Philippines Triumphs at AEF 2025, Boosts ASEAN Education Ties

QS World University Rankings 2025

London, 5^th June 2024: QS Quacquarelli Symonds, global higher education specialists, have released the 2025 edition of the world’s most-consulted international university ranking,  the only framework of its kind assessing both employability and sustainability factors.

The 2025 QS World University Rankings show significant improvements in both Academic and Employer Reputation, with all five universities in the Philippines climbing in these metrics. Notably, the Philippines’ average score for Employer Reputation stands at 46.3, the highest among Asian countries and territories, and more than double the global average of 19.8. In terms of Employment Outcomes, the Philippines achieves an average score of 41.5, the second highest in Asia, surpassed only by Singapore’s score of 53.9, and far above the global average of 23.8. It’s important to note that this performance reflects the achievements of a cluster of elite institutions, as only five Filipino universities are included in the rankings, rather than representing a national average. The University of the Philippines, the country’s highest-ranked institution, climbs into the world’s top 400. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) celebrates thirteen consecutive years at the top of the rankings. Imperial College London claims the second spot, repeating its achievement from 2014. The University of Oxford and Harvard University remain in 3^rd and 4^th place respectively, while the University of Cambridge rounds out the top five. This year’s QS World University Rankings feature 1,500 universities across 106 higher education systems. The United States is the most represented country, with 197 ranked institutions, followed by the United Kingdom with 90 and China (Mainland) with 71.

Executive Summary: Philippines

• Strengthened academic and employer reputation

All five ranked institutions in the Philippines climb the rankings in the Academic Reputation and Employer Reputation metrics, with the University of the Philippines placing in the world top 120 for its industry relations and collaboration and providing highly-skilled graduates who feed the demands of the workplace. 

• Globally competitive employer outcomes

The Philippines presents two universities in the world top 200 for Employment Outcomes, with three of the country’s five ranked universities climbing the rankings in this metric. 

• An opportunity to showcase sustainable outputs 

As students look to universities that reflect their sustainable and socially-just values, universities have an opportunity to better record and market their sustainability efforts to prospective students. The majority of universities ranked in the Philippines show improvement in the Sustainability metric, with the University of the Philippines climbing 140 places to sit in the world top 300. However, there is room for the Philippines to shine in this metric. 

• Internationalisation in decline

There is also an opportunity for Filipino institutions to develop their internationalisation strategies when it comes to both academics and students. All institutions in the Philippines dropped in the International Faculty Ratio and International Student Ratio indicators. When considering average scores across these two indicators, the Philippines places in the bottom ten countries in Asia. 

The Philippines is home to five ranked institutions. Among these, three universities climb the table and two decline. The University of the Philippines is the top ranked institution, climbing 68 places this year to rank joint 336th globally. 

Ben Sowter, QS Senior Vice President, said: “The Philippines continues to enhance its academic prowess and employer reputation, two key areas for a strong higher education system. With two entries in the world top 200 for the employability metrics, Filipino universities should look to these institutions, the University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University, as benchmarks for developing industry partnerships and employment pathways, ensuring that students are prepared to enter their field with the desired skills and experiences for a thriving career.

“If the country wishes to enhance its attractiveness to international students and faculty, universities in the Philippines would do well to focus on their international staff and student ratios, alongside an enhanced international research agenda and incentivised international mobility, working to create a diverse and inclusive environment for all.” 

Philippines: In Focus

• The University of the Philippines is the national leader in 5 out of 9 of QS’ metrics and climbs into the world top 300, up 68 places from 2024. The university’s top score is in the Employer Reputation metric, in which it ranks 119^th globally. All five of the Philippines’ universities climb the rankings in this metric, with three institutions in the world top 200, showing excellent growth in industry collaboration. 

