15 Famous Filipino Universities

With colleges starting in the United States and high school seniors beginning their college process, PinoyJeep decided to compile a list of a few famous universities that are known to many in the Philippines. Maybe you've heard of University of the Philippines or Ateneo, but have you ever heard of Mapúa or Siliman? Maybe you've heard a few from your Filipino friends and family. Maybe not. There are plenty of universities scattered throughout the 7,101 islands, and this list is only a handful of universities we know. Hopefully, though, this will trigger your interest in learning about other Filipino schools, and maybe you'll decided to study there! So, in no particular order, here are a few  famous universities in the Philippines!

1. University of the East (UE)

Location: Caloocan
Founded: 1946
Colors: Red, White
Mascot: REdd Warrior Lualhati
Motto: In the Service of the Youth, Country and God
Tuition: P65,000-80,000 ($1,500-1,830)
Undergraduates: 57,472 (2006)

UE is a private university founded in 1946 and was once the “largest university  in Asia”, once having an enrollment of over 60,000. The campus consists of 12 buildings located near Sampaloc, Manila. UE was granted “Autonomous Status” by the CHED which was only given to a select number of institutions with excellent quality education. UE has two main campuses in Caloocan and its medical school, the UE Ramon Magsaysay memorial MEdical Center, in Quezon City.

Notable Alumni: Manuel “Kabayan” L. De Castro, Virgilio S. Almario

2. Ateneo de Manila University

Location: Quezon City
Founded: December 10, 1859
Colors: White, Blue
Mascot: Blue Eagles
Motto: Lux in Domino, “Light in the Lord”

Tuition: P130,000 ($2,960)
Undergraduates: 8,349
Asia Ranking: 115

This private, coed, Roman Catholic university in Quezon City is the oldest jesuit educational institution and third-oldest university in the Philippines. The Ateneo offers programs to elementary, secondary, undergraduate and graduate levels. The university offers a broad range of disciplines in the humanities, liberal arts, social sciences, medicine, public administration, education, business management, law and engineering. The school is well-known for their alumnus, Philippine Hero, Jose Rizal, and various college titles in volleyball and basketball.

Notable Alumni: Jose Rizal, Benigno Aquino III, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Joseph Estrada, Fidel Ramos, Corazon Aquino, Juan Luna, Maria Lourdes Sereno

3. St. Scholastica’s College Manila (SSC)

Location: Malate, Manila
Founded: 1906
Colors: Blue, White
Motto: Ora et Labora “Prayer and Work”
Tuition: P90,000 ($2,050)
Total Students: 9,856

SSC is a Catholic women’s university established in 1906 and managed by the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing. The campus is located in Malate in Manila. The college was initially established to offer elementary grades but began admitting high school student in 1907. SSC opened its collegiate department in 1920 and pioneered the formal music education the Philippines, opening a Conservatory of Music in 1907. Although the school is primarily for women, male students may enroll in Music, Fine Arts and Interior Design programs. The university has earned Level III accreditation on all of its respected departments.

Notable Alumni: Barbie Almalbis-Honasan, Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino, Gloria Maria Aspillera Diaz, Maria Ressa (CEO of Rappler)

4. University of Santo Tomas (UST)

Location: Manila
Founded: April 28, 1611
Colors: White, Gold
Mascot: University of Santo Tomas Tiger
Motto: Veritas in Caritate, “Truth in Charity”
Tuition: $80,000 ($1,823)
Undergraduates: 31,179


This private, Roman Catholic research university run by the Order of Preachers in Manila was founded by Miguel de Benavides, the Archbishop of Manila. UST is the oldest university in the country and one of the world’s largest Catholic universities based on its population. UST is also the only Pontifical University in Asia as is the only university to have been visited by two popes three times.

Notable Alumni: Manuel L. Quezon, Sergio Osmeña, José P. Laurel, Diosdado Macapagal

5. De La Salle University (DLSU)

Location: Malate, Manila
Founded: 1911
Colors: White, Green
Mascot: De La Salle - Manila Gordo, Sally and Flaco
Motto: Religio, Mores, Cultura “Religion, Morals, Culture”
Tuition: P180,000 ($4,100)
Undergraduates: 16,193
Asian University Rankings: 151-160th
World University Rankings: 601-640th

This Roman Catholic, Lasallian research university was founded by De La Salle Brothers in Paco, Manila. The college moved to its present location to increase enrollment in 1921. The university started as a boys’ elementary and high school. DLSU is identified by the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as a “Center of Excellence” in six of its programs.

