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.

121 PH universities made it to THE Impact Rankings 2025

University impact rankings: Philippines most represented in ASEA

Cristina Chi
Philstar Global
18 June 2025

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines had 121 universities ranked in the latest Times Higher Education Impact Rankings — the highest number among ASEAN countries and third globally behind India and Pakistan.

The rankings, released Wednesday, June 18, measured over 2,500 universities from 130 countries against the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. 

With 121 schools on the list, the Philippines placed ahead of Thailand (85 universities) and Indonesia (76 universities) in total representation within the Southeast Asian region. 

This is also more than double the 56 Philippine universities and colleges included in last year's edition.

The Ateneo de Manila University remains the Philippines' top school in THE's impact rankings, placing in the 101-200 tier overall. This is higher than its 201-300 placement the previous year.

It is followed by the Batangas State University, Isabela State University, and the University of the Philippines — all of which are in the 401-600 band. 

While the Philippines led in representation, Indonesia claimed the region's highest individual ranking, with Universitas Airlangga jumping to joint ninth place globally from joint 81st the previous year — the first time an Indonesian university cracked the global top 10.

The rankings assess how universities contribute to addressing global challenges like poverty, climate change and inequality. 

To qualify, institutions must submit data on partnerships for goals and at least three other UN development categories.

The top-ranked schools in the Southeast Asian region for each of the 17 SDGs are from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Six Philippine Universities Make It to 2025 THE World Rankings

Six Philippine Universities Make It to 2025 THE World Rankings

Micah Avry Guiao
spot.ph
09 October 2024

(SPOT.ph) Big day for alumni who are definitely going to brag about this news in batch group chats: Six Philippine universities have made it to the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) World Rankings.

Ateneo de Manila University topped the list for the third time in a row, ranking 1001-1200 in a total of 2,092 universities from 115 countries and territories. Joining the Loyola School in this prestigious list are the usual "Big 4" schools—University of the Philippines (UP), De La Salle University (DLSU), and University of Santo Tomas (UST)—are also part of the roster. These rankings remain largely unchanged from the 2024 results.

But that's not all—Mapua University is back for the second time, while Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) has made a notable debut, becoming the first university outside Metro Manila to break into the list. 

"We deliberately worked hard to be in the rankings. That’s why there were policy reforms done particularly in incentivizing faculty and students who published in Scopus-indexed journals," Chancellor Alizedney M. Ditucalan said.

This also makes MSU-IIT the youngest local university to be ranked in the global system.

1. Ateneo de Manila: 1001-1200 bracket
2. University of the Philipines: 1201-1500 bracket
3. De La Salle University: 1501+ bracket
4. Mapua University: 1501+ bracket
5. Mindanao State University: 1501+
6. University of Santo Tomas: 1501+ bracket

THE is a UK-based group that ranks "research-intensive universities" across the globe based on teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook. 

Ateneo leads Philippine universities in 2024 THE World Rankings

Ateneo leads Philippine universities in 2024 THE World Rankings for fourth straight year

Story by NICK GARCIA
Philstar Life
13 June 2024

For the fourth straight year, Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) led the Philippines' list of schools included in this year's Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings.

ADMU was included in the 201 to 300 bracket, making it the country's top ranking university in the 2024 list that included 56 Philippine institutions.

It's also the Katipunan-based university's second consecutive year in the bracket. Its best performance to date was in 2022 when it was part of the 101 to 200 bracket.

In its methodology, THE said it based its rankings on the institutions' observance of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to tackle climate change and work to preserve oceans and forests, giving "peace and prosperity for people and the planet."

ADMU's best scores included SDGs 6 (clean water and sanitation), 7 (affordable and clean energy), 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions), and 17 (partnerships for the goals).

Three Philippine universities, meanwhile, were in the 

401 to 600 bracket: 

De La Salle University, 

Ifugao State University, and the 

University of the Philippines.

Four local institutions were part of the 

601 to 800 bracket: 

Batangas State University

Mariano Marcos State University

Saint Louis University and 

University of Santo Tomas.

Other Philippine universities in the list are: 

801- 1000 

Benguet State University 

Central Luzon State University

Isabela State University

Leyte Normal University

Mapua University

Mountain Province State Polytechnic College

Samar State University

Tarlac Agricultural University 

1000-1500

Cebu Technological University
Central Bicol State University of Agriculture
Cordillera Career Development College
Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST)
Philippine Normal University
San Beda University
St Paul University
University of Baguio
University of Northern Philippines
University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP)
University of the Cordilleras
Visayas State University

1501+

Biliran Province State University (BiPSU)

Bulacan State University

Cagayan State University

Catanduanes State University

Cavite State University

Central Philippine University

Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University

Far Eastern University – Dr. Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation

Iloilo Science and Technology University

Lyceum Northwestern University

Lyceum of the Philippines University

Mabalacat City College (MCC)

Mapua Malayan Colleges Laguna

Pangasinan State University

Panpacific University

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Quezon City University

Southern Leyte State University

University of Eastern Philippines

University of Mindanao

University of San Carlos

University of Southern Mindanao

University of the Immaculate Conception

Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation

WCC Aeronautical and Technological College

Western Philippines University

 Australia's Western Sydney University topped the list.

"By excelling in a variety of SDGs, these universities showcase their commitment to addressing the world's most pressing challenges, including environmental sustainability, social inclusion, economic growth and partnerships," THE said.

THE is a British-based magazine reporting on news and issues in global higher education.