Six Philippine universities have earned places in the prestigious 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings (THE WUR), marking the highest number of local institutions ever recognized in this annual global list which spotlights the world’s leading higher education institutions (HEIs), with universities assessed across key missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook.
The universities from the Philippines on the ranked list include Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), University of the Philippines (UP), De La Salle University (DLSU), Mapúa University, Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), and University of Santo Tomas (UST). Mapúa returns for its third consecutive year after being initially omitted from the 2024 rankings due to a mapping oversight. Notably, MSU-IIT makes its official debut, upgrading from “reporter” to a ranked position.
Philippine Schools Rank Highlights
In the rankings released in October 2024, Ateneo remains the Philippines’ top university, holding its 1001-1200 placement, while six-time leader UP continues in the 1201-1500 bracket. DLSU, Mapúa, MSU-IIT, and UST all appear in the 1501+ tier, representing a diverse set of academic strengths.
The inclusion of six Philippine universities in the rankings encompassing 2,092 universities from 115 countries and regions, places the country in the top 13 of the Asia Pacific region. Key scores for the Philippine schools include:
- Ateneo: Highest national rating in Teaching (30.1/100) and Research Quality (57.0).
- UP: Leads in Research Environment (16.9) and Industry (26.9).
- UST: Ranks highest in International Outlook (64.4).
Here are the scores of the Philippines’ HEIs in the 2025 THE World University Rankings:
15 Philippine Universities Achieve Reporter Status
In addition to the six ranked schools, the Philippines celebrates 15 universities achieving “reporter” status, a recognition for institutions active in the rankings process. Of these, eight are new entrants this year:
- Cebu Technological University
- Central Luzon State University
- De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde (New Entry)
- Lyceum-Northwestern University (New Entry)
- Manila Central University (New Entry)
- National University Philippines (New Entry)
- Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
- Philippine State College of Aeronautics (New Entry)
- Quezon City University (New Entry)
- Saint Louis University (New Entry)
- Tarlac Agricultural University
- University of Eastern Philippines
- University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines
- University of the Immaculate Conception (New Entry)
- Visayas State University
FIND OUT how UP led the way for the Philippines in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings is built on a refined WUR 3.0 methodology, incorporating 18 performance indicators across five areas: Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, Industry, and International Outlook. THE WUR notes, “This year’s methodology… has been significantly updated to reflect the outputs of diverse research-intensive universities across the world.” The five key areas include tweaks to names, now encompassing “Teaching (the learning environment),” “Research Quality (citation impact, research strength, research excellence, and research influence),” and “International Outlook (staff, students, and research).”
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