University of San Carlos

The University of San Carlos (USC or colloquially San Carlos) is a private, Catholic, research, coeducational basic and higher education institution administered by the Philippine Southern Province of the Society of the Divine Word missionaries in Cebu City, Philippines, since 1935. It offers basic education (Montessori academy, grade school, junior high school and senior high school) and higher education (undergraduate and graduate studies). Founded originally in 1595 as Colegio de San Ildefonso which was closed upon the expulsion of the Jesuit missionaries from the Philippines in 1768. The Colegio was reopened in 1783 as Seminario-Colegio de San Carlos until the colegio was split from the seminary in 1924. The Colegio de San Carlos became university on July 1, 1948.

USC has 5 campuses with combined land area of 88 hectares or 217 acres (Talamban campus has 78 hectares). The Commission on Higher Education has recognized 8 of its programs as Centers of Excellence and 12 of its programs as Centers of Development as of March, 2016.

The university is certified with the International Standards Organization 9001:2015 Quality Management System for Institutional and Student Support Services as of April 2022 to March 2025 by the British Standards Institution (BSI) International.

USC celebrated its 75th university charter anniversary on July 1, 2023.

USC has 25,000+ students (2022-2023) who are called by the name Carolinians of which 250+ are international students, enrolled in collegiate undergraduate and graduate programs and served by about 1,040+ academic faculty and staff with a teacher to student ratio of 1:24. About 500 Carolinian students are academic scholars.

Campuses
USC consists of five campuses in different areas of Metro Cebu – the Downtown Campus (formerly the Main Campus) along P. del Rosario St.; the Talamban Campus (TC) along Gov. Manuel Cuenco Ave., Brgy. Talamban; the North Campus (formerly the Boys High Campus) along Gen. Maxilom Ave; the South Campus (formerly the Girls High Campus) along corners J. Alcantara St. (P. del Rosario Ext.) and V. Rama Avenue; and the newest is the Montessori Academy along F. Sotto Drive (at the back of USC North Campus).

Claim of being the oldest in the Philippines
USC's claims as the "oldest educational institution or school in Asia" has been a long time subject of disputes with the University of Santo Tomas which on the other hand claims to be the "oldest university in Asia".



The University of San Carlos was originally founded as Colegio de San Ildefonso a primary and secondary education school. It was established by Spanish Jesuit missionaries Antonio Sedeno, Pedro Chirino and Antonio Pereira in 1595. Except for a brief period in the 18th century, the institution of education has remained in constant operation for over 400 years, obtaining university status in 1948.

It was closed in 1769 at the expulsion of the Jesuits. In 1783, Bishop Mateo Joaquin de Arevalo initiated the opening of the Colegio-Seminario de San Carlos. In 1852, the management of the college was entrusted to the Dominican Christian priests, replaced in 1867 by the Vincentian Fathers then, in 1935, by the Societas Verbi Divini or the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). The Second World War led to the interruption of the operation of the school in 1941 because several buildings suffered various degrees of destruction. The school reopened as repairs of the damaged buildings which started in 1945 were completed by 1946. The Colegio de San Carlos (CSC) was granted its university charter in 1948. The university was named after San Carlos Borromeo.

However, this position is contested by scholars. According to Fr. Aloysius Cartagenas, a professor at the Seminario Mayor de San Carlos of Cebu, “following Church tradition, the foundation event and date of University of San Carlos should be the decree of Bishop Romualdo Jimeno on 15 May 1867 (turning over the seminary to the Congregation of the Missions) and the first day of classes in the history of what is now USC is 1 July 1867, the day P. Jose Casarramona welcomed the first lay students to attend classes at the Seminario de San Carlos.” Thus, he says that San Carlos cannot claim to have descended from the Colegio de San Ildefonso founded by the Jesuits in 1595, despite taking over the latter's facilities when the Jesuits were expelled by Spanish authorities in 1769. According to him there is “no visible and clear link” between Colegio de San Ildefonso and USC. San Carlos was specifically for the training of diocesan priests, and it simply took over the facility of the former, a Jesuit central house with an attached day school.

The university, as an autonomous institute as per the modern definition of a university, started to function in 1867. Though claims have been made to its origin as an autonomous institute at the time of opening of a seminary as a religious school of indoctrination in 1783. University even stretches the claim of its origin back to founding of another center of religious teaching in 1595, which was later closed down. Thus claims about being the oldest, and being a university in its earlier versions or the claims of using shut down institutes as its constituents are concocted and disputed. In 2010, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines installed a bronze marker declaring USC's foundation late in the 18th century, effectively disproving any direct connection with the Colegio de San Ildefonso.

