6 Philippine universities land in 2026 QS rankings
University of the Philippines System ranks 362nd globally
Manila: The University of the Philippines (UP) system continues to lead Philippine institutions in the 2026 Quacquarelli-Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, placing 362nd globally, despite a slight drop from its 2025 position of 336th.
UP posted an overall score of 40.9, with strong marks in employment outcomes (80.8), academic reputation (50.6), and employer reputation (71.1).
It also scored 68.9 in sustainability and 66.4 for its international research network.
However, its rankings were weighed down by low scores in international faculty ratio (2.4), international students ratio (1.2%), and international students diversity (5.7).
This year, over 1,500 universities from more than 100 countries were evaluated, making the QS list one of the most comprehensive global university rankings.
Joining UP in the rankings are:
Ateneo de Manila University – ranked 511th, improving slightly from 516th last year.
De La Salle University – placed in the 654th spot, a modest drop from its previous 641–650 bracket.
University of Santo Tomas (UST) – maintained its spot in the 851–900 band.
Adamson University – entered the rankings for the first time, debuting in the 1,001–1,200 range.
Mapua University – also made its first appearance, placing in the 1401+ category.
Meanwhile, the University of San Carlos, which was ranked 1401+ in 2025, did not make it to the latest list.
According to the QS report, nearly 500 institutions improved their performance this year.
Among them, Sunway University in Malaysia marked the most significant climb, jumping over 120 places to 410th.
Highlights of global rankings:
Topping the 2026 QS World University Rankings is once again the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which earned a perfect score of 100 in multiple categories including academic reputation, employer reputation, employment outcomes, and faculty-student ratio.
This marks MIT’s 14th consecutive year at the top.
The global Top 10 are:
MIT (USA)
Imperial College London (UK)
Stanford University (USA)
University of Oxford (UK)
Harvard University (USA)
University of Cambridge (UK)
ETH Zurich (Switzerland)
National University of Singapore (Singapore)
University College London (UCL, UK)
California Institute of Technology (USA)
The QS rankings evaluate institutions based on nine indicators, weighted as follows:
Academic reputation – 30%
Citations per faculty – 20%
Employer reputation – 15%
Employment outcomes – 5%
Faculty-student ratio – 10%
International faculty – 5%
International students – 5%
International research network – 5%
Sustainability – 5%
The results underscore the evolving competitiveness of global higher education and highlight areas where Philippine universities may focus future efforts to improve standing.
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