PHILIPPINE universities took a nosedive in the 2027 edition of the World University Rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).
In the rankings released on Thursday, the University of the Philippines (UP) retained its status as the country’s top university, but its rankings slid by 40 places.
From 362nd place last year, UP ranked 402nd. It placed 338th in the 2025 rankings.
Ateneo de Manila University slid from 511st place to 581st.
In a statement posted on its website, Ateneo said that despite the decline, it is still the highest-ranked Filipino private institution.
Its ranking score of 28.8 out of 100 was based on nine indicators, with the university ranking highest in Employment Outcomes, followed by Sustainability and Employer Reputation. It scored lowest in International Faculty, Citations for Faculty and International Students.
Other universities experienced significant declines include De La Salle University (751st to 760th from 654th place last year), University of Santo Tomas (951st to 1,000th place from 851-900th place last year) and Adamson University (1201st to 1400th from 1001-1200th place last year).
Adamson said its repeat appearance in the QS rankings confirms that its international standing is a “consistent streak rather than a one-time milestone.”
“Adamson’s retention of its rank highlights solid performance in criteria including academic reputation, sustainability and employability. With back-to-back rankings secured, Adamson confirms its global presence is here to stay,” the university noted.
For 2027, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology remains the top-ranked university in the world, and National University of Singapore as the top university in the Asian region.
A total of 1,504 universities across the globe were ranked in the 2027 list from more than 8,000 institutions who submitted their rankings to QS. RED MENDOZA
