THE UNIVERSITY of the Philippines Manila and the University of the Philippines Diliman have once again made their mark on the global academic stage after being listed among the world’s top universities for 2025 by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR).

In the 2025 edition of CWUR’s Global 2000 list—published on June 2—only two Philippine universities earned spots: UP Manila and UP Diliman.

Out of 21,462 universities evaluated worldwide, UP Manila ranked 1,677th overall, placing it within the top 7.9% globally. Meanwhile, UP Diliman secured the 1,784th spot, putting it in the top 8.4%.

UP Manila received an overall score of 67.4, slightly higher than UP Diliman’s 67. The university also fared well in specific areas, earning an employment rank of 1,047 and a research rank of 1,607. Its growing contributions to scientific and medical research are notable, alongside expanding work in Artificial Intelligence, data science, digital ecosystems, and human-centered technologies.

UP Diliman’s employment rank was not indicated in the CWUR report, though it achieved a research rank of 1,711.

Regionally, UP Manila ranked 646th in Asia, while UP Diliman followed closely at 696th.

CWUR has been publishing its global university rankings since 2012, aiming to guide policymakers and academic institutions in improving the quality of education and research. The rankings are based on four key criteria: education (25%), employability (25%), faculty quality (10%), and research (40%).

Earlier this year, UP Manila also earned a place in the 2025 edition of the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities list, ranking 479th overall. It was the only Philippine university to make the prestigious list.

That particular ranking evaluated institutions based on 13 performance indicators, which included global and regional research reputation, the volume of publications and citations, international collaborations, books, and conference outputs.