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Universities in Philippines

University of the Philippines Diliman

Diliman, Philippines
The University of the Philippines Diliman was founded in 1908 and it its an autonomous university. They offer 94 undergraduate and postgraduate courses. There are also several centers for research.

University of the Philippines Manila

Manila, Philippines
University of the Philippines Manila founded their first and oldest school, medicine, which began in 1905.

Universities in Philippines by City:

CatbaloganCebu CityDilimanManila

About universities in Philippines

The higher education system in the Philippines, while somewhat similar to the United States and Europe in terms of the types of programs offered, is a bit different in structure and philosophy.  Save for the University of the Philippines—the country’s “national school” located in the capital city of Manila—and a handful of private schools, most colleges and universities in the country are fairly small and much more specialized than their North American and European counterparts, particularly the locally-run colleges that are not directly funded by the Filipino government.

In the Philippines, post-secondary schools are known as “tertiary schools” or “higher education universities,” and most are licensed, governed and supervised by the Filipino Commission on Higher Education (CHED).  While the majority of these schools are private (over 1500) there are over 600 colleges and universities operated by the state.

Colleges and Universities

Unlike colleges and universities in the United States, where there is very little distinction between the two types of schools, in the Philippines there are major differences between colleges and universities.

Colleges in the Philippines are tertiary institutions that offer just a few—and many times only one—courses of study.  These colleges consist of schools that focus strictly on specific areas, including certain natural and applied sciences, technology, Maritime Studies, nursing and various professional courses of study.

Universities in the Philippines are much more highly esteemed than the country’s colleges, but in order to get a “university” designation, these schools must meet certain criteria.  For example, universities must have at least six undergraduate programs/courses of study, including one in liberal studies, one in basic science and math, and one in social sciences, and at least three other government-recognized undergraduate programs.  Universities must also offer at least two graduate-level fields of study leading to doctorate-level degrees.

Higher Education:  Public Schools vs. Private Schools in the Philippines

The public universities and colleges in the Philippines are all non-sectarian institutions, and are operated by either the state or individual local government units.  The state-run schools are funded generously and entirely by the national government, with the University of the Philippines receiving the largest “piece of the pie,” largely due to its location, enrollment, number of programs offered and research facilities.  Local colleges and universities are funded strictly by the communities in which the schools are located, and are almost universally considered inferior to the state-run schools by the Filipino people.  In fact, many accuse these locally-run schools as being nothing but “degree mills,” thus cheating the students enrolled at these campuses out of the education they deserve.

There are hundreds of private schools located throughout the Philippines, most of which operate as not-for-profit Catholic schools.  Other private schools are based around protestant principles—Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian—and a few are operated by the Seventh Day Adventist churches.  Non-sectarian private schools also exist in the Philippines. Naturally, these are not considered non-profit, but are rather deemed public corporations that are actually traded on the Philippines Stock Exchange.