Manila falls out of QS top 100 student cities

Manila dropped out of the top 100 in the latest QS Best Student Cities Rankings, slipping to 102nd place in the 2027 edition released by global higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

The Philippine capital ranked 88th in the 2026 edition, marking a 14-place decline in this year's rankings.

Manila posted an overall score of 60.1, with its strongest performance in affordability, where it scored 83, followed by employer activity with 64.4. However, it received a relatively low score of 27.9 in the university rankings indicator.

The annual QS Best Student Cities Rankings assess 150 cities worldwide based on factors considered important to students, including the quality of universities, student mix, desirability, employer activity, and affordability.

Seoul retained the top spot in the 2027 rankings, followed by Tokyo and London, highlighting the continued appeal of East Asian cities as global study destinations.