QS world rankings: UP still Philippine’s top university

MANILA, Philippines — Five Philippine universities, led by the University of the Philippines, landed in this year’s world university rankings released by education information provider Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

Remaining the Philippines’ top university, UP now ranks 336th out of over 1,500 universities worldwide, improving from last year’s 404th spot.

Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), the Philippines’ top university under the Asia rankings of Times Higher Education, remained the second-best Philippine university at 516th place, slightly improving from last year’s 563rd spot.

De La Salle University is the third best-performing university in the country, landing in the 641-650 bracket, slightly improving from last year’s 681-690 bracket.

DLSU was followed by the University of Santo Tomas, which slipped to the 851-900 bracket from last year’s 801-850 bracket.

The University of San Carlos, which debuted last year in the 1201-1400 bracket, slipped to the 1400+ bracket this year.

The world rankings were weighed on nine indicators: academic reputation (30 percent), employer reputation (15 percent), faculty-student ratio (10 percent), citations per faculty (20 percent), international faculty ratio (five percent), international student ratio (five percent), international research network (five percent), employment outcomes (five percent) and sustainability (five percent).

With an overall score of 33.3, UP dominated five of the nine indicators, namely, academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, international research network and sustainability.

UST dominated the international faculty ratio and the international students ratio indicators, while DLSU was the top school in terms of citations per faculty and ADMU was highest-rated in terms of employment outcomes.

“This year’s ranking is the largest ever, featuring over 1,500 universities across 105 higher education systems,” QS said.

Ex-4Ps graduate

More than 32,000 former beneficiaries of the government’s flagship program Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) have successfully completed their tertiary education from 2016 up to April 30 this year, an official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) revealed.

“We are delighted that a total of 32,556 former monitored children under our flagship poverty alleviation program are now diploma holders,” DSWD Assistant Secretary for disaster response and management group and spokesperson Irene Dumlao said, noting that 82 of them graduated magna cum laude, 1,135 cum laude and 132 received special distinctions.

“Through 4Ps, we aim to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty by investing in human capital,” Dumlao added, grateful as well that the program has produced exemplary students.

She noted that 49 of these 4Ps beneficiaries were also board topnotchers.

“These figures are a testament that 4Ps and the funds of the government are being utilized properly. They are solid indications that DSWD’s 4Ps is a valuable tool in effectively investing in human capital,” Dumlao said. – Delon Porcalla