How Philippine universities fared in the 2026 QS Asia Rankings
QS Asia 2026 shows Philippine universities holding steady regionally, with strong reputations but weak research and internationalization
Published Nov 5, 2025 11:33 pm
At A Glance
- Over 30 Philippine universities ranked in QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026, with UP leading at 104th
- Philippine universities excel in reputation but continue to lag in research and faculty development
- QS noted a gap between the country's higher education ambitions and actual outcomes
The University of the Philippines leads local universities in the QS Asia Rankings 2026 at 104th, as the country maintains strong reputation scores but faces research challenges. (MB Visual Content Group)
Despite tougher competition and the entry of more than 550 new universities, over 30 Philippine universities earned spots in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings: Asia 2026 — marking one of the country’s strongest performances yet in the prestigious regional list.
The University of the Philippines (UP) has maintained its position as the country’s top institution, ranking 104th in Asia, while Ateneo de Manila University climbed one spot to 141st. De La Salle University (DLSU) at 178th and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) at 184th were also included in Asia’s top 200.
List: Philippine universities in the QS Asia University Rankings 2026
QS data showed that most other ranked Philippine institutions either remained stable or slipped, reflecting the increasingly competitive and volatile higher education landscape across the region.
Released on November 4, the QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026 results cover 1,529 universities across 25 higher education systems — the largest edition yet.
- University of the Philippines (Quezon City) – Rank 104 – Score: 67.3
- Ateneo de Manila University (Quezon City) – Rank 141 – Score: 61.6
- De La Salle University (Manila) – Rank =178 – Score: 54.5
- University of Santo Tomas (Manila) – Rank 184 – Score: 53.5
- Adamson University (Manila) – Rank 464 – Score: 31.2
- University of San Carlos (Cebu City) – Rank 507 – Score: 29.4
- Mapúa University (Manila) – Rank 544 – Score: 28.0
- Polytechnic University of the Philippines (Manila) – Rank 671 – Score: 23.6
- Silliman University (Dumaguete City) – Rank 694 – Score: 23.0
- Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (Iligan) – Rank 731–740
- Far Eastern University (Manila) – Rank 761–770
- Ateneo de Davao University (Davao City) – Rank 851–900
- Saint Louis University (Baguio) – Rank 951–1000
- Xavier University (Cagayan de Oro) – Rank 951–1000
- Central Luzon State University (City of Muñoz) – Rank 1001–1100
- Central Mindanao University (Musuan, Bukidnon) – Rank 1001–1100
- Lyceum of the Philippines University (Manila) – Rank 1001–1100
- Mindanao State University (Marawi City) – Rank 1001–1100
- Cebu Technological University (Cebu City) – Rank 1101–1200
- Visayas State University (Baybay, Leyte) – Rank 1101–1200
- Angeles University Foundation (Angeles City) – Rank 1201–1300
- Central Philippine University (Iloilo City) – Rank 1201–1300
- National University (Manila) – Rank 1201–1300
- University of Southeastern Philippines (Davao City) – Rank 1201–1300
- West Visayas State University (Iloilo City) – Rank 1201–1300
- Technological University of the Philippines (Manila) – Rank 1301–1400
- University of Mindanao (Davao City) – Rank 1401–1500
- Batangas State University (Batangas City) – Rank 1401–1500
- Mariano Marcos State University (Batac, Ilocos Norte) – Rank 1401–1500
- University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (Cagayan de Oro) – Rank 1401–1500
- Bulacan State University (Malolos, Bulacan) – Rank 1501+
- Ifugao State University (Ifugao) – Rank 1501+
- University of Southern Mindanao (Kabacan, Cotabato) – Rank 1501+
- Western Mindanao State University (Zamboanga City) – Rank 1501+
QS said this year’s list underscores the growing regional diversity of the Philippine higher education system, with representation from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao — a sign of academic excellence extending beyond Metro Manila.
Reputation remains a key strength
QS said Philippine universities continue to excel in Academic and Employer Reputation, indicators derived from surveys of over 150,000 academics and 100,000 employers worldwide.
UP is nearing the regional top 50 for Academic Reputation, while Ateneo and DLSU remain within the top 100. In Employer Reputation, UP ranks among the top 50, with Ateneo, DLSU, and UST all within the top 100.
QS said the Philippines also continues to make progress in international engagement.
UST ranked 26th in Outbound Student Exchange — the highest for any Philippine university — and placed among the top 100 for International Faculty Ratio. Adamson University also broke into the top 300 in the same category.
However, no local university ranked among the regional top 500 for Citations per Paper or Staff with a PhD, underscoring persistent gaps in research capacity and faculty development.
Only Mapúa University reached the top 500 in Papers per Faculty (272nd), while UP placed in the top 100 for International Research Network.
Gap: Ambition and outcomes
According to QS Chief Executive Officer Jessica Turner, the Philippines has made higher education both a “social commitment and an economic strategy.”
“We’re seeing record public allocations to education — with authorities targeting roughly 4% of GDP for basic and higher education in 2026 — alongside incentives to attract foreign branch campuses and build internationally connected ‘education cities,’” Turner said.
However, she noted that QS data also show a "gap between ambition and outcomes."
“Philippine universities perform well in Academic Reputation and Employer Reputation, yet most still fall behind regional peers in research output, faculty qualifications, and teaching resources,” Turner said.
“Closing that gap will depend on whether this new spending and internationalization policy actually translates into stronger research infrastructure, more faculty with advanced qualifications, and higher-impact collaboration across borders — not just larger enrollment numbers,” she added.
Turner emphasized that while Philippine universities excel in reputation-based indicators, they lag behind peers in research productivity, faculty qualifications, and teaching resources.
Balancing access, quality, and global reach
QS said the country’s higher education strategy now revolves around three priorities: Universal Access through free tuition and expanded financial aid; Global Connectivity via incentives for foreign university partnerships and exchanges; and Research Quality and Relevance through stronger science, innovation, and faculty development programs.
Performance indicators: Strong reputation, weak resources
While the Philippines scored above the regional average in Academic Reputation (27.0 vs. 22.8) and Employer Reputation (30.8 vs. 24.5), QS said its overall system score of 18.8 remains below the regional average of 27.7, reflecting structural limitations in resources and research.
Key gaps include: faculty-student ratio — 13.5 (vs. 33.9 regionally); citations per paper — 8.3 (vs. 50.4 in Vietnam); papers per faculty — 4.9 (vs. 11.0 in Vietnam); staff with PhD — 9.0 (vs. 53.3 regionally); and international research network — 19.7 (vs. 45.4 regionally).
Regional benchmarking and outlook
Compared to Malaysia (48.8) and India (22.8), QS said the Philippines’ 18.8 score underscores both challenges and opportunities.
Malaysia’s rise was driven by R&D investment, international collaboration, and education hub incentives — lessons the Philippines aims to adopt.
Despite its constraints, QS said the country’s representation in the QS Asia Rankings has grown by over 250 percent since 2022 — marking the fastest growth rate in ASEAN.
The Philippines also posted a strong “Future of Work” readiness score of 93.8, signaling employer confidence in Filipino graduates, especially in ICT and digital industries, QS added.
Still, QS noted that the scores for academic readiness (66.6) and skills fit (47.6) highlight the need for better curriculum alignment with labor market demands.