By Karren Jay G. Asgar

Central Philippine University leads the Top 10 universities in Western Visayas in the 2026 uniRank University Rankings, highlighting its strong digital visibility and online presence.

Central Philippine University (CPU) ranked first in Western Visayas and 33rd nationwide in the 2026 uniRank University Rankings, highlighting its strong digital visibility and online presence among higher education institutions in the Philippines.

Among the universities in Western Visayas included in the rankings, CPU placed ahead of the University of the Philippines Visayas, which ranked 35th nationwide, followed by the University of St. La Salle at 53rd and West Visayas State University at 56th. Other institutions in the region also included John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University (85th), Aklan State University (97th), University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (111th), and University of San Agustin (116th).

According to its website, the uniRank University Rankings aim to provide a non-academic league table of recognized higher education institutions based on valid and unbiased web metrics from independent web intelligence sources rather than information submitted by universities themselves, which may not be independently audited. Established in 2005, uniRank is an independent university search engine, directory, and ranking platform covering more than 14,000 officially recognized universities and colleges across 200 countries. It provides university rankings, institutional profiles, social media rankings, country and regional directories, and higher education resources for students, parents, researchers, and institutions.

The 2026 ranking further underscores CPU’s presence in the digital landscape and its standing among higher education institutions in Western Visayas and across the country.