Manila: The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Wednesday lauded six Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs) after being ranked in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings. In a statement, CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis said the result demonstrates the growing commitment of Philippine universities in advancing quality and transparency amid the sector's internationalization efforts. 'These rankings affirm that Philippine higher education institutions are steadily gaining ground in the global academic community,' she said.
According to Philippines News Agency, the six ranked universities delivered strong performance in all five core THE pillars: Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, International Outlook, and Industry Engagement. Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) topped the PH rankers, securing spots from the 501-600 bracket. Four prominent HEIs have tied in the 601-800 bracket, including De La Salle University (DLSU), Mapºa University, University of Santo Tomas (UST), and the University of the Philippines (UP). The Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) secured a spot in the 801+ bracket.
The CHED also highlighted the massive increase in participating universities at 128.57 percent. In the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings, 48 PH HEIs have participated, much higher than 21 in 2025. The CHED vowed continuous support to local HEIs amid the growing participation in the country's education internationalization. 'Our focus is not only on rankings, but on building a higher education system that produces globally competitive, future-ready Filipino graduates,' Agrupis said.
Of the participating Philippine HEIs, 42 PH HEIs have attained Reporter status, signifying their advancement in global benchmarking and improved institutional data systems. These include 21 state universities and colleges (SUCs), 12 private HEIs, and seven local universities and colleges (LUCs). Overall, a total of 929 universities were assessed across 36 countries using 18 performance indicators.
