Ateneo still top PH university in Times university ranking

The Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) remains the Philippines' top university based on the latest Times Higher Education (THE) world university rankings for 2025.

The Jesuit-run institution maintained its rank in the 1,001-1,200 bracket. 

While ADMU recognizes its high status among other universities, the school said the rankings are just used to improve the quality of education. 

"The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is global recognition that Ateneo de Manila is a top performing university in the Philippines," said university president Fr. Roberto Yap SJ.

"However, rankings like these do not fully define what Ateneo stands for; they are merely tools for benchmarking and continual improvement as an institution," he added.

Meanwhile, six other local universities making the cut. 

ADMU was followed by the state-run University of the Philippines, which also remained in the 1,201-1,500 bracket.

Tied at third were other Metro Manila-based schools De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, Mapua University, and newcomer Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology in Lanao del Norte, which all ranked in the 1,501+ bracket. 

Meanwhile, 15 other Philippine schools were given a “reporter” status, which means that they provided data but did not meet THE’s eligibility criteria to receive rank. 

These schools are: the Cebu Technological University, the Central Luzon State University, De La Salle College of Saint Benilde, Lyceum-Northwestern University, Manila Central University, National University, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Philippine State College of Aeronautics, Quezon City University, Saint Louis University, Tarlac Agricultural University, University of Eastern Philippines, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, University of Immaculate Conception and the Visayas State University. 

Methodology 

THE used 18 performance indicators to assess the institutions across five areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry. 

Further, the methodology is based on 157 million citations, 18 million research publications, and survey responses from more than 93,000 scholars worldwide. 

THE explained that only universities with undergraduate programs or those with more than 1,000 relevant publications can be included in the rankings. 

“Universities can be excluded from the World University Rankings if they do not teach undergraduates, or if their research output amounted to fewer than 1,000 relevant publications between 2019 and 2023 (with a minimum of 100 a year, down from 150 in previous years),” it noted. 

“Universities can also be excluded if 80 percent or more of their research output is exclusively in one of our 11 subject areas.” 

The University of Oxford in England remains the top university in the world in the annual rankings. 

Other schools in the top five are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Princeton University, and University of Cambridge. 

Meanwhile, Tsinghua University and Peking University in China are the highest-ranking universities among the Asian schools in the list.

--Vince Angelo Ferreras/ VAL, GMA Integrated News