𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒 | 𝐁𝐄𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐒: 𝐓𝐀𝐔 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚

𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒 | 𝐁𝐄𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐒: 𝐓𝐀𝐔 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚

Tarlac Agricultural University (TAU) has secured a place in the AppliedEdu Public University Ranking: ASEAN 2027, placing 101-110th in Southeast Asia, as the evaluation body releases the fourth edition of its flagship ranking featuring 161 public colleges and universities from eight ASEAN countries under its newly rebranded identity.

According to the 2027 ranking data, TAU is the only higher education institution (HEI) in Tarlac Province to make the list, ranking 3rd among universities in Central Luzon. This year's edition marks a significant expansion for AppliedEdu, which was formerly known as AppliedHE before rebranding, to reflect a broader mission encompassing higher education, vocational education, and lifelong learning. 

In the AppliedHE Asian public university rankings in 2026, TAU ranked 246th in Asia, 18th in the Philippines, and 6th in Central Luzon. In the broader Philippine landscape, the University of the Philippines (UP) leads the country, followed closely by Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), in a list of 32 PHEIs. 

"This recognition affirms what we have long believed at TAU, that a University's worth cannot be measured by research output alone," Dr. Silverio Ramon DC. Salunson, TAU President, said. 

"The true strength of an institution lies also in the totality of the student experience: the quality of teaching inside our classrooms, the employability of our graduates, the depth of our engagement with farming communities and local industries, and the international exposure we create for our students,” Dr. Salunson commented.

AppliedEdu's ranking methodology differs from traditional research-focused rankings, with student surveys accounting for as much as 49% of the weight and institutional self-submitted data accounting for 28%, with emphasis on teaching and learning (40%), employability (15%), and research (15%). 

The organization emphasizes that separating public and private universities for evaluation is a core principle of its methodology, aiming to avoid obscuring the differentiated mission positioning of both types of institutions within a single standard.

For TAU, its entry into the ASEAN ranking may provide an alternative reference framework, one that places greater emphasis on student experience and community impact. The expansion to 161 public universities in the 2027 edition reflects the growing appetite among ASEAN institutions for mission-differentiated evaluation that recognizes diverse institutional strengths rather than applying a single research-heavy yardstick.

#SmartTAU #GreenandGlobal #AppliedEdu #ASEAN  #SDG4 #SDG9 #SDG17

Text | Jerome L. Duque [External Linkages and International Affairs]

Coordination | Marianne P. Villaruel and Sheila R. Lingaya  [External Linkages and International Affairs]

Graphics | Jayson J. Elenzano [External Linkages and International Affairs]