For the first time in over 15 years, only two Philippine universities have secured spots in the top 200 of the 2027 QS World University Rankings: Asia, marking a decline from the four institutions that previously held steady positions.
The rankings, released on Tuesday, November 3, by global higher education analyst QS Quacquarelli Symonds, evaluated over 1,720 universities across 26 locations based on 11 indicators, including academic and employer reputation, faculty-student ratios, and research metrics.
Ranking Movements
- University of the Philippines (UP): Maintained its status as the country’s top university for the 16th consecutive year, but dropped to 123rd from 104th—its lowest position to date.
- Ateneo de Manila University: Slipped from 141st to 151st, falling outside the top 150 for the first time.
- University of Santo Tomas (UST): Dropped from 184th to 202nd. Despite the decline, the report highlighted UST as “the standout performer in the internationalization indicators.”
- De La Salle University: Fell from 178th to 204th.
QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter noted that the results highlight intensifying regional competition, with neighboring educational systems outpacing the Philippines.
“For more than 15 years, the Philippines has consistently had four entries in the top 200 in the QS World University Rankings: Asia. For the first time, it is represented just twice among the top 200 in the 2027. As Asian higher education systems climb in global university rankings, many of the Philippines’ peers in the region are outperforming and outpacing the country’s system,” Sowter stated.
He emphasized that the country requires systemic changes to remain competitive.
“The Philippines needs bold and innovative reforms, policy changes, and greater investment to keep up with Asia’s evolving higher education environment,” he added.
Despite the lower standings of top-tier universities, overall local representation expanded. The country increased its total number of ranked schools to 45—surpassing 40 entries for the first time—with 10 institutions making their debut. This places the Philippines 13th overall among the 26 covered higher education systems.
However, challenges remain regarding the broader higher education landscape: only 12 of the 45 ranked local schools (about 27 percent) broke into the top 1,000, representing the smallest share among the 11 Southeast Asian nations included in the assessment.