2024 Impact Rankings: Ateneo leads Philippine universities

MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo de Manila and more than 50 other Philippine universities landed on the Times Higher Education (THE)’s 2024 University Impact Rankings, which tracks universities that stand out in adhering to sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Leading all recent THE rankings, Ateneo de Manila University was the top Philippine school in terms of pursuing sustainable development goals, making it to the 201-300 bracket worldwide.

It was followed by De La Salle University, Ifugao State University and the University of the Philippines system which all landed within the 401-600 bracket.

In the third tier (601-800 globally) among Philippine universities are Batangas State University, Mariano Marcos State University, Saint Louis University and the University of Santo Tomas.

Meanwhile, those within the 801-1000 bracket were Benguet State University, Central Luzon State University, Isabela State University, Leyte Normal University, Mapua University, Mountain Province State Polytechnic College, Samar State University and Tarlac Agricultural University.

Forty other universities and colleges landed within the 1001-1500 and the 1501+ brackets.

Impact rankings were tracked using the following individual SDGs: no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth.

The rest are industry innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace, justice and strong institutions and partnerships for the goals.

THE integrates scores across multiple SDGs to reflect overall performance and impact, with SDG 17 or partnerships for the goals being weighted as 22 percent of the total and the top three scores from other SDGs reflecting 26 percent.

“This means that different universities are scored based on a different set of SDGs, depending on their focus. The score for the overall ranking is an average of the last two years’ total scores,” THE explained.

THE said the overall ranking “celebrates universities that are not only leaders in specific SDGs but also those that maintain a high level of excellence across a broad spectrum of goals. By doing so, it emphasizes the interconnectedness of all SDGs and the importance of multifaceted strategies in achieving sustainable development.”

“Not only do these institutions stand out in individual areas, but they also demonstrate comprehensive excellence in contributing to global sustainable development. By excelling in a variety of SDGs, these universities showcase their commitment to addressing the world’s most pressing challenges, including environmental sustainability, social inclusion, economic growth and partnerships,” THE added.