Local Admission

Bachelor’s Degree Programs

The University of the Philippines, in its commitment to the pursuit of academic excellence and in light of its mandate as the national university, seeks to democratize admission into the University through the Excellence-Equity Admissions System (EEAS). The EEAS aims for a greater geographic distribution as well as socio-economic equity among the students admitted to UP while maintaining high academic standards. (1107th BOR Meeting: 17 April 1997).

In 2006, UP Diliman implemented the revised EEAS, using the UP Admission Index (UPAI) (1204th BOR Meeting: 26 January 2006; 95th UPD UC: 19 April 2006).

Admission into a bachelor’s degree program is covered by the following guidelines:

1. Graduates of Department of Education-accredited high schools may be admitted as freshmen into the University based on their performance in the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) and their weighted average in the first three (3) years of high school (798th BOR Meeting: 27 August 1970);

2. Applicants who are holders of the Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) Certificate, in lieu of a high school diploma, may be admitted to the University provided they qualify in the UPCAT (1034th BOR Meeting: 30 August 1990);

3. Applicants who graduated from high schools abroad and who have not enrolled in college may be admitted as beginning freshmen into a degree program with available slots without taking the UPCAT provided that they meet the following requirements (594th EC Meeting: 27 April 1966 p.122):

    • GCE: three (3) ordinary level passes and two (2) advance level passes

    • SAT: minimum total score of 1200 (for Math and Critical Reading only)

    • IBE: International Baccalaureate Diploma; and

c. in the case of an applicant whose native language or whose medium of instruction in the secondary school is not English, a score of at least 500 in the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or at least 173 in the computerized form, or at least sixty-one (61) in Internet- Based Test [IBT] [1126th BOR Meeting: 26 November 1998, amended at 1296th BOR Approval: 27 February 2014];

d. official result forms should be submitted upon entry or upon filing of application.

4. a graduate from a high school abroad who fails to satisfy the requirements for automatic admission (i.e., item b above) may take the UPCAT;

5. a Filipino who graduates from a secondary school abroad and applies for freshman admission to the University must satisfy the same requirements as those for foreign students. (239th UC Meeting; 15 April 1969 p.2).

Associate in Arts Programs

Transfer Admission

Graduate and Postgraduate Students

Last Updated: 01 Jan 2023