According to Dr. Victor Torres of the De La Salle University, the University of San Carlos' claim dates back to 1948 only when USC was declared a university. Fidel Villarroel from the University of Santo Tomas argued that USC only took over the facility of the former Colegio de San Ildefonso and that there is no 'visible' and 'clear' link between San Carlos and San Ildefonso. In 2010, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines installed a bronze marker declaring USC's foundation late in the 18th century, effectively disproving any direct connection with the Colegio de San Ildefonso.

Later history
In 1924, Colegio-Seminario de San Carlos was split into two by virtue of a Vatican decree that seminaries should only be for priestly training. One of the schools that emerged from this split was named San Carlos College. In the 1930s, the San Carlos College moved to a different location, P. Del Rosario Street, while the seminary remained at Martires Street. The Society of the Divine Word took over the college in 1935.

The Second World War saw the closure and occupation of USC by Japanese troops. Shortly before Liberation, in 1944, the school was bombed by US forces, but it reopened in 1945. San Carlos became a university in 1948. The seminary, meanwhile, was returned to diocesan control in 1998.

Following the Communist persecution of foreign clergy in China in 1949, the University of San Carlos (USC) in the Philippines benefited significantly from the arrival of SVD priest-scholars. This unplanned influx spurred pioneering research in fields such as anthropology, physics, engineering, and philosophy, greatly contributing to the nation's post-war reconstruction.

In the 1960s, USC underwent rapid expansion under the guidance of foreign priest-academicians. This period of growth coincided with a surge of militant nationalism, which led to calls for the Filipinization of all Catholic school administrations in the country. In 1970, Fr. Amante Castillo became the first Filipino president of USC, marking a pivotal change. In the subsequent decades, USC continued to expand and was often involved in significant national events, including the Martial Law era in the 1970s and the People Power Revolution at EDSA in 1986. Today, USC consistently produces top-performing graduates in board exams and alumni who are publicly recognized for their excellence. This ongoing success demonstrates USC’s steadfast commitment to educational excellence. In 2012, USC inaugurated one of the country's biggest university central library and learning resource center at the Talamban campus. Infrastructure development of USC Talamban campus is being undertaken continuously with the expansion and building of access roads within the campus, underground cabling of utilities and communication lines, and construction of the new university stadium, conference and tourism center. USC Talamban campus is envisioned as an Univer-City by 2030 one of the first among the universities in the country.

Academics
The academic and curricular programs below are offered by the different schools of the university, the following are :
 * Basic education:
 * Pre-school/Montessori
 * Grade school (Grades 1–6)
 * Junior high school (Grades 7–10)
 * Senior high
 * Senior high school (Grades 11–12)
 * Baccalaureate Programs:
 * School of Architecture, Fine Arts and Design
 * School of Arts and Sciences
 * School of Business and Economics
 * School of Education
 * School of Engineering
 * School of Healthcare Professions
 * School of Law and Governance

USC houses Graduate Studies offering programs in School of Architecture, Fine Arts and Design, School of Arts and Sciences, School of Business and Economics, School of Education, School of Engineering, School of Healthcare Professions, and School of Law and Governance.

Reputation and rankings
USC has received significant recognition in various university rankings. The QS Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings (WUR) for 2024 and 2025 placed USC within the 1,201-1,400 range and at 1,401, respectively. For the 2025 edition, only five universities from the Philippines are included in these rankings. In the QS Asia University Rankings, USC falls within the 551-600 range and ranks 88th in the QS Asia South-Eastern Asia University Rankings. QS also ranked USC as the 5th best university in the Philippines for 2024.

USC ranked in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2024. It obtained an overall rank of 1501+ with an overall score of 41.3. The University ranked highest (401–600) in three SDGs, namely SDG 6, SDG 8, and SDG 14. Based on scores, the University performed well in SDG 8, SDG 5, and SDG 7.

Additionally, as of 2024, EduRank placed USC 7th in its list of the 100 best universities in the Philippines. The Webometrics Ranking of World Universities ranks USC 8th nationwide. The SCImago Institutions Rankings (SIR) for research and innovation ranked USC 8th among universities in the Philippines. The Institute for Research, Innovation, and Scholarship (IRIS) ranked USC 8th in science, 9th in engineering, and 7th in health for research productivity during the 2021-2022 period.

