Caraga State U tops 2025 THE Impact Rankings in Mindanao, Caraga
By Renelle L. Escuadro
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) —Caraga State University (CSU) in Butuan City ranks first among universities in the Caraga region and in Mindanao in the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, a benchmark for evaluating university excellence and impact on society beyond traditional academic performance.
Announced on June 18 in Istanbul, Turkey, CSU is also the only newcomer to break into the national Top 10 Philippine Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs), standing shoulder to shoulder with other institutions that have already held placements in the previous years of the assessment.
The rankings are categorized in ranges, with CSU belonging in the 601-800 range, it is the only PHEI in the Caraga region and Mindanao to enter the 3rd place, sharing the rank with five other universities from Luzon and Visayas.
“We owe this achievement to our dedicated faculty, staff, students, alumni, partners and the strong leadership of our Board of Regents chaired by CHED Chairperson Shirley C. Agrupis. What once was a Hiraya Manawari, a ‘hope it happens’ for CSU, finally became a reality,’ Dr. Rolyn C. Daguil, university president said. “As we rise in global rankings, we are called to contribute even more to the advancement of global education, research and sustainable development. May this recognition inspire us to propel forward with even greater purpose.”
No1 in SDG 1
The university’s placement is remarkable for a debut performance in the ranking, considering the 2,526 universities from 130 countries that were evaluated based on their contributions to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
It became the top university in the Philippines and 44th in the world out of 1,267 institutions for SDG Goal No. 1: No Poverty through its strategic combination of research –driven initiatives, community engagement, and strong partnerships. CSU has actively implemented programs that enhance livelihood opportunities and promote economic self-sufficiency, especially among marginalized populations within and outside the university walls.
CSU was notable as well in Goal No. 3 (Good Health and Well-being) at 5th; Goal No. 4 (Quality Education) at 3rd; Goal No. 5 (Gender Equality) at 6th; Goal No. 17 (Partnership for the Goals) at 3rd.
This achievement testifies the university’s heightened efforts toward creating a sustainable future for the region and beyond, as integrated into its institutional strategies and research priorities
Caraga State University has two campuses. The Butuan City campus in Barangay Ampayon has a land area of 232 hectares catering courses in engineering and geosciences, education, forestry and environmental science, mathematics and natural sciences, computing and information sciences, agriculture and agri-industries, humanities and social sciences, including its newest offering on marine biology and the doctor of medicine and information technology.
The eight-hectare Cabadbaran campus in Agusan del Norte specializes in the fields of Electrical Engineering, Industrial Technology and Education, Information Technology, Hotel and Restaurant Management and Teacher Education.
At present, CSU is transitioning into a future-focused perspective under LIKHA Agenda: Launchpad of Innovators and Global Talents, Interdependence and High-Impact Coalition, Knowledge, Co-creation, and Commercialization, Hub of Academic Excellence, and Accelerated Administrative Process and Digital Transformation. This will scale up the university’s global competitiveness by enhancing and developing CSU’s talents, assets, and opportunities through the creation of new value, meaningful solutions, and responsible steward-leaders in the university and the community. (RLE, PIA Caraga with a report from CSU-PICO)