Notable Alumni: Korina Sanchez, Vic Soto, Tito Sotto, Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Joey de Leon, Barbie Almalbis

6. University of the Philippines Diliman (UP Diliman)

Location: Quezon City
Founded: 18 June 1908 (UP system) 12 February 1949 (Campus)
Colors: Maroon
Mascot: UP Oblation
Motto: Honor and Excellence
Tuition: P25,000-30,000 ($570-680) depends on annual income
Undergraduates: 15,299
Asian University Rankings: 63


This co-educational and public research university is the main campus and the fourth oldest constituent university of the University of the Philippines System. The university was created from 493-hectare area of the Diliman district to address the increasing population and to expand its academic programs. Between the 1970s and 80s, UP Diliman was the site of much student activism against Marcos’ administration, a precursor to his declaration of martial law in 1972. The library resources of UP Diliman are the largest in the country, numbering 1,170,723 volumes. The Commission on Higher Education has declared nine UP Diliman units as Center of Excellence as of 2009, the highest recognized by this agency. It is also homed to the country’s National Science Complex, where many of the country’s leading scientists conduct research.

Notable Alumni: Christian Bautista, Ryan Cayabyab, Eraserheads members Ely Buendia, Raimund Marasigan, Marcus Adoro and Buddy Zabala, Anna Theresa Licaros, Chito Miranda (Parokya ni Edgar), Jessica Soho, Felipe L. Gozon, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

7. Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP)

Location: Anonas, Manila
Founded: October 19, 1904
Colors: Maroon, Gold
Mascot: Mighty Maroon
Motto: Tanglaw ng Bayan “Light of the Nation”
Tuition: P3,000-4,000 ($68-90)
Undergraduates: 55,282 (2012)

This coeducational, research university in Manila is governed by the Republic Act Number 8292 known as the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997. The university operates on three campuses located throughout Manila. PUP is the largest university with more than 60,000 students and is the avenue for the development of the citizenry and enhancement of nation building through growth and transformation. PUP puts an emphasis on the alleviation of the plight of the poor. Coined “The Cheapest University in Asia,” PUP is notable for charging the lowest tuition among all universities in the Philippines at 12 pesos (US$0.29) per academic unit, a unit that has remained unchanged since 1979.

Notable Alumni: Satur Ocampo, Ted Failon


8. University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB or Elbi) 

Location: Los Baños, Laguna
Founded: March 6,1909
Colors: Forest Green, Maroon
Mascot: Oblation
Motto: Honor and Excellence
Tuition: P25,000-30,000 ($570-680) depends on annual income
Undergraduates: 10,756

UPLB is a public university located in the rural town of Los Baños, Laguna and serves as the College of Agriculture University of the Philippines, founded by the American colonial government to promote agricultural education and research in the Philippines. The university has played a pivotal role in Asian agriculture and biotechnology due to its pioneering efforts in plant breeding and high-yielding, pest-resistant crops. UPLB was aware the Ramon Magsaysay Award for international Understanding in 1977. The university also hosts many research centers, including the international Rice Research Institute (IRRI), ASEAN Center for Biodiversity, World Agroforestry Centre, and Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). UPLB alumni have been recognized in many fields, including 13 scientists who were awarded the title National Scientists of the Philippines and the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

Notable Alumni: Ariella Arida, Nicolas Perlas



9. Adamson University (AdU)

Location: Manila
Founded: June 20, 1932
Colors: Blue, White
Motto: Thee Thy Will;
Education with a Heart;
Veritas in Caritate “Truth in Charity”
Tuition: P45,000 ($1,025)
Undergraduates: 17,160 (2013)

A private and Catholic university founded by Greek immigrant George Lucas Adamson as the Adamson School of Industrial Chemistry. Adamson has programs in Graduate School, Law, the Liberal Arts, Sciences, Engineering, Nursing, Pharmacy as well as secondary, elementary and preparatory education.

Notable Alumni: Ruthlane Uy Asmundson (former city mayor of Davis, CA), MIchael Christian Martinez (figure skater),

10. Mapua Institute of Technology (Mapúa)

Location: Intramuros Campus, Makati City
Founded: 1925
Colors: Red, Gold
Mascot: Cardinals
Motto: Learn, Discover, Create
Tuition: P100,000-150,000 ($2,280-3,420)

Undergraduates: approx. 16,000


Mapua was founded by the first registered Filipino architect, Don Tomás Mapúa in 1925, a graduate of Cornell University. The campus is situated in the Intramuros, the old, Spanish section of the Manila. Mapua has a reputable source of architects, engineers and science graduates. The institute has been granted with Level IV Accredited Status in its Civil Engineering program by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation. Mapua is also the first Philippine and Southeast Asian institution to have ABET certification.

