Philippines Education: Higher Education
The higher education system in the Philippines is extensive, with 112 state universities and a large number of private universities, many of which are secular in nature. Details of some of the most significant are given below.
| School | Location (Main Campus) |
| University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) | Quezon City |
|---|---|
| Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) | Quezon City |
| University of Santo Tomas (UST) | Manila |
| University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) | Los Baños |
| University of San Carlos (USC) | Cebu City |
| University of the Philippines in the Visayas (UPV) | Iloilo City |
| De La Salle University (DLSU) | Manila |
| University of the East (UE) | Manila |
University of the Philippines Diliman
Diliman
Quezon City
1101 National Capital Region
Philippines
Tel: [63] 2 928 0110
Web: www.upd.edu.ph
The University of the Philippines Diliman (UP or informally Peyups) is one of the constituent members of the University of the Philippines system. Considered to be the flagship university, it manages the administration for the whole group. The University of the Philippines was founded in 1908 as the national university. It operates the largest number of degree programs in the country and has educated half of the nation’s presidents as well as a number of prominent legal and scientific professionals. A student or graduate of the university is referred to as [Mga] Iskolar ng Bayan, meaning Scholar of the Nation or People’s Scholar.
UP was established on a new campus in 1949 and now offers almost 300 different degree and diploma programs across most academic disciplines. These are offered from 26 constituent colleges and schools, which include both mainstream academic disciplines as well as specialties in areas such as human kinetics and mass communication. The university is also well regarded for its research, particularly in scientific studies. The Marine Science Institute, National Institute of Geological Sciences, National Institute of Physics, and National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology all have significant national reputations.
Ateneo de Manila University
Katipunan Road, Loyola Heights
Quezon City
1108 Philippines
Tel: [63] 2 426 6078
Web: www.ateneo.edu
The Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU or simply Ateneo) is a private university operated by the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. It was established as a state school in 1859 and received its university status exactly 100 years later. It has a main campus in Quezon City and also operates several campuses, including a business school in Makati City, the country’s financial center.
The university offers a wide range of degree programs, including several recognized centers of excellence in subjects such as entrepreneurship and information technology. Social involvement is a key part of education at the university, being integrated into the curricula of practically all university programs. Student social work has included providing relief for victims of typhoons and landslides, as well as teaching in local villages.
University of Santo Tomas
España Street, Sampaloc
Manila 1015
Philippines
Tel: [63] 2 731 3101
Web: www.ust.edu.ph
The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas (UST) is a private Roman Catholic university founded in 1611. It is the oldest university in the country and one of the world's largest Catholic universities. The patron of the university is St. Thomas Aquinas, from where its name is derived. The university has a long and sometimes disturbing history. For example, during World War II, the Japanese converted the campus into a concentration camp for civilians, foreigners, and POWs, where many brutal war crimes were committed.
For many years in the university’s early history, teaching involved only theology and philosophy. A Faculty of Medicine and Surgery opened in 1807, and in the following century, engineering and sciences were added. The institution now offers a large range of modern applied courses, including recent additions in accounting, as well as tourism and hospitality management.
University of the Philippines Los Baños
Los Baños
Calabarzon
Philippines
Tel: [63] 49 536 3604
Web: www.uplb.edu.ph
The University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) is a state university forming part of the University of the Philippines system. It was established as a college of agriculture in 1909 by the American colonial government to promote agricultural education and research in the Philippines. The university is well regarded throughout Asia for its pioneering work on plant breeding and bioengineering developing many varieties of pest and disease resistant crops.
Agriculture is the most well-known of the university’s 10 colleges, but it also offers related courses in forestry and environmental sciences, as well as engineering, economics, and the arts. In addition, it has a graduate school offering postgraduate provision.
University of San Carlos
P. del Rosario Street
Cebu City
6000 Central Visayas
Philippines
Tel: [63] 32 253 1000
Web: www.usc.edu.ph
The University of San Carlos (USC) is a Roman Catholic university operating from four urban campuses in Cebu City. Established in 1783, the university has along and prestigious history that began with ecclesiastical training and has since grown to offer a broad range of academic disciplines. The university has achieved national importance in courses regarding commerce and business, architecture, engineering, hospitality management, chemistry, liberal arts, and pharmacy.
University of the Philippines Visayas
Miagao
Iloilo City
5023 Western Visayas
Philippines
Tel: [63] 33 315 9378
Web: www.upv.edu.ph
The University of the Philippines Visayas is another of the units of the University of the Philippines system. Located in the Visayan island group, the institution has significant expertise in ocean sciences. The university operates national centers of excellence in the teaching of fisheries, marine science, and biology. It also operates a college of technology and a college of arts and sciences.
De La Salle University
2401 Taft Avenue
Malate
Manila 1004
Philippines
Tel: [63] 2 524 4611
Web: www.dlsu.edu.ph
De La Salle University (DLSU) is a private Catholic university located in Manila. Founded in 1911, it is the oldest of a group of 17 similar universities in the country known as the Lasallian Institutions. It is named after Saint Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, who is regarded as the patron saint of teachers. The university is composed of eight colleges and is particularly noted for its strengths in business and economics, engineering, the sciences, liberal arts, education, and computer studies.
University of the East
2219 C.M. Recto Avenue
Manila 1008
Philippines
Tel: [63] 2 735 5471
Web: www.ue.edu.ph
The University of the East (UE) is a private, non-sectarian university located in Manila, with two extension campuses in Caloocan City and Quezon City. It was founded in 1946 and had grown to become the largest private university in Asia, with over 67,000 students. However, the huge economic problems resulting from the country’s 1980 recession resulted in drastic cutbacks.
Following cutbacks and financial reform, the university is now a financially stable and respected institution, albeit under a third of its previous size. It operates nine colleges covering most academic disciplines, and has achieved national center of excellence status in medicine and information technology.
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