As of 2010, there were 86 national universities (国立大学 kokuritsu daigaku?), 95 public universities and 597 private universities in Japan. National universities tend to be held in higher regard in higher education in Japan than private or public universities.
In 2004, the national university system underwent partial privatization. Since 2004, every national university has been incorporated as a "national university corporation" (国立大学法人 kokuritsu daigaku hōjin?) and given considerable autonomy in its operations. Faculty and staff are no longer government employees (国家公務員 kokka kōmuin?) working for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. University names which shifted are "graduate university" (大学院大学 daigakuin daigaku?).