By Dr. Rex Casiple
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) of the United States ranked number one in the recently released 2025 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Ranking. Imperial College London, United Kingdom and University of Oxford, United Kingdom ranked number 2 and 3 respectively. Other universities in the top ten are (4) Harvard University, United States; (5) University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; (6) Stanford University, United States; (7) ETH Zurich, Switzerland; (8) National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore; (9) UCL, United Kingdom; and (10) California Institute of Technology (Caltech), United States.
In Asia QS university ranking, the Peking University, China ranked number one followed by The University of Hong Kong and National University of Singapore (NUS). China has four (4) institutions in the top 10 universities in Asia. China is strong in research related indicators, citations per paper, papers per faculty and international research network. Hong Kong has 3 institutions in the top 10 and five in the top 50. Hong Kong is strongest in citations per paper and international faculty and international student ratios. Singapore has two (2) institutions in the top 10. South Korea has one institution in the top 10 and 8 in top 50. South Korea is strongest in Staff with Ph.D. and faculty student ratio. Japan has nine (9) institutions in the top 50. Japan is strongest in staff with Ph.D. Malaysia has 7 institutions in the top 50. Malaysia is strongest in International Faculty Ratio, International Student Ratio and Inbound Exchange Students. India has two institutions in the top 50. India’s indicator score showed it is strongest in papers per faculty and staff with Ph.D.
The Philippines ranked number 13 among 25 countries in Asia in terms of the number of universities included in the 2025 QS Asia University ranking. The Philippines has 25 universities in the rank list. The University of the Philippines (UP) remained as the top institution of higher learning in the Philippines followed by Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, and the University of Santo Tomas. Other universities in the Philippines included in the list are Adamson University, University of San Carlos, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Mapua University, Silliman University, Far Eastern University, Ateneo de Davao University, Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology, Saint Louis University, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Mindanao State University, Xavier University, Cebu Technological University, Central Luzon State University, Central Mindanao University, Central Philippine University (CPU), Angeles University Foundation, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, University of Southeastern Philippines, University of Southern Mindanao, and West Visayas State University (WVSU).
In Western Visayas Region, CPU and WVSU are included in the ranking based on their academic reputation, learning and teaching environment, research impact and internationalization.
The QS World University Rankings are ranking of the world’s top universities produced by Quacquarelli Symonds published annually since 2004. The QS World University Rankings 2025 features more than 1,500 institutions across 104 locations. It highlights on research and discovery, learning experiences, employability, global engagement, sustainability and other information. Included in the research and discovery are academic reputation and citations per faculty. Learning experience includes the faculty student ratio. Employability highlights the employers’ reputation and employment outcomes. While global engagement includes the international student ratio, international research network and international faculty ratio. Likewise, the QS rankings are based on the student experience, university partnerships, research activity and faculty qualifications. The increase in the QS rank list of the number of HEIs in the Philippines indicates the country’s increase in international exposure and visibility; and strategic partnerships, researches and linkages with other universities in the other parts of the world.