Research
The university has drawn in external grants amounting to about PHP350M (US$7M) from 2018 to 2022. Internal research grants of about PHP45M (US$830T) have also been awarded from the University Research Trust Fund within the same time period, while an additional PHP325M (US$6M) has been earmarked for laboratory facilities development anticipating the current changes in the Philippine educational system. About 140 faculty members are actively engaged in research with 315 papers published in internationally referred journals and 46 research collaboration agreements with international and Philippine-based institutions (2018-2022).

Research efforts are supported by a print collection of over 200,000 titles and almost 10,000 non-print volumes housed in the university's library system, along with subscriptions to 17 online journals. USC also publishes three respected scholarly journals, The Philippine Scientist, the Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society and Devotio: Journal of Business and Economics Studies. Additional support for researchers are available through offices or committees providing ethics review, intellectual property and innovation and technology support, and animal care and use.

The university has filed nineteen patents with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and two patents granted from 2012 to 2022, and one start-up company, Green Enviro Management Systems (GEMS), Inc., has been established.

USC has the following specialized research centers, research groups, and laboratories operated and maintained by the different academic departments.

Research Centers

I. Newly established research centers:
 * Medical Biophysics Group (MBG)-Center for Tissue Engineering and Biological Soft Materials - DOST Niche Center in the Region (NICER)
 * Research and Innovation Technology Hub (RITH)

II.Regular research centers:


 * Center for Geoinformatics and Environmental Solutions (CenGES)
 * Center for Research of Energy Systems and Technologies (CREST)
 * DOST-USC Tuklas Lunas (Drug Discovery) Development Center (TLDC)
 * Marine Biology Research Section
 * Cebuano Studies Center (CSC)
 * Center for Social Research and Education (CSRE)
 * Center for Social Entrepreneurship (CSE)
 * Conservation of Heritage and Research Institute for Society and its History (CHERISH)
 * Office of Population Studies (OPS)
 * Water Resources Center (WRC)
 * USC Museum Studies & Galleries (Spanish Colonial, Archeological, Ethnographic, Natural Science, Arcenas "Bahandi & Handuman", Finnigan Ifugao People of Cordillera, Japanese Fine Ceramics & Ningyo Dolls)
 * USC Publishing House

Research Groups and Laboratories

I. Sciences research groups/laboratories:
 * Biodiversity and Ecological Studies
 * Marine and Aquaculture Biotechnology
 * Industrial Microbiology
 * Medical and Agricultural Entomology (Mosquito research laboratory)
 * Molecular Biology and Diagnostics
 * Environmental Chemistry and Aquatic Toxicology
 * Water Laboratory
 * Pharmaceutical Science, Ethno-pharmacology, Nano carriers and Drug Delivery
 * Computational Functional Materials, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
 * Complex Systems Physics
 * Materials Science
 * Photonics and Optics Physics
 * Multimedia and Software Development

II. Engineering research groups/laboratories:
 * Advanced/Sustainable/Functional/ Smart Materials and Nanotechnology
 * Bio-Process Engineering
 * Biomass and Biofuels
 * Food, Bioactive Products and Enzyme Engineering
 * Environmental Sustainability
 * Construction Materials Testing and Structural Engineering
 * Water Resources Management
 * Instrumentation and Process Control
 * Microelectronics
 * Computer Networks and Mobile Computing
 * Digital Hardware and Embedded Systems
 * Printed Circuit Board Design and Prototyping
 * Software Engineering
 * Industrial Mechatronics
 * Automation and Robotics
 * Artificial Intelligence
 * Alternative and Renewable Energy
 * Computer Aided Design, Engineering and Manufacturing

III. Other research groups:
 * Rationalizing learning outcomes, student workload and developing flexible learning system towards an authentic outcome based education research
 * Economic Development research
 * Public Health, Nutrition and Sanitation research
 * Behavioral Science and Mental Health research
 * Governance and Social Justice research

Recognitions
USC is recognized as a Center of Excellence (COE) by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in eight academic programs: anthropology, business administration, chemical engineering, entrepreneurship, mechanical engineering, office administration, physics, and teacher education. Additionally, USC is a Center of Development (COD) in civil engineering, electrical engineering, electronics engineering, computer engineering, industrial engineering, biology, chemistry, hotel and restaurant management, information technology, marine science, philosophy, and tourism. Nationwide, USC ranks fourth in the number of CHED-recognized centers, with eight COEs and twelve CODs As of 2016, and extended in 2019.