• When it comes to Employment Outcomes, three of the Philippines’ five ranked institutions show signs of growth in producing highly skilled and employable graduates. Two universities also place in the world top 200 in this metric, with Ateneo de Manila University leading the country in 156^th place. 
• Institutions in the Philippines also climb the rankings for their academic prowess. All five universities improve in the Academic Reputation metric, highlighting enhanced research quality, academic partnerships, strategic impact, educational innovation and the impact they have made on education and society at large. The University of the Philippines takes the top spot in this metric, climbing 11 places to rank 239^th globally. 

• De La Salle University is the Philippines top performer for research collaboration and outputs, as the country’s only entry in the top 1000 for Citations per Faculty. Climbing eight places to rank 982^nd globally, the university is the only institution in the Philippines that hasn’t declined in this metric in 2025. 
• In International Faculty Ratio and International Student Ratio, all Filipino universities show a decline, highlighting an important area for growth if the country is to compete on the global higher education stage. The University of Santo Tomas is the Philippines top performer in both metrics, placing in the world top 500 for its international faculty (459^th) and 868^th for international students. 
• There is a more promising trend in the International Research Network metric, with three of the Philippines’ five universities improving their score in 2025 and strengthening their cross-border research partnerships. The University of Philippines has the country’s highest rank, climbing 61 places to 624^th. 
• There is good news for students looking for sustainably impactful universities. Only one university in the Philippines has dropped in the Sustainability indicator for 2025, with the University of the Philippines climbing an impressive 140 places to rank 230^th globally. UP Vice President for Academic Affairs, Leo Cubillan, said that UP’s rise in rank for sustainability “reflects UP’s continuous efforts in sustainability and its roles as a leader in higher education, committed to making a positive impact to society and the environment.” 

Asia Overview

Singapore is the only Asian country featured among the world’s top 10 in the latest rankings. Mainland China leads the region with the most ranked universities and has the highest percentage of universities improving their positions (69%) among countries/territories with more than 10 ranked institutions, followed by India at 61%. Conversely, Japan sees the most significant decline, with 63% of its ranked universities losing ground, continuing a decade-long downward trend. Nevertheless, it boasts the region’s highest number of top-200 universities, with ten, followed by Mainland China with nine and South Korea with seven. Indonesia stands out for its stability, with 65% of its ranked universities maintaining their positions and 35% improving.

The chart below provides a detailed comparison of various performance indicators for higher education institutions across multiple Asian countries and territories. Of the countries with less than 10 ranked universities, the Philippines’s average score for Employer Reputation soars, beaten only by Singapore.

 Key observations and insights, with a focus on regional performances: 

The Philippines shine for Employability
The country attains the highest average score in Asia for Employer Reputation, indicating that its elite institutions effectively prepare work-ready graduates who achieve significant success. This is further evidenced by the country’s second-best regional average score in Employment Outcomes. However, the country faces challenges in achieving research impact and internationalizing its student and faculty bodies.

Singapore: Exceptional performance across Indicators 

Singapore leads in several key indicators despite having only four ranked institutions. Notably, it scores highest in International Faculty Ratio (100.0), International Students Ratio (77.1), and Citations Per Faculty (67.6). This underscores Singapore’s strong global appeal and its focus on research excellence. Additionally, its high scores in Employment Outcomes (53.9) and Sustainability (55.2) reflect the effectiveness of its higher education policies and the employability of its graduates. 

Mainland China: Leader in research impact 

Mainland China stands out with the highest Citations Per Faculty score (61.5) among the Asian countries with ten or more ranked universities. This indicates a strong research output and significant academic influence globally. China also achieves a notable International Research Network score (51.7), highlighting its extensive global research collaborations. 

Japan: Strong academic and employer reputation 

Japan excels in Academic Reputation (22.4) and Employer Reputation (26.6), reflecting the high regard for Japanese universities in both academic and professional circles. However, it lags in Citations Per Faculty (12.6), indicating room for improvement in research impact. 

