Six Philippine universities were included in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027

Ateneo leads 6 Philippine universities in Times Higher Education 2027 global rankings

Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
Manila Bulletin
Sep 30, 2026

Six Philippine universities were included in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027, led by the Ateneo de Manila University, which retained the country’s top spot for the fifth consecutive year.

The London-based THE released the 2027 rankings on Wednesday, Sept. 30, placing Ateneo in the 1,001-1,200 band globally, followed by the University of the Philippines in the 1,201-1,400 band and the University of Santo Tomas in the 1,601-1,800 band.

De La Salle University and Mapua University were both placed in the 1,801-2,000 band, while Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology landed in the 2,001+ category.

The six Philippine institutions were among 2,297 universities from 118 countries and territories included in this year’s rankings.

“The THE World University Rankings measure what matters most to sector leaders, strategists and policymakers: research excellence and impact; the teaching environment; global academic standing; links with industry beyond the ivory towers; and international talent attraction, reach and influence,” THE Chief Global Affairs Officer Phil Baty said.

The five criteria used by THE are Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, International Outlook, and Industry, which are further divided into 18 performance indicators.

Globally, the University of Oxford retained the top position in the 2027 rankings.

The THE World University Rankings have been published since 2004 and assess research-intensive universities using institutional data, research publications and academic reputation survey responses.