USC is ranked among the top-performing schools for 2008 to 2019 in the bar and board exams for law, accountancy, chemical engineering, chemistry, architecture, pharmacy, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and chemical technicians. USC has been granted autonomous status by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in 2001, 2005, 2009, 2016 and extended 2019.

USC is a charter and founding member of the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU), the USC Schools of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Education, and Business Administration are among the first schools, colleges, and undergraduate programs accredited by PAASCU since 1957. USC School of Engineering is the first PAASCU accredited engineering school in 1974. USC is reaccredited by PAASCU as Level III for 2015 to 2019 and 2020 to 2024.

USC School of Engineering

The USC School of Engineering is the lone Philippine university member of the School on the Internet-Asia (SOI-Asia), a consortium of 15 universities situated in 11 countries across Asia. It can be noted that the Philippines was first connected to the Internet at the 1st International E-mail conference held at USC in March 1994.

Seven (7) programs of the School of Engineering (chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, electronics engineering, mechanical engineering, and industrial engineering) were granted full accreditation by the Philippine Technological Council Accreditation and Certification Board for Engineering and Technology (PTC-ACBET) the authorized accrediting body in the Philippines of the Washington Accord as of 2020.

USC Bio-Process Engineering Research Center (BioPERC) of the Chemical Engineering (ChE) Department research and development (R&D) project on the re-use and re-utilization through biochemical processing of bio-organic wastes from processed mangoes and other tropical fruits into high value-added, healthy and anti-oxidant rich flour, fine poly-organic chemicals and activated carbon, is recognized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) as the "First Success Story" of an Intellectual Property (IP) technology innovation and commercialization from the academe in the Philippines. The technology developed was patented with the technical and administrative assistance of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHIL) and the USC Innovation & Technology Support Office (ITCO). The project catalyzed the inception of a new spin-off company Green Enviro Management Systems, Inc. (GEMS) which inaugurated and commenced full operation in 2015 of its processing plant facilities located in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

USC School of Law and Governance

The USC School of Law and Governance was recognized by the Legal Education Board of the Supreme Court of the Philippines for excellence in legal education as being the fourth nationwide highest passing percentage and performance in the bar exams from 2012 to 2017. The USC School of Law and Governance moot court team is the first law school in the Visayas and Mindanao regions to win as champion of the nationwide Philippines Philip Jessup Moot Court Debate competition and represent the Philippines in the world's largest and most prestigious moot court debate the International Philip Jessup Moot Court Debate competition 2014 in Washington DC. USC moot court team made it to the finals top 10 and was awarded the best novice (new) team.

USC School of Law and Governance is the only law school in the Visayas and Mindanao to be granted a license by the Supreme Court to have a Clinical Legal Education Program (CLEP), whereby its senior students are allowed to handle actual cases in the court with the assistance and under the guidance of a licensed member of the bar. Likewise, it is the first law school in the Philippines outside Metro Manila to be accredited by the Supreme Court to conduct Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) seminar for lawyers.

USC School of Business and Economics

The USC School of Business and Economics has been selected for the 2007/2008 Eduniversal 1,000 business schools that count on Earth by an International Scientific Committee. USC accountancy clinched the top performance with the highest passing percentage with at least 50 examinees and 5 board topnotchers in the May 2015, 2016 and 2018 CPA board exam.

The University of San Carlos (USC) School of Business and Economics received a "One Palm" ranking in the Eduniversal 2023 Business School Ranking, signifying its status as a locally preferred institution. Notably, USC is the only business school in the Philippines outside of Metro Manila to be included in this prestigious ranking, highlighting its excellence and reputation in the field of business education.

International Linkages
The University of San Carlos (USC) boasts significant international linkages that enrich its academic environment. With over 125 academic and institutional partnerships across 26 countries, USC has established a robust network fostering global collaboration. These partnerships span various regions, including ASEAN, the US, Europe, and East Asia, and involve joint research projects, faculty exchanges, and student exchange programs. This extensive network enhances the university's multicultural community, offering students and faculty opportunities to engage in diverse academic and cultural experiences, thereby supporting USC's commitment to global standards and excellence in education. Some of the more recent partnered Educational institutions are: TU Wien, Walailak University, University of Pecs, MATE Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Okayama University, Toho University, and Chiba University.

