UP retains top spot as PH universities slide in latest QS Rankings

The University of the Philippines (UP) remains the top-ranked higher education institution in the country in the 2027 World University Ranking by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) despite a lower placement together with five other universities. 

UP ranked 402nd globally, falling 40 places from 362nd in the previous cycle.

Ateneo de Manila University fell 70 places from 511th to 581st, while De La Salle University dropped from 654th to 751-760 band.

University of Santo Tomas also moved to the 951-1000 bracket from the previous 851-900 standing; and Adamson University descended to the 1201-1400 bracket from 1001-1200, performing the highest drop among five universities. 

QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter explained that the results indicate that Philippine universities struggle to keep up with the advances of higher education systems globally as universities worldwide compete more aggressively for research funding, international students, faculty, and academic partnerships.

“The country’s peers are advancing at a faster pace, be that in research intensity, sustaining international partnerships or ensuring the best graduate outcomes,” Sowter said. 

Sowter noted that Philippine institutions should be supported with appropriate frameworks and enough assistance from the government to help them remain competitive with the advances across the global higher education landscape. 

According to QS, nearly 670 institutions dropped this year, while more than 330 retained placement and more than 440 improved out of 1,500 institutions evaluated. 

Despite lower overall rankings, Philippine universities posted improvements in specific indicators.

QS acknowledged that the Philippines made progress and now has two universities within the world’s top 40% from zero in 2017. 

According to QS data, Ateneo improved its standing in the Sustainability indicator and climbed 15 places in Employment Outcomes, ranking 142nd globally. 

Ateneo and La Salle also posted gains in sustainability, while Adamson improved in the International Faculty indicator.

For 2027, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) remains the top ranking university in the world, while the National University of Singapore is the highest-ranked institution in the Asian region. 

The QS World University Rankings 2027 evaluated more than 1,500 institutions worldwide using indicators such as academic reputation, citations per faculty, employer reputation, employment outcomes, internationalization, faculty-to-student ratio, and sustainability.