Jea Nicole Jacot

Joining the country’s “Big Four” universities, Adamson University and Mapúa University have officially marked their first-ever entry into the Quacquarelli-Symonds World University Rankings (QS WUR) 2026, which was released on June 19.


The two Philippine Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) stood out alongside the 112 institutions worldwide that made their debut in the global rankings. 

Adamson landed in the 1,001st to 1,200th bracket, ranking 71st in Southeast Asia and fifth in the Philippines. 

Mapúa, on the other hand, was placed in the 1,401st and above category, while ranking 94th in Southeast Asia and sixth in the country.
 
“To be included in the QS World Rankings leads us to be more resolved to make Adamson contribute more to global education,” Adamson University President Fr. Daniel Franklin Pilario, CM, expressed in a press release. 

In a Facebook post, Mapúa University also celebrated the remarkable feat. 

“Building the way forward, this recognition cements our standing as a future-forward university—one built on innovation, purpose, and real-world impact,” the post stated.

Overall, six of the country's HEIs made the list, with the University of the Philippines (UP) leading at 362nd, showing a slight decrease from its 336th place in the 2025 rankings.

Meanwhile, the Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) follows as the sole university to rise in the latest ranking, climbing slightly to the 511th spot from its 516th rank in the previous year.

De La Salle University (DLSU) secured the 654th spot, also a marginal dip from its previous 641st to 650th rank. 

The University of Santo Tomas (UST) is the only Philippine university to retain its former position, being in the 851st to 900th bracket.

Holding the global title for the last 14 years, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) maintained its first spot among the world's high-ranking universities. 

Over 1,500 universities were assessed in the recent edition of the QS WUR, representing more than 100 locations worldwide.

It evaluated universities based on nine criteria: academic reputation, citations per faculty, employer reputation, employment outcomes, international faculty, international research network, international students, faculty-student ratio, and sustainability.