Notable Alumni: Lee Seng Lip, Pablo Antonio, Leon Chua


11. Siliman University (SU) 

Location: Dumaguete, Negros Oriental
Founded: 28 August 1901
Colors: Red, White
Mascot: Stallions and Mares
Motto: Via, Veritas, Vita, “The Way, the Truth, and the Life”
Tuition: P25,000-35,000 ($570-800)
Total Students: 9,856


Silliman is a private research university in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental and is the first American university in the Philippines and the entire Asian continent. The university was named after Horace Brinsmade Silliman, a retired businessman and philanthropist from Cohoes, New York. At first, the school started as a boys elementary school, which expanded to become a college in 1910, acquiring university status in 1938. Silliman was run by Americans until after WWII, when Filipinos began to assume more important positions. Silliman is one of only five universities in the Philippines with “Institutional Accreditation” by the FAAP, which is the highest certification that can be granted to an educational institution after an overall examination of the programs, facilities, faculty and services. The university is registered as a National Landmark by the National Historical Institute. In 2014, the university was ranked 47th as the most beautiful Christian university campuses around the world.

Notable Alumni: Carlos P. Garcia, Cornelio Villareal

12. University of San Carlos (USC)

Location: Cebu City
Founded: 1595
Colors: Green, Gold
Mascot: Stallions and Mares
Motto: Scientia, Virtus, Devotio
Tuition:
Total Students: 26,000+


USC is the premier university in Cebu and one of the top 10 leading universities in the country rankings. This private Catholic university was founded by Spanish Jesuits fathers Antonio Sedeno, Pedro Chirino and Antonio Pereira in 1595, making this the oldest university in Asia. (The school is older thank Harvard!) The university is the only school in the Visayas to be recognized by CHED as a Center of Excellence in Chemistry. USC has been noted as among the leading universities in the country with long tradition of research and publication. The campus consists of five campuses in different areas of Metro Cebu - Downtown, Talamban, North (formerly the Boys high school), South (formerly the Girls high school), and Montessori Academy.

Notable Alumni: Antonio Abad (Poet, Fictionist), Eula Caballero (Actress), Maria Cabase (Actress)

13. Xavier Univeristy - Ateneo de Cagayan

Location: Cagayan de Oro City
Founded: 1933
Colors: White, Blue
Mascot: Crusader Knight
Motto: Veritas Liberabit Vos"The Truth Shall Set You Free"
Tuition: P24,500-39,000 ($560-900)
Total Students: 10,467 (2012-13)

Xavier University is a private, Catholic university run by the Society of Jesus. The school was founded on June 7, 1933 by American Jesuit missionary Fr. James T.G. Hayes, S.J., who became the first Bishop and Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro. In 1958, Ateneo de Cagayan became a university and was renamed to Xavier University to honor St. Francis Xavier. This 8-hectare main campus lies in the heart of Cagayan de Oro City with an extension of the university in manresa Complex, a 50-acre campus used for experimental and demonstration farms in the College of Agriculture.

Notable Alumni: Teofisto T. Guingona Jr. (Former Vice-President of the Philippines),

14. Central Luzon State University (CLSU)

Location: Muñoz, Nueva Ecija
Founded: 1907
Colors: Yellow, Green
Mascot: Tiger
Motto: Pambasang Pilipinas "Where Difference is Created"
Tuition: P14,000-16,000 ($320-370)
Total Students: 10,000


This state university in Central Luzon is a premiere institution for agriculture in the Philippines and Southeast Asia and is the first state university to undergo institutional accreditation. The university was first named the Central Luzon Agricultural School (CLAS) to promote agriculture and mechanics arts. The university was then elevated to a university status in 1965 to provide professional training in agricultural methods and techniques and to offer courses in the field of arts, literature, science and technology. Lately, the university has been designated as one of the most respected institutions of higher learning in the Philippines. The campus of 658-hectares is located north of Manila and also offers 1000-hectares for ranch and forestry development.

15. Saint Louis University (SLU)

Location: Baguio City
Founded: 19111
Colors: White, Blue
Mascot: Stallions and Mares
Motto: Sapienta Aedificat "Wisdom Builds"
Tuition: P40,000-60,000 ($920-1,400)
Total Students: 30,274




Saint Louis University was established in 1911 by the Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae missionaries to Christianize the northern Philippines. In 1915, the St. Louis School expanded and became a vocational and trade school. Then, in 1952, with the effort of Msgr. William Brasseur and Rev. Fr. Rafael Desmedt, St. Louis College was founded, consisting of three departments: Education, Liberal Arts and Commerce and Secretarial. The campus is situated in the heart of Baguio City and has more than 30 buildings, offering an array of programs to elementary, secondary, undergraduate and graduate levels.


Sources taken from Wikipedia and various school websites.