Ateneo de Manila University has retained its position as the Philippines' highest-ranked university for the fifth consecutive year, placing in the 1001–1200 bracket in the newly released 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, according to a press release issued by the Ateneo Research Communications Section on September 30, 2026.
The rankings assessed 2,297 institutions across 118 countries and territories.
Research Quality Drives Ateneo's Global Standing
The primary factor behind Ateneo's overall position is its research quality score of 66.9, up sharply from 52.4 in 2024, according to the release. That score placed the university 705th worldwide for the metric — ahead of many of its local rivals and a significant number of international institutions.
Ateneo first appeared in the THE World University Rankings in the 2022 edition as an unranked institution. It jumped to first place among Philippine universities in the 2023 edition and has held that position in every subsequent release. Its global ranking band remained unchanged from last year's result.
Where Other Philippine Universities Ranked
The University of the Philippines followed Ateneo in the 1201–1400 bracket, while the University of Santo Tomas placed in the 1601–1800 band. De La Salle University and Mapua University both appeared in the 1801–2000 bracket. Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology was placed in the 2001+ category.
Oxford Leads Globally as Asian Universities Rise
At the top of the global list, the University of Oxford held the number-one position for a record 11th consecutive year. The 2027 edition also highlighted the growing presence of Asian institutions in the upper tier of the rankings.
Three Asian universities appeared in the top 15: China's Tsinghua University climbed to 11th place, overtaking Switzerland's ETH Zurich; Peking University placed 13th; and the National University of Singapore ranked 15th.
How THE Measures University Performance
According to the Ateneo Research Communications press release, THE evaluates universities across five pillars: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry, and international outlook. The rankings are used by students evaluating institutions, researchers seeking international collaboration partners, and universities identifying areas for improvement.
Photo credit: Ateneo de Manila University (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)