ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 6 Philippine universities secure spots in 2026 QS World Rankings, two make historic debuts

6 Philippine universities secure spots in 2026 QS World Rankings, two make historic debuts

Published Jun 19, 2025 12:02 pm
(Courtesy of QS)
(Courtesy of QS)
The Philippines has achieved another milestone in global higher education, with six of its universities earning spots in the prestigious 2026 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, including first-time entries from Adamson University and Mapúa University.
This year marks a historic debut for both Adamson and Mapúa, signaling growing international recognition for Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs). Adamson entered the 1,001–1,200 bracket, while Mapúa was ranked in the 1,401+ tier.
Ateneo rises in global rankings
Among the six ranked HEIs, Ateneo de Manila University posted the most notable progress, rising to 511th place globally from last year’s 516th. Ateneo also maintained its status as the top private university in the Philippines and the second-highest nationally after the University of the Philippines.
“This latest performance in the QS World Rankings is a testament to the dedication and excellence of the entire Ateneo community,” said University President Fr. Roberto Yap, SJ, in a statement issued Thursday, June 19.
“It affirms that Ateneo can stand alongside the world’s leading institutions—not just in academic reputation, but in making a meaningful impact through teaching, research, and service,” he added.
Ateneo showed improvement across key QS indicators, including Academic Reputation: 385; Employer Reputation: 148; Employment Outcomes: 157; and Sustainability: =497.
UP still no. 1 in the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP) remains the country’s top-ranked university despite slipping to 362nd globally from 336th last year.
Its continued presence among the world's leading universities reaffirms its academic influence and research strength.
De La Salle, UST maintain strong positions
De La Salle University (DLSU) ranked 654th, a slight dip from its previous 641–650 bracket.
Meanwhile, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) retained its position in the 851–900 band, standing as the fourth-highest-ranked Philippine institution.
Global breakthrough: Adamson
Adamson University’s entry into the global QS World Rankings marks a breakthrough for the institution and a testament to its growing academic impact.
“This recognition is not so much a badge of honor as a humble validation of the hard work and collective effort of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni,” said University President Fr. Daniel E. Franklin Pilario, CM.
Adamson’s inclusion follows its notable performance in the 2025 QS Asia University Rankings, where it ranked 71st in Southeast Asia and fifth in the Philippines.
Fr. Pilario emphasized that the recognition is “a responsibility to continuously elevate our standards while remaining faithful to our Vincentian mission of service and transformative education.”
“To be included in the QS World Rankings leads us to be more resolved to make Adamson contribute more to global education,” he said. “It is a sign that our mission to serve the people at the margins through quality education is relevant beyond our national borders,” he added.
Fr. Pilario also expressed hope that the global visibility would lead to more inclusive and collaborative educational partnerships that uplift underserved communities.
Mapúa joins the global league
Mapúa University, known for its strength in engineering and technology, also made its QS debut in the 1,401+ category. Its inclusion underscores the growing competitiveness of Philippine universities in technical and STEM-related disciplines on a global scale.
Global rankings overview
The 2026 QS World University Rankings, now in its 22nd edition, evaluated 1,501 institutions across 106 territories, using metrics such as academic and employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, citations per faculty, international research network, sustainability, and internationalization indicators.
At the global level, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) retained its top spot, while the National University of Singapore (NUS) ranked 8th, emerging as Asia’s top university.
Philippines: A growing presence in global education
With six universities now in the global QS rankings, the Philippines continues to strengthen its presence on the world education map.
The inclusion of Adamson and Mapúa signals a more diverse representation of Philippine HEIs and a step forward in promoting international competitiveness.

Related Tags

QS World University Rankings 2026 Philippine universities Adamson University Mapua University Ateneo de Manila University University of the Philippines De La Salle University University of Santo Tomas global rankings higher education Philippines
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.