The University of the Philippines (UP) announced this morning, April 22, 2025, that it has officially issued a total of 17,996 admission notices for Academic Year 2025–2026.
According to data released by the UP Office of Admissions, 13% of the 135, 236 UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) examinees have qualified, some with assured degree program while others are on the waitlist.
“The number of first-generation college students doubled from 6.6% last year to 13%. This indicates that UP’s efforts to reach more students from underserved communities is finally yielding positive results,” noted UP President Angelo A. Jimenez, who presented the results of UPCAT 2025 at a media briefer held in UP Diliman this morning.
Jimenez noted that admission to UP is highly selective, with thousands of applicants competing for limited slots across the university’s eight constituent units and 17 campuses. He added that all applicants are ranked based on indicators of academic preparedness for university life.
He explained that the selection for admission is determined by the applicant’s rank, the quota of the chosen UP campus, and/or its cutoff grade. “A successful applicant may receive an offer of admission to only one UP campus from among their listed choices,” he added.
Of the 17,996 who received an admissions notice, 55% came from public schools—both public non-science and public science schools—while 45% came from private schools.
In terms of regions, a sizable percentage—30%—comes from the National Capital Region, while 19% hail from Calabarzon and 11% from Central Luzon.
