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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 2025 top Philippine universities: Ateneo, UP tie in THE Asia University Rankings

2025 top Philippine universities: Ateneo, UP tie in THE Asia University Rankings

Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines top the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) Asia Rankings for the Philippines --- maintaining their status as leading institutions in the country

Published Apr 24, 2025 04:31 am

At A Glance

  • Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines share the spotlight as the top universities in the Philippines, according to the 2025 Times Higher Education Asia Rankings.
  • Ateneo dropped from the 401–500 range, while UP maintained its position.
  • Despite the tie, Ateneo outperformed UP in individual performance indicators like Research Quality, Industry Income, and Teaching.
  • De La Salle University (DLSU), Mapúa University, Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) were also on the list. 
  • 15 universities were listed under "reporter" status, meaning they submitted data but didn't meet the full ranking criteria.

In the 2025 edition of the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings, two of the country’s leading institutions—Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines (UP)—have tied for the top spot.

UPXATENEO.jpg
(Ateneo De Manila / University of the Philippines)

Both universities landed in the 501–600 bracket, the highest among Philippine entries this year.

The rankings evaluated 853 universities across 35 countries and territories in Asia, using performance indicators that measure excellence in teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook.

How Ateneo and UP performed

While UP maintained its position in the 501–600 range, Ateneo dropped from last year’s 401–500 bracket to match UP in this year's rankings. Despite the shift, both institutions remain the most prominent academic performers in the country for 2025.

“However, despite being in the same bracket, THE ranked Ateneo higher based on the individual scores from five main performance indicators: Research Quality, Industry, International Outlook, Research Environment, and Teaching,” the University said in a statement issued Thursday, April 24.

Other ranked universities

Several other Philippine universities also made it to the list, including:

  • De La Salle University (DLSU) fell to the 601+ bracket, down from the 501–600 bracket last year.
  • Mapúa University, Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) also appeared in the 601+ bracket, maintaining their 2024 positions.

 

Additionally, 15 other Philippine universities were classified under “reporter” status—institutions that submitted the required data but did not meet the criteria for full-ranking inclusion.

The 2025 Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings highlight the enduring excellence of Ateneo and UP, reinforcing their reputations as leaders in Philippine higher education.

As other universities continue to strive for global competitiveness, these rankings offer a valuable benchmark for academic and institutional growth.

Ranking methodology

The Times Higher Education Asia Rankings utilize a framework similar to their global rankings but adjust the weightings to better reflect regional priorities.

Institutions are evaluated across 18 performance indicators grouped into five core areas: Teaching – Learning environment; Research Environment – Volume, income, and reputation; Research Quality – Citations, excellence, and influence; International Outlook – Global staff, students, and partnerships; and Industry Income – Innovation and research collaboration with industry.

This approach ensures a well-rounded assessment of each university’s contributions to academia, research, and innovation. 

The 2025 THE Asia University Rankings were released on April 23. 

Related Tags

HigherEducation 2025THEAsiaRankings THEAsiaRankings UniversityRankings AteneoDeManila TopUniversities UniversityOfThePhilippines PhilippineUniversities
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