The Philippines is a developing country with many bilingual or multilingual speakers, with English as the second language. The education system in the country also uses English as the medium of instruction for all major subjects, especially at secondary and tertiary levels. Therefore, the Philippines makes for an affordable and ideal destination for international students.

There is a shortage of data specialists in the Philippines despite the growing amount of data and rising demand for data professionals. As a result, some of the most prominent universities in the country have started offering degree programs and specialized courses to provide professionals with additional skills to take on a career in Data Science.

Some universities are also in the process of developing new programs in partnership with prestigious universities abroad to offer a more globally competent and recognized qualification to pursue a Data Science career abroad. Let’s take a look at the best universities for data science in the Philippines!

Top Universities Offering Data Science Programs in the Philippines

1. University of the Philippines – College of Science

The University of the Philippines (UP), founded in 1908, is among the top-ranked universities for data science in the Philippines and the top university in the country, famous for its high-quality education and reputable alumni who have made a mark in various industries locally and abroad. The UP system has eight branches with 15 campuses. Its main campus is UP-Diliman (UPD), which currently hosts over 23,000 students. Graduates from the university are often highly preferred by government offices and major local corporations.

UPD’s Master’s in Data Science program offers excellent training for professionals who need to boost their statistical, programming, and data analysis skills to qualify for some of the top positions in the Data Science industry in the Philippines.

The program consists of 33 units spread over four semesters. Domestic students have to pay a tuition fee worth Php300 – PHP1,500 per unit, whereas international students have to pay PHP500 – PHP2,500 per unit. Tuition fees vary depending on the student’s socioeconomic status or family income.

2. Ateneo de Manila University – Department of Information Systems and Computer Science

Ateneo de Manila University originated in 1859 as a public primary school under the supervision of Spanish Jesuits. Several years later, the school started offering technical courses. In 1902, it became a private institution. Today, Ateneo is one of the top data science universities in the Philippines and is recognized by prestigious global university rankings.

The university offers the Master of Science in Data Science program in partnership with the Queen Mary University of London. The program lasts 18 – 21 months, and students may spend a semester in London. However, the credits earned abroad will still be part of the Ateneo degree. Students must maintain a grade of B—equal to an academic grade of 85%—during the first two semesters to complete the program.

The computation of tuition fees varies depending on the number of units per semester or whether the students plan to take the program full-time or part-time. The whole program consists of 36 units. Domestic and international students may also apply for scholarships to supplement their living costs or subsidize the tuition fees.

3. University of Santo Tomas – Department of Information Systems and Computer Science

The University of Santo Tomas (UST), established in 1611, is the oldest in the Philippines and Asia. Its 410 years of history and excellence helped UST gain recognition from world university rankings. Graduates of the university also earn a competitive advantage in the labor market due to the university’s high quality of education.

UST’s Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) program delivers a world-class data science curriculum in the Philippines and offers students the option to select from three specialization tracks: Core Computer Science, Game Development, or Data Science. Specializing in Data Science will help students gain the programming and mathematical skills necessary to commence a career as a data scientist, data engineer, or data analyst.

The program lasts four years, and the tuition fees range from PHP32,000 to PHP57,000 per semester. International students have to pay an additional USD50 per semester.

4. University of Asia and the Pacific

The University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) started as the Center for Research and Communication (CRC) in 1967. It later acquired its current name in 1995 and became autonomous in 2017. The University of Asia and the Pacific is an excellent institution for data science in the Philippines that has currently established partnerships with numerous institutions in the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Europe.

The UA&P offers a Bachelor’s Degree in Data Science and a part-time Master’s Degree in Applied Business Analytics to help address the shortage of data specialists in the Philippines. The undergraduate program lasts four years, while the Master’s program lasts two years on a part-time basis. Both programs aim to equip students with skills and practical experience to deal with real-world problems while being guided by professors with relevant and globally competent qualifications in the field.

The programs are taught in English, requiring international applicants to submit a TOEFL or an IELTS certification. The undergraduate program costs PHP86,000 – PHP92,000 per semester, while the tuition fee for the part-time Master’s program depends on the updated course schedule.

5. De La Salle University – Dr Andrew L. Tan Data Science Institute

De La Salle University (DLSU) is one of the most prestigious private institutions in the Philippines. It was founded in 1911 and has since expanded to eight colleges and schools. DLSU is one of the best schools for data science in the Philippines and currently hosts over 16,000 students—roughly 500 of which come from almost 30 other countries.

Data Science specialists have a wide range of career opportunities in various industries, such as health, business, finance, environment, and more. DLSU offers a Minor in Data Science program, aiming to equip students with basic working knowledge in statistics. The program consists of 12 units divided into four courses: Principles of Data Science, Data Visualization, Data Science & Statistics, and Introduction to Machine Learning.

