- Six Philippine universities, including UST, retained their positions in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, with Ateneo de Manila leading locally (1,001–1,200 band) and UST ranking third in the 1,501+ bracket alongside DLSU, Mapúa, and MSU-IIT.
- THE noted gains in research influence and doctorates-to-staff ratios among Philippine schools, though UST’s weakest pillar remained research environment (score: 10.2), while its strongest was international outlook (59.5, 635th globally).
- Globally, Oxford topped the rankings for the 10th straight year, followed by MIT; the list covered 2,191 universities from 115 countries, with the National University of Singapore leading Southeast Asia at 17th place.
SIX PHILIPPINE schools including UST kept their spots in the 2026 edition of the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings released on Thursday, Oct. 9, amid improvements in some metrics including research.
UST ranked within the 1,501+ bracket, and third in the Philippines, along with three other schools: De La Salle University, Mapúa University, and the publicly funded Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, the London-based THE said in a press statement.
Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University remained the country’s top university for the fourth consecutive year, placing within the 1,001-1,200 band globally.
State-run University of the Philippines followed in the 1,201-1,500 bracket.
There were no new Philippine schools in the 2026 edition of the ranking.
THE noted improvements in research strength among the six ranked Philippine universities.
Research output was cited in the 2025 edition as “the worst performing metric” of the Philippines when compared with the Asian average.
“Although all the Philippines’ institutions have held their positions since last year, the country is improving in several metrics including doctorates-awarded-to-academic- staff ratio, research influence and research strength,” THE said.
The National University of Singapore led Southeast Asian institutions in the global rankings, placing 17th overall, while Indonesia was the most represented Asean country with 35 ranked institutions.
Malaysia’s top-ranking institutions, University of Malaya and Universiti Teknologi Petronas, placed in the top 250, while Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, its highest ranked university, broke into the top 600 for the first time.
Brunei’s top institution Universiti Brunei Darussalam rose to the top 400, while Vietnam’s highest ranked school, UEH University, placed in the 501-600 bracket.
UST scores high anew in int’l outlook
UST’s top category remained to be international outlook, where the University scored 59.5, good for 635th globally. This “pillar” looks into the international staff, students, and research collaborations of an institution, THE said.
The University placed in the 1,000+ range in four other categories with its lowest ranked pillar being research environment, which scored 10.2, good for 1,864th.
Teaching scored 23 (1,333th), research quality, 32.1 (1,641th), and industry, 21.1 score (1,787th).
Asst. Prof. Nestor Ong, director of the UST Office of the QS/THE rankings, said that while the University kept a “strong national position,” it could still improve on some of the pillars such as research development to attain a higher standing in the future.
“UST maintains a strong national position but faces challenges internationally, especially in creating a robust research environment,” he told the Varsitarian.
“Its international collaborations and visibility are strengths it can build upon to improve future global rankings. To advance, emphasis on research development and improved funding and facilities will be essential,” Ong said.
Global ranking
The University of Oxford in the United Kingdom ranked No. 1, extending its streak as the world’s top university for 10 years. It was followed by the United States-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which also placed second in the 2025 edition of the ranking.
A total of 2,191 institutions from 115 countries were ranked by the THE this year, up from last year’s 2,092 and the highest in six years.
THE World University Rankings assess a university’s performance in five aspects: teaching (29.5%), research environment (29%), research quality (30%), industry (4%), and international outlook (7.5%).
The methodology involved measuring 18 “carefully calibrated performance indicators,” THE said.
