University impact rankings: Philippines most represented in ASEAN
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines had 121 universities ranked in the latest Times Higher Education Impact Rankings — the highest number among ASEAN countries and third globally behind India and Pakistan.
The rankings, released Wednesday, June 18, measured over 2,500 universities from 130 countries against the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
With 121 schools on the list, the Philippines placed ahead of Thailand (85 universities) and Indonesia (76 universities) in total representation within the Southeast Asian region.
This is also more than double the 56 Philippine universities and colleges included in last year's edition.
The Ateneo de Manila University remains the Philippines' top school in THE's impact rankings, placing in the 101-200 tier overall. This is higher than its 201-300 placement the previous year.
ASEAN Countries/Regions in Impact Rankings 2025
| Country/Region | Top Ranked University | Overall Rank | Universities Ranked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | Ateneo de Manila University | 101–200 | 113 |
| Thailand |
Chiang Mai University
Chulalongkorn University
|
=44 | 83 |
| Indonesia | Universitas Airlangga | =9 | 71 |
| Malaysia | Universiti Sains Malaysia | =14 | 31 |
| Vietnam |
FPT University
National Economics University
Nguyen Tat Thanh University
UEH University
|
301–400 | 16 |
| Brunei Darussalam | Universiti Teknologi Brunei | 801–1000 | 2 |
| Cambodia | University of Puthisastra | 1001–1500 | 1 |
Source of data: Times Higher Education 2025
It is followed by the Batangas State University, Isabela State University, and the University of the Philippines — all of which are in the 401-600 band.
While the Philippines led in representation, Indonesia claimed the region's highest individual ranking, with Universitas Airlangga jumping to joint ninth place globally from joint 81st the previous year — the first time an Indonesian university cracked the global top 10.
The rankings assess how universities contribute to addressing global challenges like poverty, climate change and inequality.
To qualify, institutions must submit data on partnerships for goals and at least three other UN development categories.
The top-ranked schools in the Southeast Asian region for each of the 17 SDGs are from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.
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