Ateneo de Manila University continues to lead the Philippines in the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings, marking its third consecutive year on the prestigious list of top-performing universities in the region.

The 2025 edition of the rankings, released Wednesday, placed Ateneo in the 501– 600 bracket — the same as the University of the Philippines (UP). Despite the tie, Ateneo ranked higher based on its scores in five key performance indicators: research quality, industry income, international outlook, research environment, and teaching.

This marks a slight dip from its 401–500 placement in 2024, but Ateneo remains the highest ranked Philippine university in Asia, reinforcing its reputation as a leading institution in the country.

“This performance in the 2025 THE Asia University Rankings adds to Ateneo’s continued recognition as one of the top higher education institutions in the region,” the university said in a statement.

The University of the Philippines also appeared in the 501–600 bracket, though its individual scores were lower than Ateneo’s in most indicators. UP posted stronger numbers in industry income and international outlook, but lagged behind in research quality and teaching.

Four other Philippine institutions landed in the 601+ bracket: De La Salle University, Mapúa University, Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), and the University of Santo Tomas (UST).

THE also listed 15 other local universities as “reporters,” meaning they submitted data for evaluation but did not meet the eligibility requirements for ranking.

The 2025 Asia University Rankings evaluated 853 universities across 35 countries and territories. Institutions were assessed using 18 performance indicators grouped under four main areas: teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook.

The rankings are produced by the same UK-based group behind the annual THE World University Rankings, widely regarded as one of the most authoritative assessments of global academic performance since its launch in 2004.