The Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) in Iligan City is the only university outside the country’s capital to retain its spot in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.

In a Facebook post, MSU-IIT expressed pride in being the only university in Mindanao included in the global rankings and the third among the universities in the Philippines.

MSU-IIT said it continues to prove that world-class education thrives beyond the capital, representing the entire Mindanao on the international stage.

“From our 1501+ global bracket to being the lone public university outside Luzon in these rankings, we’re not just making Iligan proud - we’re #InfluencingTheFuture for the entire south,” MSU-IIT said.

The 2026 edition of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings was released on Thursday, October 9, 2025, with six Philippine universities retaining their positions.

For the fourth consecutive year, Ateneo de Manila University remained the top university in the country, placing within the 1,001-1,200 bracket.

The University of the Philippines (UP) ranked second in the 1,201-1,500 bracket, while MSU-IIT, De La Salle University, Mapua University, and University of Sto. Tomas all shared the third spot within the 1,501+ bracket.

No new Philippine schools entered the 2026 edition of the rankings.

The rankings are based on five core pillars of evaluation: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry, and international outlook.

Since 2004, THE World University Rankings has provided performance data on universities across their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.