Ateneo de Manila University achieved a significant milestone in the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Narrow Subject Area, entering the Top 51-100 universities worldwide in Theology, Divinity, and Religious Studies out of 1,912 institutions included this year. This recognition reflects the contributions of the University’s Department of Theology and the Theology and Ministry Program with its seat at the Loyola School of Theology (LST-TMP).
The results, released on 25 March 2026, mark a major advancement for Ateneo and LST in this field. Its previous position in 2025 was in the 101–150 bracket. The QS rankings are based on several indicators, including academic and employer reputation, research output, and international linkages.
Aside from Theology, several Ateneo de Manila disciplines were also included in the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Narrow Subject Areas:
- Anthropology 101-200
- English Language & Literature 201-250
- Politics & International Studies 301-400
- Sociology 301-375
- Business & Management Studies 451-500
- Economics & Econometrics 551-700
Some of the Catholic and secular universities included in the 51-100 rank in the field of Theology, Divinity, and Religious Studies are:
- Fujen Catholic University, Taipei
- Loyola University, Chicago
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich
- Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina
- School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
- Santa Clara University, California
- Sapienza University of Rome
- Sogang University, Seoul
- Stanford University, California
- Université de Fribourg
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan
- John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland
- Pontificia Università Lateranense, Rome
- Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro
- University College London
- Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Lisbon
LST-TMP serves as the University’s graduate school of theology and ministry. It offers master’s degrees in Theological Studies, Pastoral Ministry, Family Ministry and Counseling, Spirituality and Retreat Direction, and Pastoral Leadership and Management. It also offers an academic PhD in Theology with specializations in Systematic, Moral, and Biblical Theology, as well as a professional Doctor of Ministry with concentrations in Religious Education, Pastoral Counseling and Spiritual Care, and Spirituality and Retreat Directing.
The University’s Department of Theology provides undergraduate theology courses for students across the University’s academic programs. It also offers graduate degrees, including academic and professional master’s programs in Religious Education.
LST-TMP is the premier center for theological studies in Asia and the Pacific, distinguished by its multicultural academic community of 281 international students from 45 countries. This diverse student body fosters a dynamic environment for theological scholarship and intercultural dialogue. LST-TMP’s programs are supported by an international faculty of regular and visiting professors from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, India, the United States, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Germany and Ivory Coast. This global faculty composition reflects the growing internationalization of LST’s student population and further enriches the school’s multicultural approach to theological formation in service of the Church’s universal mission.
As an ecclesiastical faculty under the authority of the Holy See, Loyola School of Theology confers the ecclesiastical degrees of Baccalaureate, Licentiate, and Doctorate in Theology. LST forms part of the Vatican’s international network of pontifical universities and ecclesiastical faculties and participates in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), ensuring that its programs meet global standards of higher education.