India: Balanced performance with room for growth 

India shows a balanced performance but with lower scores in several areas. Its Citations Per Faculty score (37.8) is relatively high, suggesting an increasingly influential research output. However, India needs to improve in International Faculty Ratio (9.3) and International Students Ratio (2.9) to enhance its global engagement. 

South Korea: High faculty-student ratio 

Of the countries with ten or more ranked universities, South Korea stands out regionally as the top performer for Faculty-Student Ratio (56.1). This indicates a favorable learning environment with more faculty members per student, which is also an indication of a declining population. This is complemented by a strong Employer Reputation score (23.4), suggesting excellent job prospects for graduates. 

Malaysia: High internationalisation  

Malaysia scores high in International Faculty Ratio (34.6) and International Students Ratio (46.3), indicating its attractiveness to international academics and students. However, its Employment Outcomes score (9.7) suggests a need for better alignment between higher education and the job market. 

Indonesia: Improved performance

Indonesia’s most notable score is in Faculty Staff Ratio (26.1), but it has significant room for improvement in Citations Per Faculty (1.5) and International Students Ratio (2.8). These areas highlight opportunities for enhancing research output and global engagement. Nevertheless, it is one of the most improved countries in this edition.

Hong Kong SAR: Leading in international collaboration 

Hong Kong SAR achieves high scores in several indicators, particularly International Faculty Ratio (99.8), International Students Ratio (96.1), and Citations Per Faculty (78.0). This reflects its strong international orientation and research impact, making it a prominent educational hub.

Global Highlights

• The UK has more elite universities than any other country, with three of the top five positions and excels in International Student Ratio, achieving the world’s second-highest average score, behind only Saudi Arabia.
• The US maintains its global reputation according to employers and academics.
• Canadian higher education excels in Sustainability, with two universities in the world’s top five, including the University of Toronto.
• Australia leads the International Research Network in the Asia-Pacific region, claiming nine of the top 10 positions and boasts three institutions among the top 20.
• Among China‘s five top-100 universities, four ascended in the rankings. Peking University holds the highest position at 14th, rising three spots.
• India has shown remarkable progress, with 91% of its 46 ranked universities either climbing, remaining stable, or being new entries. 
• Indonesia and Türkiye are among the most improved countries.
• Latin America boasts four top-100 universities: Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México,
  and Universidade de São Paulo.
• KFUPM (101^st) in Saudi Arabia is the highest-ranked Arab institution, narrowly missing the top 100. Meanwhile, the University of Cape Town (171^st)
  is Africa’s leader.

Methodology

The QS World University Rankings 2025 are based on the nine indicators listed below:

• Academic Reputation 30%
• Employer Reputation 15%
• Faculty Student Ratio 10%
• Citations per Faculty 20%
• International Faculty Ratio 5%
• International Student Ratio 5%
• International Research Network 5%
• Employment Outcomes 5% 
• Sustainability 5%

Detailed methodological information can be found at QS World University Rankings 2025 methodology (topuniversities.com)        

The full rankings can be found at https://www.topuniversities.com/qs-world-university-rankings/2025                      

For further information or to request interviews with QS’ analysts, please contact: 

Simona Bizzozero              
Director of Communications              
QS Quacquarelli Symonds              
simona@qs.com  
+44 (0) 7880620856              

William Barbieri           
Communications Manager              
QS Quacquarelli Symonds              
william.barbieri@qs.com  

Notes for Editors      

QS Quacquarelli Symonds         

QS Quacquarelli Symonds is the world’s leading provider of services, analytics, and insight to the global higher education sector. Its mission is to empower motivated people anywhere in the world to fulfil their potential through educational achievement, international mobility, and career development. 

The QS World University Rankings portfolio, inaugurated in 2004, is the world’s most popular source of comparative data about university performance. Their flagship website, www.TopUniversities.com – the home of their rankings – was viewed more than 170 million times in 2023, and over 124,000 media clippings pertaining to, or mentioning, QS were published by media outlets worldwide in 2023.