PANABO CITY — Davao del Norte State College (DNSC) ranked 209th in Asia out of 259 public higher education institutions, signifying its growing presence in the Asian academic landscape. Nationally, DNSC placed 3rd among 21 public institutions in the Philippines and emerged as the top-ranked public higher education institution.
AppliedHE, a Singapore-based education technology company, has been publishing university rankings since 2021. Its rankings serve as an independent benchmark for students, parents, educators, and policymakers to compare universities across multiple dimensions of performance. Oversight for the ranking process is provided by the AppliedHE Ranking Advisory Board (RAB), chaired by City University of Hong Kong Secretary to Council and Court Professor Kevin Downing.
To qualify for the Public University category, institutions must be accredited public colleges or universities authorized to award bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The AppliedHE rankings evaluate universities across six key criteria that collectively measure overall institutional performance. Teaching and Learning accounts for 40 percent of the score and is assessed through the AppliedHE Student Survey and faculty-to-student ratio. Employability, weighted at 15 percent, examines graduates’ employment or further studies within six months after graduation.
Another 15 percent is dedicated to Research, evaluated through Google Scholar citations and Webometrics indicators. Community Engagement contributes 10 percent, based on media presence and student feedback, while Internationalization, also at 10 percent, considers the proportion of international students and faculty. The final 10 percent measures Institutional Reputation, derived from the AppliedHE Peer-Nomination Survey.
DNSC’s performance across these metrics reflects its strategic direction in delivering quality instruction, promoting employability, advancing research, strengthening community partnerships, and enhancing its international profile.
