei Shimbun and Works Japan Announce Early Release of "Most Popular Companies for 2028 Graduates" Ranking

Sankei Shimbun Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Tetsuji Kondo; hereinafter referred to as Sankei Shimbun) and Works Japan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Shinichiro Shimizu; hereinafter referred to as Works Japan), an HR consulting firm, conducted a survey of students intending to seek employment, targeting university and graduate school students scheduled to graduate in March 2028. The survey period was from March 1, 2026, to November 30, 2026. Based on the aggregation period from March 1, 2026, to May 31, 2026, we have released an early ranking of popular companies.

View Ranking Details

[Survey Summary]

1. Companies that clearly communicate their post-hire work environment to students and engage in continuous interaction gain support.

2. In the overall humanities category, major general trading companies dominate the top positions, with financial institutions also rising in rank.

3. In the overall science and engineering category, Ajinomoto takes the top spot, with diverse manufacturers in food, chemicals, and electronics lining up as preferred employers.

4. Internships are being participated in earlier, with approximately 80% of students planning to participate by summer.

Inquiries regarding the ranking can be made here.

Companies that can concretely depict post-hire scenarios gain student support through continuous engagement

The new graduate recruitment market continues to be a seller's market, with the timing of contact between companies and students advancing year by year, and the means of contact steadily expanding.

Amidst this, companies are not only expanding their internship programs but also implementing more in-depth recruitment measures, such as creating opportunities for direct conversation with employees and offering chances to experience actual work.

The key to conveying a company's appeal is increasingly becoming the extent to which they can design experiences that allow students to envision themselves working after joining the company, rather than just introducing the company's overview.

Students are increasingly scrutinizing companies against their own values, asking: Can I work on the job I want to do? Can I build a career that suits me? Is there an environment where I can grow sufficiently? Can I work in a way that is right for me? Companies that have been able to concretely show their post-hire vision, while being attentive to each individual's values, have been chosen by many students this year as well.

[Job Popularity Ranking Results / Overall Humanities]

▼ View Rankings 21-100 here

Major general trading companies dominate the top positions in the overall humanities category

In the overall humanities ranking, Itochu Corporation secured 612 points, maintaining its first-place position from last year's final results. The company significantly outpaced its competitors, demonstrating its stable and strong support among humanities students. Mitsui & Co. ranked second, up from fourth place last year, followed by Mitsubishi Corporation in third. Along with Sumitomo Corporation in fifth and Marubeni Corporation in seventh, major general trading companies occupied the top positions.

Itochu Corporation, the top-ranked company, is a non-zaibatsu general trading company operating through eight company divisions, including the "8th Company" responsible for new businesses related to consumer life, in addition to sectors such as textiles, metals, food, machinery, energy and chemicals, living essentials, and information and finance. With the corporate message "A Trader, A Merchant, A Way of Life," and guided by the corporate philosophy of "Sanpo Yoshi" (good for the seller, good for the buyer, good for society), the company aims to solve social issues through commerce.

Its internships offer programs designed to allow participants to simulate working as an Itochu Corporation employee through work that uses actual job tasks as subject matter. Participants learn the essence of the general trading company business, which has evolved from trading to investment and management, and experience the growth environment where young employees can challenge themselves without fear of failure as their own responsibility. They engage in activities like the "Itochu Person Experience Work," where they consider how employees would make decisions and act. These programs are designed to provide learning and growth beyond the scope of job hunting.

General trading companies such as Mitsui & Co. (2nd) and Mitsubishi Corporation (3rd) have diverse business areas ranging from resources and energy to infrastructure, mobility, and daily life. Their emphasis on developing globally active human resources and providing systems for young employees to gain experience in various tasks is considered to be the foundation of their sustained popularity among humanities students.

Diverse industries such as finance, food, and advertising are ranked

While general trading companies occupied the top positions, financial institutions also rose in rank, including Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking (22nd last year) in 4th place, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation in 6th place, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (43rd last year) in 11th place, and Mizuho Financial Group in 20th place. This trend is thought to be driven by increased interest in specialized fields such as asset management and business succession.

Furthermore, companies from the food and beverage industry, such as Ajinomoto (8th) and Suntory Holdings (9th), and the advertising industry, such as Hakuhodo/Hakuhodo DY Media Partners (10th) and Dentsu (15th), were also ranked. Companies from a wide range of industries, including education (Benesse Corporation), real estate (Mitsui Fudosan), automotive (Toyota Motor Corporation), and entertainment (Nintendo), were listed. The coexistence of consistently popular companies and interest in diverse industries is a characteristic of this year's overall humanities ranking.

[Job Popularity Ranking Results / Overall Science and Engineering]

▼ View Rankings 21-100 here

Ajinomoto takes the top spot, followed by Toyota Motor Corporation and Fujitsu

In the overall science and engineering ranking, Ajinomoto earned 242 points, rising from 11th place in last year's final rankings to first. Toyota Motor Corporation followed closely in second place with 241 points, with Fujitsu in third, NTT Data Group/NTTDATA Inc. (1st last year) in fourth, and Sony Group in fifth.