DLSU also offers 40-hour diploma courses relevant to the field, such as Foundation of Data Science and Machine Learning, to boost the skills and qualifications of professionals in various fields to take on more promising Data-Science-related positions in their respective industries. The university is also currently developing a Master’s program for Data Science.

6. Asian Institute of Management (AIM) – Aboitiz School of Innovation, Technology,

The Asian Institute of Management (AIM) has been at the forefront of human resource development for both the private and public sectors in Asia. For over four decades, many have enrolled in this institution because of its ability to train its students to have a sensitivity to various businesses, ways of governance, formation, and diverse forms of regulatory environments in the continent.

Currently, AIM is known as one of the top schools for data science in the Philippines. Its renowned Master’s program is a 14-month program designed to train specialists who are skilled in one of the most coveted fields in the modern century. The curriculum focuses on developing competencies that are most in-demand, such as machine and deep learning, data mining, and analytics. A capstone project must be submitted in order to be granted the degree.

AIM also offers a doctoral program in data science – the first in the Philippines and only one of few in Asia. The first cohort of this program started in 2020 and will be trained to conduct research in various areas of data science.

7. Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) – College of Computer Studies

The Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) is a private university in the Philippines, offers one of the best and most sought-after Data Science programs in the country. It was founded in 1962 and has multiple campuses across the National Capital Region. The institute specializes in teaching engineering and technological courses and uses an outcomes-based model in developing its curriculum.

CloudSwyft Global Systems Inc, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Development (STRIDE), helped develop the university’s Professional Science Master’s Degree in Data Science (PSMDS). The program aims to develop professionals who can lead their organizations in using data aid in the growth of their industries.

8. Mapua University – Department of Mathematics 

Mapua University has been a long-standing educational institution in the Philippines. Founded by Don Tomas Mapúa in 1925, it has since become the premier engineering and technology school in the country. Currently, it is in the Top 550 in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asia University Rankings and has improved its 3-star rating in 2017 to a 4-star rating in 2020.

As of 2022, it has two campuses located in Intramuros and Makati, both in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. Mapua University deems Data Science as a “21st Century Career”. It is seen to be one of the most in-demand jobs in the world. Because of this, both university campuses offer an undergraduate program in Data Science, providing students with the skills and knowledge necessary to become professional data scientists working in various industries. One can become a business intelligence engineer, planning and decision analyst, software developer, or even a teacher after completing the course.

9. Cosmopoint International Institute of Technology (CIIT) College of Arts and Technology

Cosmopoint International Institute of Technology (CIIT) College of Arts and Technology is well-known for providing affordable education to Filipinos. It is also one of the best Filipino schools for data science.

CIIT uses industry-based teaching and boasts a faculty that is composed of professionals who are active in their field. This ensures that students can acquire practical and relevant skills that will help them as they enter the workforce. Aside from that, CIIT is also partnered with industry giants such as Autodesk, Adobe Systems, and WACOM, which allows them to provide the best and most updated programs to their students. The university has also collaborated with local learning institutions, gamification companies, and advertising companies such as DIWA Learning Systems, Inc., Taktyl Studios, and RocketMedia Manila. With a 67% employment rating in company partners, CIIT College of Arts and Technology produces industry-ready graduates that are more than capable of competing with their peers within their respective organizations.

CIIT provides a specialist course for those interested in data science. The specialist course lasts for only three months. It discusses different forms of data analysis, engaging the students in different software that are essential for any would-be Data Science Specialists. From Python to Microsoft Power BI, the institute ensures that its students are able to develop their careers and become leading IT professionals within their industry. It is also a viable option for those in fields outside of arts and technology who want a shift in their careers and to pursue their passion for data and programming.

10. University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP)

The University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) is one of the best state universities in the Southern Philippines. It was established through a republic act that enforces the union between the Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) and the Misamis Oriental State College of Agriculture and Technology (MOSCAT). Since then, it has been consistently recognized in the ASEAN Philippine Higher Education Internationalization Champions of Nation-building and Sustainability (ASEAN ICONS) Awards Night because of its exceptional performance and its role in pushing forward the internationalization of Philippine Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

The university’s Bachelor of Science in Data Science (BSDS) was developed to produce graduates with the ability to integrate various skills in computer science, machine learning, databases, mathematics, and statistics. Graduates of this course can advance their chosen industries through insights gathered from data analysis.

We hope this article on the 10 Best Universities to Study Data Science in the Philippines was helpful. You can get more detailed articles on the  Philippines Page and various Open Courses to explore your study options.

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hyun is the founder at Global Scholarships. He has received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College as well as $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for his undergraduate degree and has been offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. Read more about his scholarship journey here.

Share this article via

Leave A Comment