Philippine universities move up in QS World University Rankings

Most Philippine universities which made the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings rose up the list "driven by a flourishing reputation among international employers and its highly employable graduates."

A fifth Philippine institution—the University of San Carlos—also made the rankings for the first time.

Still at the top among Philippine universities on the QS list is the University of the Philippines at 404 from last year's 412.

Ateneo de Manila University rose to 563 from 651-700 last year; De La Salle University, 681-690 from 801-1,000; and the University of Santo Tomas, 801-850 from 801-1,000.

The University of San Carlos entered the rankings between 1,201 and 1,400.

QS saw an overall improvement among the Philippine universities in the rankings.

In its executive summary on the Philippines, QS cited a flourishing reputation among international emploters, the production of skilled and employable graduates, and small class sizes and a high volume of teaching resources.

"At the indicator level, Philippine institutions perform exceptionally in QS’ indicators related to employment, specifically, employer reputation, which is based on the expert opinion of 98,000 employers worldwide, and employment outcomes, which assesses graduate employment rate and career prospects," QS senior vice president Ben Sowter said.

"However, it experiences challenges in QS’ research metrics, citations per faculty and international research network, hinder its progress" he added.

Sowter said that despite the Philippines "vibrant economy, civil friction and an overwhelming number of higher education institutions stifle its ability to innovate, adapt and advance."

"For now, the nation's research efforts need improvement, emphasising the importance of global collaboration and investing in trained lecturers," Sowter said. —Sherylin Untalan/NB, GMA Integrated News