Ateneo de Manila University (Filipino: Pamantasang Ateneo de Manila; Spanish: Universidad Ateneo de Manila), commonly referred to as the Ateneo de Manila or the Ateneo, is a private Catholic research university in Quezon City, Philippines. Established in 1859 by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), it is one of the oldest Jesuit-administered institutions of higher education in the Asia-Pacific region.
The university offers primary and secondary education, as well as undergraduate and graduate programs in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, and business. It offers professional degrees through the Graduate School of Business, the School of Government, the School of Medicine and Public Health, and the Ateneo Law School. The university follows the Jesuit tradition of liberal arts education, with an emphasis on the humanities across all levels of education.
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History
In 1581, the first Spanish Jesuits arrived in the Philippines. They established Colegio de San José (College of St. Joseph), a seminary, in 1605. In 1768, King Charles III decreed the expulsion of the Jesuit order from Spain and its colonies. Following their banishment, control of the college was transferred to the Dominicans.
The Jesuits returned to the Philippines in the 19th century after their suppression, and were tasked with managing a small public school in Manila called the Escuela Municipal in 1859, renaming it Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1865 to reflect its elevation to a secondary education institution.
Initially situated in Intramuros, the school, which forcibly became privatized in 1902 at the start of the American colonization, was renamed into Ateneo de Manila to reflect the transition. Ateneo moved to Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila, after the original campus was destroyed by fire in 1932. However, the new campus was destroyed during the Battle of Manila by Japanese forces in 1945. After World War II, in 1952, the university relocated to its present campus in Loyola Heights, Quezon City. The law and graduate business schools remained at the Padre Faura campus until 1977, when both moved to Makati City, and the Ermita site was sold (now Robinsons Manila).
Fr. Pacífico Ortíz, SJ became the first Filipino president of the university in 1959 and again for his second term on September 25, 1969. During his tenure, the Graduate School was divided into the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and what would later become the Graduate School of Business. In July 1964, the Educational TV Center of Ateneo was organized and began operations, becoming one of the first educational television channels in the country. In 1968, the Ateneo co-founded the Asian Institute of Management. Women were first admitted to the college in 1973. By 1976, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences had moved to Loyola Heights, and the Padre Faura campus was finally closed in 1977.
In the 1970s, Ateneo students became active in protests against the Marcos dictatorship and its imposition of martial law, and many later participated in the 1986 People Power Revolution.
In 1991, the Ateneo Law School became the first in the country to offer the Juris Doctor degree. The School of Government was established in 1996, and a new campus for the Graduate School of Business, Law School, and School of Government opened in Rockwell Center in 1998. Significant developments in the 2000s include the establishment of the Loyola Schools and completion of various educational and recreational facilities.
Campuses
The Ateneo de Manila's main campus is located in Loyola Heights, Quezon City, covering 205 acres (83 ha). It houses the university's primary, secondary, and tertiary education units, along with various research centers and institutes.
Loyola Heights
The Loyola Heights campus, adjacent to Miriam College, includes the grade school, high school, and college. It features facilities such as the Henry Lee Irwin Theater, the Science Education Complex, and the John Gokongwei School of Management Complex. In 2018, the university inaugurated the Areté, a creative hub that includes the Ateneo Art Gallery, theaters, and collaborative spaces.
The Rizal Library and several research centers are located here, including the Institute of Philippine Culture and the Manila Observatory. Athletic facilities include the Blue Eagle Gym and the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center.
The campus also hosts the Church of the Gesù and multiple chapels for various departments.
Within the university is home to the largest Jesuit community in the Philippines. It hosts facilities such as the Arrupe International Residence, which houses international Jesuits and guests pursuing studies in the Philippines, San Jose Major Seminary, the Loyola School of Theology, and the Loyola House of Studies.
Satellite campuses
The Rockwell Center in Makati houses the School of Law and the Graduate School of Business, among other Professional School units. The Salcedo Village campus contains various facilities, including the Ateneo Center for Continuing Education. The Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health is located at the Don Eugenio López Sr. Medical Complex in Ortigas Center, Pasig, alongside its partner hospital, The Medical City.
