Tuition Fees in the Philippines: How Much Education Cost as of 2023

Education is a recurring subject that Filipino parents tell their children to emphasize its importance as a poverty solver. But it can be quite ironic to think that quality education in the Philippines is not without a significant cost. Sure, there are public schools catering toward students who hail from modest economic backgrounds, but school expenses also have to be taken into account, which suffices to declare that education in the Philippines is neither cheap nor free.

It's fairly affordable from kindergarten to high school, but tuition fees significantly increase upon a student's formal advancement to tertiary education.

As of 2023, how much does education cost in the Philippines, you may ask. We'll answer this pivotal question in the article from Lumina Homes. We'll also touch on the subject of what affects the cost of both public and private school education in the country.

Tuition Fees in the Country's Top Universities

To give you an idea of how much education costs under the Philippines' school system, below are just some of the top universities and their corresponding tuition fee costs every year.

University of the Philippines - Diliman

• Annual tuition fees: Free for qualified students

Vastly considered as the top university in the entire country, UP Diliman is a treasure trove of intellectually accomplished students. Graduates from this institution are preferred by local employers for the school's reputation. As a direct beneficiary of the Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, qualified UP students deservingly enjoy free college education.

De La Salle University

• Annual tuition fees: ₱200,000 or more

Operating under the trimestral system, the cost of each term in De La Salle ranges from 70,000 to 90,000. On average, the tuition costs per unit is roughly 3,700. Assuming your child will enroll with 20 units, that will total to 74,000 per trimester. Still, many parents and aspiring college students prefer De La Salle for its reputation as a premier collegiate school that promises a high employability rate for its thousands of students.

University of Santo Tomas

• Annual tuition fees: ₱60,000 to ₱140,000

Renowned as the oldest university not only in the Philippines but in all of Asia, your child's college education in this academically competent institution will cost you around 60,000 to 140,000 every year. This is exclusive of other school fees such as registration, library, and laboratory fees.

University of San Carlos

• Annual tuition fees: ₱140,000 to ₱180,000

Not all the best academic institutions are found in the country's capital region. University of San Carlos in Cebu City is proof of this fact. When it comes to producing topnotchers in various fields, USC is a popular institution that can rival the best schools in Manila. With annual tuition fees from 140,000 to 180,000, it's a good investment that will necessitate building on your child's education fund if you intend to enroll your child in this academically excellent tertiary school in Cebu.

Silliman University

• Annual tuition fees: ₱120,000 to ₱160,000

Another renowned university outside Metro Manila is Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. The prestigious collegiate institution is also a melting pot of diverse cultures and religious backgrounds with international students from more than 50 countries. Considered the best courses to take in Silliman include accountancy, nursing, engineering, and information technology. Tuition costs start from 120,000 to as high as 160,000 annually.

Factors Affecting a Child's Education Costs in the Philippines

The overall costs of your child's education would depend on key factors, such as:

Institutional type

Whether you intend to enroll your young learner in a public or private school can make a huge difference. There are more than 200 public higher education institutions in the Philippines that are subsidized under the free tuition law. Many of these institutions are just as academically competent as the top private schools in the metro. Still, college education in a private school remains highly prepared because of their state-of-the-art facilities, overall atmosphere that's more conducive to learning, and quality of faculty members.

Course or specialization

Some courses are more expensive than others. That is to say, a liberal arts course may cost less than financially demanding fields such as engineering, aviation, and architecture. However, the cost of a course must not take precedence over the personal choice of your child who may pursue a more expensive course that he or she is truly passionate about. This makes it important to economically prepare for your child's education as early as pre-kindergarten (and perhaps even before they were born).

Tuition and miscellaneous fees

Tuition and miscellaneous fees are the main source of headache among Filipino parents from humble economic backgrounds. But should you decide to invest in your child's educational wellbeing, take note that tuition fee hikes also happen, and that the five-year moratorium on tuition fee increases already lapsed last year.

Availability of financial aid

As early as when their kid turns three, many Filipino parents invest in their child's education by actively teaching their young learners at home. Doing so can make a difference in developing your child's intellectually capabilities, which may later help your child win scholarship grants that reward academically achieving students through full-tuition subsidy with book and transportation allowances.

Daily expenses

Finally, aside from tuition and miscellaneous fees, your child's daily expenses, from food to transportation allowance, among others, can add to the overall costs of your child's education.

Investing in your child's education by starting a college tuition fund is one key to unlocking a bright future for them. And it helps if your house and lot Philippines is situated in a self-sustaining community near educational institutions from kindergarten, junior high school, senior high school, to college. Lumina Homes, Vista Land's primary provider of affordable house and lot for sale, assures prospective homebuyers that our housing projects nationwide are all located near educational institutions to enroll your children.

Aside from proximity to schools, our Lumina communities from 50 locations in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are also near supermarkets, shopping centers, healthcare facilities, local tourist spots, accessible public transportation, and more. For your affordable house and lot inquiries, do not hesitate to send us a message detailing your specific concerns. Achieve your dreams for your children by taking residence in a conveniently located Lumina community near educational institutions!