Universities in the Philippines

Reference: https://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/asia/philippines/guide#tab=2

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Study in the Philippines

A newly industrialized country and emerging market in Asia, the Philippines has welcomed an increasing number of international students in recent years, and is also a popular tourist destination – not surprising when you look at those tropical, sunny beaches. However, the Philippines has more to offer than an attractive coastline; those who study in the Philippines will be able to explore its fascinating mix of Islamic, Malay, Spanish and American influences on Filipino culture.

Read on to find out about the top universities in the Philippines, student cities, applications and more.

Not only is the Philippines a beautiful country, it also has one of the best higher education systems in Asia, ranked 46th in the first edition of the QS Higher Education System Strength Rankings. Offering the opportunity to study in English at an affordable cost, the Philippines attracts over five thousand international students a year from across the globe, with most coming from other countries in East Asia.

There are almost 2,300 higher education institutions in the Philippines, the majority of which are private. Many universities are affiliated with Roman Catholicism, which reflects the country’s colonial past. Of the public institutions funded by the government, the national university, University of the Philippines, receives the most funding.

Four top universities in the Philippines are ranked among the world’s best in the QS World University Rankings® 2018, with a further two featured in the QS Asia University Rankings 2018. The top four are:

University of the Philippines 

Ranked joint 367th in the World University Rankings 2018 and 75th in Asia, the University of the Philippines (UP) is actually a public university system made up of seven constituent universities and a total of 15 campuses across the country. Its flagship campus and administrational seat is the University of the Philippines Diliman, which is located in Quezon City and teaches around 22,765 students. UP was founded by the American colonial government in 1908 and has since gained a strong reputation, consistently referred to as the top university in the country. It currently ranks among the top 150 universities in the world for English language and literature and in the top 250 faculties around the world for social sciences and management.

Ateneo de Manila University

The Ateneo de Manila University is a private research university which ranks 551-600 in the world rankings and joint 95th in Asia. Its four campuses are located in the Metro Manila region, with the main campus in Quezon City. Founded in 1859 by the Society of Jesus, it’s one of the country’s oldest universities. Ateneo ranks as one of the top 200 universities in the world for English language and literature, and its arts and humanities faculty is ranked as one of the top 350 in the world.

De La Salle University 

Next among the top universities in the Philippines, De La Salle University (DLSU) is ranked 701-750 in the world and 134th in the latest edition of the QS Asia University Rankings. DLSU is a private, Roman Catholic research university which was founded in 1911 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools and was originally a boys’ school. It teaches around 18,500 students and has a main campus in the heart of Manila. Like the Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines, DLSU ranks within the top 200 universities in the world for English language and literature. 

University of Santo Tomas 

The University of Santo Tomas (UST, also known as Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, or the Catholic University of the Philippines) is ranked 701+ in the world rankings and 157th in Asia. UST is a private, Roman Catholic research university located in Manila, and has the distinction of being the oldest university in both the Philippines and Asia, having been established in 1611. It’s also one of the largest Catholic universities in the world, with over 42,000 students. UST has been rated four out of five stars in the QS Stars benchmarking system, and was recognized as having the most accredited programs in the country in 2013.