MANILA, Philippines – Five Philippine universities, led by the University of the Philippines, placed in the 2024 QS World University Rankings, according to the survey released on Wednesday, June 28.

UP was ranked highest among schools from the Philippines at 404th place, moving up eight spots from the 2023 survey.

Ateneo de Manila University came in at second place at 563, improving its standing from the previous year when it placed within the 651-700 range.

De La Salle University followed, placing in the 681-690 bracket, and the University of Santo Tomas at the 801-850 bracket.

The University of San Carlos in Cebu made its debut in the rankings, placing in the 1201-1400 band.

According to the international survey, three-fourths of the previously ranked universities in the Philippines moved up the table, “driven by a flourishing reputation among international employers and highly employable graduates.”

A QS press release said that universities in the Philippines performed “exceptionally” in QS indicators related to employment, particularly Employer Reputation.

The survey was based on the “expert opinion of 98,000 employers worldwide, and Employment Outcomes, which assesses the graduate employment rate and career prospects. However, it faces challenges in QS’ research metrics, Citations per Faculty, and International Research Network.”

On where Philippine institutions can improve, QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter said that the Philippines’ civil friction and the overwhelming number of higher education institutions “stifle its ability to innovate.”

“Despite its 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, emphasizing the importance of global collaboration and investing in trained lecturers,” Sowter said.

According to the separate survey released on June 23, the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Ranking, Ateneo emerged as the top-ranked university in the Philippines.

Out of 1,500 universities surveyed in 104 locations, QS’ top-ranking schools this year include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States, which ranked first, followed by the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. The National University of Singapore (NUS) was the only university in Asia to place in the top 10.

See the full rankings here. – Rappler.com