Ateneo Blue Cloud
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ateneo launched Ateneo Blue Cloud, a virtual campus providing online, blended, and face-to-face learning materials.
Administration and organization
The university is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Bernadine T. Siy. The current university president, priest and economist Roberto Yap SJ, leads the central administration. The university's present sectoral structure includes vice-presidents for social development, university and global relations, finance, and administration and human resources.
The Ateneo de Manila has been granted autonomous status by the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) since 2001, granting it flexibility in introducing new programs. It is one of a select few universities in the country to receive this status.
The university is organized into twelve schools, divided between the higher education and basic education units. Each unit is managed by a vice-president.
Higher education
The Ateneo's higher education unit comprises nine schools: the School of Humanities, the John Gokongwei School of Management, the School of Science and Engineering, the School of Social Sciences, the Gokongwei Brothers School of Education and Learning Design, the Graduate School of Business, the School of Law, the School of Medicine and Public Health, and the School of Government.
Basic education
The Ateneo de Manila Grade School (AGS) offers elementary education and was the university's first unit. The school transitioned to co-education in the 2024–25 academic year. The AGS was one of the first to adopt the Singapore math curriculum in the Philippines.
The Ateneo de Manila Junior High School (AJHS) provides middle school education and was founded in 2013 to comply with the Department of Education K-12 system.
In August 2024, the Ateneo began its transition for the Grade School and the Junior High School to become fully co-educational, and welcomed female students of grade 1 and grade 7 for the school year 2024–2025. It announced that by the school year 2029–2030, basic education from kindergarten to grade 12 will be fully co-educational.
The Ateneo de Manila Senior High School (ASHS) has offered the eleventh and twelfth grades since 2013 and became co-educational in 2016.
Loyola School of Theology
The Loyola School of Theology, affiliated with the university, offers baccalaureate, licentiate, and doctoral degrees in theology and pastoral ministry.
Academics
Colleges and institutes
The Ateneo de Manila University provides education at the primary, secondary, undergraduate, and graduate levels. The university offers 48 undergraduate, 93 graduate, and 11 professional degree programs. Dual and joint degrees are also available, including partnerships with international universities.
The primary language of instruction is English, with some classes offered in Filipino.
The Ateneo de Manila University emphasizes a liberal arts undergraduate core curriculum that includes philosophy, literature, theology, history, and the social sciences. This curriculum is designed to foster student-centred learning and community engagement.
Admissions, reputation and rankings
The Ateneo College Entrance Test (ACET) is required for an admission offer to the Ateneo College (Loyola Schools), considered anecdotally as the most difficult entrance examination in the Philippines aside from the University of the Philippines' College Admissions Test (UPCAT). Furthermore, admission to the university requires strong extracurriculars, recommendations, an essay, and a consistent academic performance from middle school to high school.
Acceptance through the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is also welcomed with a minimum SAT score of 1200, taken within the last 2 years before the application.
The Ateneo de Manila University is ranked as a top institution in the Philippines by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and second nationally, and first-ranked private university nationally in the QS World University Rankings. It was first among private universities and second overall in the Philippines in both QS's World and Asia rankings.
As of 2026, the Ateneo is ranked third in the Philippines by the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities and third by EduRank.
The university has 11 Centers of Excellence (CoE) and 6 Centers of Development (CoD) as recognized by CHED.
The Ateneo's academic programs are accredited at Level IV by CHED and the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU).
Ateneo's John Gokongwei School of Management and the Ateneo Graduate School of Business are both members of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, a step towards accreditation. The university is also a frequent publisher in Scopus database, a member of the ASEAN University Network, Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia, International Association of Jesuit Universities, Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, Jesuit Basic Education Commission, and a participant of the Erasmus Programme of the European Union.
Research centers and auxiliary units
The Ateneo houses numerous research centers focusing on disaster risk reduction, public education, human migration, and governance, among other fields. These include the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development, the Institute of Philippine Culture, and the Manila Observatory.
The Ateneo Business Insights Laboratory for Development (BUILD), in collaboration with Co-Develop, has participated in initiatives promoting the adoption of Digital Public Infrastructure in the Philippines.