British Council United Kingdom and Philippines Transnational Education (TNE) bilateral cooperation with the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) granted in 2017 long-term institutional support and funding to USC School of Engineering dual graduate studies program on Doctor of Engineering with Coventry University in London, and the USC School of Architecture, Fine Arts and Design graduate program on Master of Design and Arts with Cardiff Metropolitan University in London.

Today's Carolinian
The official student publication of USC is Today's Carolinian (TC), which is run by its editorial board and staff composed of graduate and undergraduate students of the university. The official slogan of the publication is "Our Commitment. Your Paper." According to its website and Facebook page, the publication began as a re-established student publication of the University of San Carlos during the 80s, almost 10 years after Marcos' Martial Law seized the existence of student publications and other student institutions nationwide. It happened when the students launched their first strike against the administration to reinstate the student council and the student publication of the USC. The students were victorious in reinstating the student government. The latter eventually brought back the student publication in September 1983. After some time in the early 2000s, the publication was shut down again and, with the efforts of the university's supreme student council, re-emerged in 2012.

In 2020, Today's Carolinian published an editorial on Facebook titled “A GOVERNOR IS NOT ABOVE THE CONSTITUTION,” condemning the alleged intimidation of the Cebu Provincial Governor Gwendolyn Garcia against critics. The governor, through her personal Facebook account, invited the editor-in-chief of TC, Berns Mitra, to her office on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, to discuss the matter. For the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), this affirms the statement of TC that the governor is trying to intimidate her critics. CEGP urged the provincial government to focus on implementing mitigating measures against COVID-19 instead of focusing on criticisms.

USC Publishing House
The USC Publishing House, formerly the USC Press, has published about 500 volumes of research journals and about 110 books of academic research by the university's faculty, scholars, alumni, and partners since 1975. Its three major research journals published are: The Philippine Scientist, a journal of natural sciences; Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society, a journal of humanities, arts, culture, history and social sciences; and Devotio: Journal of Business and Economics Studies. It also publishes research journals produced by different research centers and units of USC such as the Cebuano Studies Center, Kabilin Heritage Center, Water Resources Center, Office of Population Studies, Business Resource Center, and various academic schools and departments of the university.

Resumption of classes during COVID-19 Lockdown
On April 26, 2020, during Cebu City's initial ECQ as a response to COVID-19, a newspaper column by broadcaster Bobby Nalzaro worried over a reported announcement by the University of San Carlos that classes in all levels of the Cebu-based school would reopen on May 4, which is barely a week after the enhanced community quarantine in the city (ECQ) was to end under the city's original lockdown schedule of April 28. However, on April 22, Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella reset the lifting of an ECQ to May 15. President Duterte also approved the May 15 emergency task force (or IATF-EID) recommendation for Cebu City and Cebu Province, among other cities and provinces outside Luzon. This announcement by the school sparked a large online backlash from the students, which expanded to backlash from other concerned parties after the extension was announced.

Notable alumni
Notable alumni of the university include Sergio Osmeña Sr., fourth President and the first Vice President of the Philippines ; Senators Vicente Rama, Vicente Sotto , Mariano Jesus Cuenco , Filemon Sotto , Sergio Osmeña III , John Henry Osmeña , Rene Espina , Manuel C. Briones ; Napoleon G. Rama, Award-winning journalist, Floor Leader of the Constitutional Convention, Premio Zobel and Ninoy Aquino Memorial Award recipient ; Congressmen Miguel Cuenco , Raul del Mar , and Pablo P. Garcia ,and Glenn A. Chong ; Governors Dionisio A. Jakosalem , Emilio Mario Osmeña , Osmundo G. Rama , and Hilario P. Davide III ; Hilario G. Davide, Jr. , Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines; Aniano A. Desierto , former Ombudsman of the Republic of the Philippines; Edgardo Delos Santos , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines; Lourdes Reynes Quisumbing, PhD , Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports; Ernesto Pernia, PhD , Secretary of Economic Development and Planning and director general of National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA); Resil Mojares, PhD , Filipino historian and critic of Philippine literature, a National Artist of the Philippines for Literature; Antonio Abad, Premio Zobel winner in 1928 and 1929, a poet, fiction author, playwright and essayist; Erlinda Kintanar Alburo, PhD, contemporary Cebuano language scholar and promoter of the language; Ramon Fernandez , PBA player; Lauro Mumar , national team head coach of India and the Philippines; John Gokongwei, Jr. ; businessman, self-made billionaire, philanthropist, founder and chairman of JG Summit Holdings; Eugene Acevedo , businessman and President of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC).