University of the Philippines Manila

About University of the Philippines Manila

UP Manila is one of the constituent universities named in the charter of the University of the Philippines, the country’s national university. It is therefore an academically autonomous university within the UP System rather than a separately incorporated institution. The university describes itself as public and secular, with a mandate spanning higher education, research, extension work, and public service. The institution’s present identity grew from UP’s original Manila campus and several older health units. The Philippine Medical School, the forerunner of the College of Medicine, opened in 1907, while the University of the Philippines was established in Manila in 1908. A Health Sciences Center later brought the health units together, and the autonomous University of the Philippines Manila was created in 1983. This layered history explains why different dates may appear in accounts of the institution. UP Manila now has nine degree-granting units: Allied Medical Professions, Arts and Sciences, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, the National Teacher Training Center for the Health Professions, and the School of Health Sciences. The main Manila campus is closely associated with the Philippine General Hospital, which provides a setting for clinical instruction and public service. The registrar reported 4,484 undergraduate and 1,577 graduate students for the first semester of academic year 2025–2026. Those figures describe that reporting period and should not be treated as a fixed current enrollment total.

First-year undergraduate admission is generally administered through the UP Office of Admissions and the UP College Admission Test. For academic year 2027–2028, applicants were required to submit the initial online application between March 3 and March 30, 2026. Eligibility included Grade 11 students expecting to finish Grade 12 by the end of 2026–2027 and qualified senior-high-school graduates who had not previously taken college or post-secondary courses, taken the UPCAT, or had an earlier UP application processed. Those dates belong specifically to the 2027–2028 cycle and should not be reused for later entry years. Admission depends on both campus and degree-program capacity. Some health programs have additional selection requirements, and UP Manila applies a Return Service Agreement to covered programs. Applicants should read that agreement before accepting an offer. International first-year applicants educated outside the Philippines may have a separate route using recognized international qualifications, subject to UP’s published examination, English-language, documentation, and capacity requirements. This route is not available as a substitute for applicants who took the UPCAT but did not qualify. Transfers, shifts between programs, and graduate admission follow separate processes. For first semester 2026–2027, the transfer and shifting application period was June 1 to July 1, 2026, with eligibility and availability determined by the receiving unit; some programs did not accept applicants in those categories. Graduate applicants apply under program-specific academic, documentary, and language requirements. In every category, the registrar or responsible college should be treated as the final source for current requirements and deadlines.

UP Manila’s academic identity is centered on health, but its offerings are broader than clinical professional education. The registrar lists undergraduate study in fields including biology, biochemistry, computer science, applied physics, behavioral and social sciences, political science, development studies, organizational communication, and Philippine arts. Health-oriented bachelor’s programs include nursing, public health, pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech pathology. A Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Technology was approved in April 2026 for its inaugural admissions cycle. Professional education includes Medicine and Dental Medicine, while the School of Health Sciences uses a community-oriented model and offers programs at sites outside Manila. Applicants should check the delivery location of any School of Health Sciences program rather than assuming it is taught at the Ermita campus. At graduate level, the official program list includes master’s study across public health, epidemiology, health informatics, nursing, pharmacy, rehabilitation science, medical anthropology, health-policy studies, management, and health-professions education. Doctoral offerings include Biochemistry, Nursing, Public Health, Health Professions Education, and Health Sciences, alongside the combined MD–PhD in Molecular Medicine. This mix supports pathways from foundational science and social inquiry to clinical practice, health policy, teaching, and research. The academic year ordinarily has two semesters plus a midyear session. The registrar states that full-time graduate study normally carries 9–12 units per semester, while undergraduate loads depend on program requirements. Because curricula and professional prerequisites differ, students should use the current registrar listing and the relevant college’s rules when planning a degree.

Key Highlights

• Public constituent university of the national University of the Philippines System
• Nine degree-granting units spanning health fields, arts, and sciences
• Registrar reported 4,484 undergraduate and 1,577 graduate students in first semester 2025–2026
• Autonomous UP Manila was created in 1983 on UP’s historic Manila site

Student Life & Environment

Student life at UP Manila is shaped by a compact, urban health-sciences environment. The Office of Student Affairs coordinates guidance and counseling, scholarships and financial assistance, student activities, disciplinary processes, international-student support, and auxiliary services. Its published resources also cover accreditation and governance of student organizations, elections, fraternities and sororities, and the use of student activity spaces. Housing is available on a limited and separately administered basis. The student-affairs office identifies the UP Manila Residence Hall, Phi House Dormitory, and information about nearby private dormitories among its auxiliary services. Applicants should confirm eligibility, application dates, fees, and availability directly with the office; the official overview does not promise accommodation to every admitted student. Students may participate in recognized organizations and university governance, while counseling services support academic and psychosocial adjustment. Financial-support channels listed by the university include the Student Learning Assistance System, student assistantships, scholarship programs, and emergency or enrollment-related loan arrangements. Eligibility varies by program and student status. UP Manila also has a strong public-service orientation. Volunteer and community activities can connect students with health, education, and welfare initiatives, including work with underserved communities. The experience is consequently likely to appeal most to students comfortable with city-based study, professional programs, community engagement, and the routines of an institution linked to a major public hospital.

Location & Surroundings

UP Manila’s principal campus is in Ermita, in the central City of Manila. The registrar gives its address as Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila, 1000 Metro Manila. The official history describes the campus as bounded by United Nations Avenue, Taft Avenue, Pedro Gil Street, and Maria Orosa Street. This places students in a dense urban district rather than on an isolated residential estate. The Philippine General Hospital is integral to the university’s Manila setting and supports clinical instruction, training, research, and public service. The campus area also contains academic colleges, administrative offices, student services, and the Museum of a History of Ideas. Students considering clinical or laboratory programs should verify where practical work takes place, since placements and affiliated activities may extend beyond individual campus buildings. Not every UP Manila offering is based in Ermita. The School of Health Sciences operates community-oriented programs at regional sites, and the registrar’s program list identifies offerings associated with locations such as Baler and Koronadal. Prospective students should therefore confirm the assigned campus or learning site before making housing and commuting plans. For students based in Manila, daily life involves navigating a busy hospital and government district in the center of Metro Manila.

Costs & Career Outcomes

UP Manila implements the Philippines’ Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act for eligible students. The registrar’s enrollment page confirms free-tuition implementation and explains that a student may voluntarily opt out for a semester, after which applicable tuition and other school fees are assessed. This policy should not be interpreted as a promise that every student, every credential, or every expense is covered; eligibility, program status, residence, and statutory limits can affect the amount due. The university also operates need-based assistance. Published student-affairs resources identify the Student Learning Assistance System, scholarships, student assistantships, and emergency or enrollment-related loans. Older tuition tables remain visible on the university website, but they are not used here as current 2026 prices because their underlying brackets and allowance amounts may no longer apply. Students who are not covered by free tuition, including international or some graduate and professional students, should request a current assessment from the registrar or their college. Housing, food, transport, books, clinical materials, insurance, and other living or program expenses require separate planning. Career preparation is closely tied to each discipline. The program portfolio supports routes into regulated health professions, research, public health, health policy, health informatics, education, management, science, computing, communication, and public service. The Philippine General Hospital provides an important clinical-learning environment, but admission to a degree does not guarantee licensure or employment. Professional graduates must satisfy the applicable licensing and training requirements, while other students should examine curriculum content, practical placements, and the destination of recent graduates with their chosen college. The university does not publish sufficiently current, institution-wide salary or employment-rate data on the sources reviewed, so no earnings claim is made.