THE UNIVERSITY has been granted a fresh five-star Quacquarelli-Symonds (QS) rating, keeping its spot as the lone higher education institution (HEI) in the Philippines to receive an “excellent” rating from the global ranking body.
Results of the ratings released on March 13 showed UST earning five stars in five of the nine categories QS used to measure the University’s performance: teaching, facilities, employability, global engagement, and social impact.
It was rated in the good governance criterion for the first time, achieving four stars, and received three stars in the arts.
UST Medicine, the field QS deemed as the school’s specialization, earned four stars in the latest rating, down from five stars in 2021.
Academic development slid to three stars from a four-star rating. This category assesses the availability of faculty development programs and membership in university networks.
This marks the second time UST achieved a five-star QS rating, first earning the distinction in 2021 when it became the first and only Philippine school to be given the second highest rating.
Asst. Prof. Nestor Ong, head of UST’s QS/THE Rankings Office, told the Varsitarian that the rating reflects the University’s capacity to produce academically adept students who would become productive members of the workforce.
“These areas reflect UST’s commitment to providing a high-quality learning environment, fostering strong international collaborations, and ensuring excellent career outcomes for its graduates,” Ong said.
“The QS Stars system provides a comprehensive view of UST’s educational quality by assessing various aspects beyond just research performance, such as student satisfaction, faculty-student ratios, and graduate employability,” he added.
There are six tiers in the QS stars rating: one star (satisfactory), two stars (moderate), three stars (good), four stars (very good), five stars (excellent), and five stars plus (outstanding).
QS evaluates HEIs’ performance across five main categories: learning experience, employability and outcomes, sustainability, research and innovation, and global engagement.
These components are further broken down into sub-categories: research/academic development, teaching, employability, global engagement, social impact, innovation and knowledge transfer, arts, and diversity, equity and inclusion, environmental impact, facilities/online learning, subject ranking/program strength, entrepreneurship, and good governance.
Ong said UST must invest in resources for these categories to maintain or improve its QS performance.
“This involves investing in faculty development, enhancing campus facilities, and fostering stronger international partnerships,” he said.
