For the first time in over 15 years, only two Philippine universities appear among Asia's top 200 in the QS World University Rankings: Asia — after the University of Santo Tomas and De La Salle University both slipped below the threshold in the 2027 edition, released Tuesday, November 3, 2026, by London-based higher education analyst QS Quacquarelli Symonds.
UP and Ateneo Remain, But at Lower Positions
The University of the Philippines placed 123rd in the 2027 edition, sliding from 104th the previous year. QS noted that UP has held the top spot among Philippine universities for 16 consecutive years, though the Manila Bulletin reported that the 123rd-place finish is the lowest UP has recorded in the Asia rankings.
Ateneo de Manila University came in at 151st, down from 141st. The Manila Bulletin reported this marks the first time Ateneo has ranked outside the top 150. In a separate announcement, Ateneo stated it remains the leading private university in the country and ranks 41st among Southeast Asian institutions.
UST and DLSU Fall Just Past the 200 Mark
UST landed at 202nd, dropping from 184th, while DLSU placed 204th, down from 178th. Both fell just short of the top-200 cutoff, ending a streak QS said had held for more than 15 years. According to The Varsitarian, the UST student publication, UST has overtaken DLSU in the overall Philippine standings, now ranking third nationally, up from fourth.
"For the first time, it is represented just twice among the top 200 in 2027," QS senior vice president Ben Sowter said in the rankings release, referring to the Philippines.
45 Philippine Schools Ranked, Yet Most Declined
QS ranked 45 Philippine universities in the 2027 edition, up from 35 the year before, with ten institutions appearing on the list for the first time. The rankings body said this positions the Philippines as the 13th most represented higher education system in the index.
Despite the expanded inclusion, the overall direction was downward. Of the Philippine schools that were also ranked in the previous edition, QS reported that only three improved their standing, eight remained the same, and 24 dropped.
Schools That Moved Up
Among those that improved, Mapúa University climbed to 494th from 544th. Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology advanced to 678th from the 731–740 band. Angeles University Foundation moved into the 1,101–1,200 band from the 1,201–1,300 band.
Declines Among Top-1,000 Schools
Several Philippine universities ranked in the top 1,000 posted lower results. Adamson University fell to 509th from 464th, and the University of San Carlos dropped to 549th from 507th.
Silliman University in Dumaguete City slid to the 741–750 band from 694th in the prior edition. The Polytechnic University of the Philippines fell to the 751–760 band from 671st.
QS Calls for Reform and Greater Investment
QS senior vice president Ben Sowter said the Philippines is being outpaced by many of its neighbors in the region. "Ambitious and innovative reforms, policy adjustments and investment are needed to ensure the Philippines keeps up with the evolving higher education landscape across Asia," Sowter said in the rankings release.
How the QS Asia Rankings Are Computed
QS evaluates Asian universities across 11 indicators. Academic reputation carries the heaviest weight at 30 percent, followed by employer reputation at 20 percent. Faculty-student ratio, international research network, and citations per paper each account for 10 percent. Papers per faculty and staff with doctorates are weighted at 5 percent each. International faculty, international students, inbound exchange students, and outbound exchange students each contribute 2.5 percent, according to QS.
Regional Leaders and Overall Scale of the 2027 Edition
The University of Hong Kong retained the number one position on the Asia rankings. Peking University held second, while Tsinghua University climbed six places to third. The 2027 edition covered more than 1,720 universities across 26 locations, up from roughly 1,530 in the prior year, QS reported.
Philippine Schools Also Fell in the Global QS Rankings
The QS Asia rankings are issued separately from the global QS World University Rankings, which were published in June 2026. In that worldwide list, all five ranked Philippine universities also recorded declines, according to QS. The Asia-specific rankings have been published annually by QS since 2009.
Source: QS Quacquarelli Symonds; Manila Bulletin; The Varsitarian