International higher education experts QS Quacquarelli Symonds released the 2027 edition of the QS World University Rankings: Asia. The new rankings evaluate more than 1,720 universities across 26 locations.
The University of the Philippines remains the top institution in the country for the 16th consecutive year. The university placed 123rd in the regional list.
Competition across the region is intensifying. Only three Filipino universities improved their positions this year. Eight institutions held steady. Twenty-four schools declined.
Ten new universities from the Philippines entered the ranking for 2027. This brings the total number of country entries up to 45. The Philippines is now the 13th most represented higher education system in the rankings.
Ateneo de Manila University follows at 151st. The University of Santo Tomas ranks 202nd.
QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter discussed the regional trends. “For more than 15 years, the Philippines has consistently had four entries in the top 200 in the QS World University Rankings: Asia,” Sowter said. “For the first time, it is represented just twice among the top 200 in 2027. As Asian higher education systems climb in global university rankings, many of the Philippines’ peers in the region are outperforming and outpacing the country’s system.”
Sowter added further insights regarding necessary changes. “Ambitious and innovative reforms, policy adjustments and investment are needed to ensure the Philippines keeps up with the evolving higher education landscape across Asia and to make sure it does not lose ground,” he said.
Other local institutions saw varied movements. De La Salle University ranks 204th. Mapúa University climbed back into the top 500 at 494th. Adamson University placed 509th. The University of San Carlos stands at 549th. Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology reached 678th. Silliman University placed between 741st and 750th. The Polytechnic University of the Philippines landed in the 751 to 760 band. Far Eastern University sits in the 781 to 790 range. Ateneo de Davao University placed between 951st and 1000th.
Across the wider region, the University of Hong Kong claimed first place. Peking University took second place. Tsinghua University climbed six places to rank third.
Sowter summarized the broader scope of the release. “This year’s rankings, spanning more than 1,700 universities across 26 higher education systems, provide an important benchmark for a region that continues to shape the future of global higher education,” Sowter said. “They show institutions combining research excellence, international engagement and academic reputation continuing to strengthen their positions, even as competition intensifies across Asia’s increasingly diverse and rapidly expanding university landscape.”