MANILA, Philippines – Only five Philippine universities secured spots in the 2027 QS World University Rankings, released by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) on Thursday, June 18, 2026, with all of them posting lower rankings compared to the previous year.
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The University of the Philippines remained the highest-ranked Philippine university in the QS World University Rankings 2027. |
The University of the Philippines (UP) remained the country's highest-ranked institution, placing 402nd worldwide among 1,504 universities evaluated globally. However, the country's premier state university slipped 40 places from its 2026 ranking.
Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) recorded one of the biggest declines, dropping 70 spots from 511th to 581st. Meanwhile, De La Salle University (DLSU) fell from 654th to the 751-760 bracket.
The University of Santo Tomas (UST) also moved down from the 851-900 band to the 951-1,000 range, while Adamson University slid from the 1,001-1,200 bracket to the 1,201-1,400 group.
Despite its lower ranking, UST remains the country's only university with a QS 5-Star rating, earning recognition for excellence in facilities, graduate employability, teaching, research, social responsibility, internationalization, and inclusiveness.
Adamson University, which made its debut in the QS World University Rankings only last year, retained its place among the world's ranked institutions despite moving to a lower bracket.
The overall decline of Philippine universities comes as institutions from other regions continue to strengthen their global standing amid intensifying competition in higher education.
Published annually by QS, the World University Rankings is among the most influential global ranking systems. Universities are assessed based on indicators such as academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, internationalization, and research impact measured through citations per faculty.
At the global level, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) maintained its dominance, securing the No. 1 spot for the 14th consecutive year. Imperial College London and Stanford University shared second place, while the University of Oxford and Harvard University rounded out the global Top 5.
This year, 552 Asian universities were included in the rankings. Leading the region was the National University of Singapore (NUS), which placed 10th globally, driven largely by its strong academic reputation.
— The Summit Express
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