Social initiatives
The Ateneo de Manila University integrates social engagement into its curriculum at all levels. Key initiatives include the Ateneo-Mangyan Project for Understanding and Development, the Bigay Puso program, and housebuilding activities with Gawad Kalinga. These projects aim to promote social responsibility and leadership among students.
The university's main social action program is its partnership with Gawad Kalinga, focusing on community-building and rehabilitation efforts in various regions.
The Ugat Foundation, which supports grassroots families, is also hosted by Ateneo de Manila University.
International collaboration
The Ateneo de Manila University collaborates with various global institutions, facilitating exchange programs for students and faculty. It partners with Sun Yat-sen University in running the Confucius Institute, which offers Mandarin language courses and a master's program in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language.
The Ateneo also has joint masters programs with Queen Mary University of London and partnerships with Le Cordon Bleu, École supérieure des sciences commerciales d'Angers, Kyushu University, Regis University, and the University of Sydney.
The university's Asian Peacebuilders Scholarship, in collaboration with the Nippon Foundation and the University for Peace, trains students in peacebuilding, awarding degrees from both Ateneo and UPEACE.
Libraries and museum
The Ateneo de Manila University's largest library is the Rizal Library, which is split into the Old and New Rizal Libraries. The New Rizal Library, inaugurated in November 2009, contains the circulation section, technical services, and modern study areas.
Ateneo Art Gallery
The Ateneo Art Gallery, established in 1960, is the first museum of modern art in the Philippines. It is housed in the Arts Wing of the Areté and features a collection of modern and contemporary Filipino art.
University Archives
The University Archives, located in Faber Hall, preserve the historical records and documents of Ateneo de Manila University. They support research on the university's history and administrative functions.
Student life
Housing
The Ateneo de Manila University offers on-campus housing through several residence halls: Cervini Hall, Eliazo Hall, the University Dormitory–North Tower, the University Dormitory–South Tower, and the International Residence Hall. These facilities provide accommodations for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Student organizations
The Ateneo Debate Society ranks among the top debate teams in Asia, having secured a top 15 global ranking and winning the 2023 World Universities Debating Championship.
The Ateneo College Glee Club (ACGC) is the oldest university chorale in the Philippines and has achieved international recognition for its performances.
Dulaang Sibol, founded in 1955, is noted as the oldest high school theater group in the Philippines.
Tanghalang Ateneo is the oldest undergraduate student theater group.
In popular culture
The Ateneo de Manila has been associated in Philippine popular culture with perceptions of elitism due to its high tuition costs, historical reputation, and prominent alumni. The university has also been referenced in jokes and internet memes relating to traffic congestion along Katipunan Avenue. Alongside Lasallians, Ateneans are commonly associated with using "conyo", a form of code-switching between English and Filipino linked to upper-class urban youth culture in the Philippines. Despite these perceptions, the university provides academic and financial aid scholarships for students from various socioeconomic backgrounds.
Notable alumni
José Rizal, who is widely regarded as the National Hero of the Philippines, completed his Bachelor of Arts as a sobresaliente (among the top students) in 1877.
The Ateneo de Manila University produced the second-highest number of Philippine presidents, only behind to the University of the Philippines. Presidents Benigno Aquino III—a graduate from A.B. Economics, Ateneo Grade School, and Ateneo High School; Corazon Aquino—L.H.D. honoris causa; Joseph Estrada—grade school and high school; Gloria Macapagal Arroyo—M.A. Economics; and Fidel V. Ramos—MBA, LL.D. honoris causa are among its alumni.
The university has also produced several National Artists of the Philippines, including painter Federico Aguilar Alcuaz—LL.B.; director Lamberto V. Avellana—A.B. magna cum laude; stage designer Salvador Bernal—A.B. Philosophy cum laude; author and former education secretary Alejandro Roces—L.H.D. honoris causa; and architect Ildefonso P. Santos Jr.—high school.
Other alumni include chief justices and associate justices of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, senators, members of the House of Representatives, actors, artists, journalists, scientists, academics, lawyers, physicians, business executives, and local government officials.