Universities in Philippines

The Philippines has one of the largest higher-education sectors in Asia, and English is the main language of university teaching. According to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), which regulates and governs higher education, the country has 2,355 higher education institutions in the 2025-26 academic year. They include state universities and colleges, local public institutions and a large private sector, much of it church-run.

For international students this means degree programmes taught in English at fees that are often moderate by international standards. At the top of the public system is the University of the Philippines (UP), founded on 18 June 1908 and declared the national university by its 2008 charter; it is now a system of seven constituent universities and one autonomous college on 15 campuses.

How it works

CHED grants institutional and programme authorisations and publishes a list of recognised higher education institutions, which is the place to check that a college or university is recognised. Universities award bachelor's degrees, master's degrees and doctorates and follow a semester system, with credits counted in units. Undergraduate programmes include general education: at UP Diliman, students take 15 units in each of three domains of knowledge.

The universities in our directory show the range. UP Diliman in Quezon City, UP's main campus, covers 493 hectares and offers 268 academic programmes, 77 of them undergraduate. UP Manila, in the Ermita district, specialises in the health sciences, with colleges of medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health; its College of Medicine grew out of the Philippine Medical School, established in 1905. Samar State University in Catbalogan, on the island of Samar, began as the Samar Trade School in 1912 and became the Samar School of Arts and Trades in 1959 before reaching university status.

Admission

Each university sets its own admission rules. At UP Diliman, international applicants who completed secondary school abroad can seek automatic admission with SAT results, GCE examinations or the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Applicants whose previous studies were not in English need at least 500 in the paper-based TOEFL (173 computer-based) or 5.5 in IELTS. Those who do not meet the automatic admission requirements can sit the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT); non-resident foreign applicants pay a non-refundable US$50 application fee. Applications for the first semester are due by 15 April, at least four months before registration, and there is no second-semester admission. Documents in other languages need certified English translations.

Foreign degree students need a student visa, the 9(f) visa, issued by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration; for shorter courses that do not lead to a degree, the Bureau issues a Special Study Permit. The Bureau also runs a school accreditation, so ask your university whether it is accredited to admit foreign students. Universities guide admitted students through the visa: UP Diliman publishes requirements both for issuing a student visa and for converting another visa to a student visa (checked October 2026).

Costs and funding

Fees are set by each institution and usually quoted in Philippine pesos (PHP) per unit. At UP Diliman, according to figures dated 8 September 2022, foreign undergraduates paid PHP1,500 per unit plus PHP2,000 in miscellaneous fees and a one-off Educational Development Fund of US$300 for non-immigrants, and graduate tuition ranged from PHP300 to PHP15,000 per unit. Ask for current rates before you apply. Government aid is coordinated by UniFAST, set up under Republic Act No. 10687 to consolidate state-funded scholarships, grants and student loans, and is aimed mainly at Filipino students.

How to choose

• Recognition: check the institution on CHED's list of recognised higher education institutions
• Visa: confirm that the university can sponsor a 9(f) student visa
• Field: UP Manila for the health sciences, UP Diliman for a broad range of programmes
• Location: Metro Manila for large universities, regional cities such as Catbalogan for smaller state universities
• Timing: plan around the first-semester deadline, as some universities have no second-semester intake for foreign students

Frequently asked questions

Are university programmes in the Philippines taught in English?

Yes, English is the main language of university teaching. UP Diliman asks for a TOEFL or IELTS score only from applicants whose previous studies were not in English.

How many universities and colleges are there in the Philippines?

According to CHED, the country has 2,355 higher education institutions in the 2025-26 academic year, public and private.

Which visa do I need for a degree in the Philippines?

A 9(f) student visa from the Bureau of Immigration. Short non-degree courses require a Special Study Permit instead.

How much does it cost to study at the University of the Philippines?

According to UP Diliman's 2022 figures, foreign undergraduates paid PHP1,500 per unit plus miscellaneous fees and a one-off US$300 fund. Check current rates with the university.