THE UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas retained its standing as the Philippines’ fourth-best university despite landing within a lower global ranking band in the 2027 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings.
UST placed within the 951-1000 bracket, slipping from its 851-900 band in the previous edition.
The University of the Philippines stayed the country’s highest-ranked institution despite falling to 402nd globally from 362nd previously. It was followed by Ateneo de Manila University, which also dropped to 581st from 511th and De La Salle University, which fell to the 751-760 bracket from 654th.
Behind UST was Adamson University, which was ranked within the 1201-1400 band after slipping from the 1001-1200 bracket in the previous edition.
QS said more than 670 institutions worldwide registered lower rankings this year due to intensifying global competition.
According to QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter, the latest rankings indicate that Philippine universities are being outplaced by their global competitors, despite the country’s recognition of higher education in the “AmBisyon Natin 2040” development agenda.
“However, this year’s results suggests that global peers are advancing at a faster pace, be that in research intensity, sustaining international partnerships or ensuring the best graduate outcomes,” he said.
Sowter said the global higher education system is changing rapidly, with shifts appealing more to international students, research funding and changes in the workplace affecting universities worldwide.
He added that Philippine universities need proper support to keep pace with these developments.
“It is vital that institutions in the Philippines are supported with the right frameworks and government assistance to ensure that they keep up with the global advances seen elsewhere in the global higher education ecosystem,” Sowter said.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology remained the world’s top university for the 15th straight year, followed by Imperial College London and Stanford University in joint second place. The University of Oxford and Harvard University completed the top five.
The United States, with 184 universities ranked, remained the most represented country in the world.
The QS World University Rankings 2027 assessed more than 1,500 institutions across 106 locations.
Institutions are evaluated through five weighted lenses: research and discovery (50%), employability and outcomes (20%), global engagement (15%), learning experience (10%) and sustainability (5%).
Launched in 2004, the QS World University Rankings is an annual assessment of universities worldwide. F