Ajinomoto, the top-ranked company, is widely known for its seasonings and processed foods. However, for over 100 years since its founding, it has systematized its amino acid research into a unique scientific approach called "AminoScience®," extending its technology beyond food to cosmetics and other chemical fields, as well as pharmaceutical businesses.

For science and engineering students, Ajinomoto offers a wide range of fields to apply their expertise, including R&D positions responsible for everything from next-generation foundational research to product development tailored to regional needs, primarily at its Food Research Institute and Bio-Fine Research Institute. They also offer production positions involved in manufacturing amino acids, sweeteners, and pharmaceuticals, as well as driving "manufacturing innovation" through DX. In addition to research and production, there are diverse technical roles in intellectual property and digital/information systems. The company receives strong support from science and engineering students as a company that addresses themes like health, nutrition, and the global environment through technology.

Toyota Motor Corporation (2nd) offers expanding opportunities for technical personnel to demonstrate their skills, particularly in next-generation areas known as "CASE" (Connected, Autonomous/Automated, Shared, Electric). Fujitsu (3rd) and NTT Data Group (4th) are recognized for their development capabilities in DX and digital fields, while Sony Group (5th) is valued for its broad technological foundation ranging from electronics to semiconductors.

Diverse manufacturers in food, chemicals, cosmetics, electronics, and more are ranked

The overall science and engineering ranking features companies from a wide range of industries, including chemical and cosmetics manufacturers such as Asahi Kasei (6th), Kao (7th), Shiseido (8th), and KOSÉ (16th); electronics manufacturers such as Hitachi, Ltd. (9th), Panasonic Group (18th), and Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (19th); and machinery and automotive parts manufacturers such as Denso (10th) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (11th).

These companies all emphasize that they offer workplaces where employees can contribute to society while applying their specialized skills in areas such as product development, quality control, and research and development. The fact that general trading companies like Itochu Corporation (12th) and Mitsubishi Corporation (13th) are strengthening their recruitment of science and engineering positions, along with Nintendo (13th) and Nomura Research Institute (NRI) (20th), highlights the broad range of industries and the abundance of choices for technical roles across the entire ranking.

▼ View rankings by science and engineering major, university, and industry here.

[Conclusion]

In a survey conducted alongside the ranking survey targeting 2028 graduates, approximately 80% of students responded that they had already participated in internships or planned to participate by summer. The majority of students are focusing their efforts on the April-June and summer periods of their third year of university, indicating an early start to internship participation even before the peak summer season.

Regarding when they began considering participation, nearly 50% of students responded that they started between October and March of their second year, showing that preparations for job hunting are progressing ahead of schedule. The trend of students focusing on their careers and seeking contact with companies from their earlier years has become even more pronounced this year.

Considering these trends, the importance of systematic candidate pool formation, using summer internships as a stepping stone, is increasing for companies. How effectively companies can nurture connections with their target student demographic from an early stage will significantly influence future recruitment success. In particular, it is crucial to create touchpoints that are consistent and comprehensive, including information dissemination to younger students, follow-up after internship participation, and providing concrete information about job content and employee realities.

[2028 Graduates] View details of the trend survey.

[Survey Overview]

2028 Graduate University Student Job Popularity Ranking

● Target Audience: University and graduate school students scheduled to graduate in March 2028 (as of the start of the survey)

● Survey Period: March 1, 2026 – November 30, 2026

● Survey Method:

Announcements for the survey were made on the job hunting support site "Campus Career" and at various events hosted by Works Japan. Responses were collected via a web-based questionnaire.

The ranking of preferred companies was based on a selection method from 1st to 5th choice, with points allocated as follows: 5 points for 1st choice, 4 points for 2nd choice, 3 points for 3rd choice, 2 points for 4th choice, and 1 point for 5th choice.

● Valid Responses: 8,685 votes (as of the early announcement on May 31)

What is Campus Career?

Campus Career is a job hunting support site for main recruitment and internship selection. It offers free access to "selection攻略" (selection strategies) including essays and interview/GD content from successful job seekers, recruitment trends of popular companies, and preferential treatment information for main recruitment based on internship participation. It also provides various functions such as industry research, company searches, and selection schedule notifications.

As a benefit exclusive to Campus Career members, you can participate in online and in-person job hunting events featuring recruiters and alumni from major listed companies, which are exclusively for members.

Company Profile

Company Name: Sankei Shimbun Co., Ltd. Location: 1-7-2 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Homepage: https://www.sankei.jp/ Established: February 15, 1955 Capital: 3.1721985 billion yen Representative: Tetsuji Kondo Business Activities: Publishing various media such as Sankei Shimbun, Sankei Sports, Yukan Fuji, and the magazine "Seiron"; distributing various digital sites including Sankei News; event business; etc.

Company Name: Works Japan Co., Ltd.

Location: Kanda Park Plaza, 2-2-2 Kaji-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Homepage: https://www.worksjapan.co.jp/

Established: July 7, 2010

Capital: 112.5 million yen

Representative: Shinichiro Shimizu

Business Activities: Consulting and service provision for corporate HR departments - Planning and proposal of recruitment promotion, planning and production of various tools such as web, video, and brochures - Recruitment operations support system business, aptitude assessment business - Student job support and career design business - etc.