Admission standards

University admission in Philippines

Official minimum entry requirements and the school system, from the country's UNESCO classification and national sources.

Official entry requirements

As classified by the country with UNESCO (ISCED 2011), reference year 2020. Universities may set higher requirements.

School-leaving qualification (upper secondary)

Senior High School (grades 11-12)2 years, from age 16
Minimum entry: Junior HS leaving certificate
Awards: Senior HS leaving certificate

Bachelor's or equivalent (first degree)

Baccalaureate4 years, from age 18
Minimum entry: Senior HS leaving certificate
Awards: Bachelor's degree
Baccalaureate5 years, from age 18
Minimum entry: Senior HS leaving certificate
Awards: Bachelor's degree

Short-cycle tertiary (diplomas)

Pre-baccalaureate2 years, from age 18
Minimum entry: Senior HS leaving certificate
Awards: Pre-baccalaureate Certificate/ Diploma

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), ISCED 2011 mappings (country file). CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UIS terms).

School system (official durations)

Primary: 6 years from age 6
Lower secondary: 4 years from age 12
Upper secondary: 2 years from age 16
Compulsory education: 13 years
Tertiary enrolment (gross): 47.4% (2024)

Data year 2025. Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), https://api.uis.unesco.org/api/public, extracted 2026-11-10. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Licence.

Regulators and quality agencies

Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA)Listed by INQAAHE
Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (AACCUP)Listed by INQAAHE
Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools Colleges and Universities (PAASCU)Listed by INQAAHE

From INQAAHE. Network membership is not government recognition: confirm a body's role with the education ministry.

Universities and colleges

880 institutions in Philippines

All countries