About CEU

Today, as one of the leading educational institutions in the country, Centro Escolar University, upholds academic excellence by continually upgrading its curricula and facilities and maintaining a highly professional and dynamic teaching force and university staff.

For more than a century, Centro Escolar University has helped students realize their dreams of success and prominence in their chosen careers. Its campuses in Manila, Malolos, and Makati not only provide a stimulating atmosphere for learning, but nurture ambition and motivation as well. 

Most of CEU degree programs are accredited Levels II, III and IV, by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) as certified by the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP). The Biology, Business Administration, Communication and Media, Cosmetic Science, Dentistry, Information Technology, International Hospitality Management, International

Tourism and Travel Management, Medical Technology, Music Education, Nursing, Nutrition and Dietetics, Optometry, Pharmacy, Psychology, and Social Work programs of the University are now ASEAN University Network (AUN) Quality Assurance certified. Its Nursing and Social Work programs for Manila campus have also earned the Highest Level of accreditation, Level III, by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools,

Colleges and Universities (PAASCU). These accreditations attest to the excellence of the University’s programs—high standard of instruction, effective community extension programs, a robust research tradition, strong staff development program, favorable performance of graduates in licensure exams, productive partnerships with other schools and agencies, and a sustained quality assurance system.

In all CEU campuses, facilities are constantly upgraded with the latest in learning equipment and technology making the University a constant partner of PRC in the practical component of licensure examinations in Dentistry and Optometry. The Manila campus boasts of state-of-the-art computer technology facilities in its 7-storey Information Science Center, and a sports center with a gymnasium and swimming pool.  The Malolos campus has a gymnasium and a mini-hotel while the Makati campus is operating the latest facilities in Gil Puyat and Legazpi Village. To fully support research activities, the University has modernized its library services and upgraded them with electronic-based research tools and new information resource acquisitions. 

CEU was founded on June 3, 1907 as the “Centro Escolar de Señoritas” by two visionaries, Librada Avelino and Carmen de Luna, who were inspired by the patriotic movement to nationalize schools. They were cognizant of a need for a center of learning for Filipino women focused on teaching ideal womanhood, intelligent citizenry and democratic leadership that would instill in them the tenets of science and virtue. Kindergarten, elementary, general secondary, music and home arts courses were the first programs of instruction included in the curriculum. 

The school was granted university status by the Philippine government in 1932 with Doña Librada as President. When she died in November 1934, her co-founder, Doña Carmen de Luna was elected as President by the Board of Directors. 

CEU has steadily grown as an institution under the leadership of noted educators who have contributed much to the development of their respective professions. Following the leadership of the two founders, the succeeding presidents were:

Dr. Pilar Hidalgo-Lim, an educator and civic leader;

Dr. Dionisio C. Tiongco, a renowned scholar and educator;

Dr. Lourdes T. Echauz, a distinguished philanthropist and educator; and

Dr. Rosita L. Navarro, a recognized educator and an advocate of the balance between globalization and Filipinization. 

Dr. Ma. Cristina D. Padolina, President Emeritus, a former Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Chancellor of the University of the Philippines Open University

The current President, Danilo L. Concepcion, JD, is a lawyer and former President of the University of the Philippines.

With three campuses and over 50 academic programs, CEU has gone far beyond its founders’ vision, laying claim to the distinction as the only higher education institution to have the following array of institutional awards for quality:

Adding to these marks of quality is the 3-star overall rating earned by CEU based on the University Performance Metrics (UPM), a new university rating system initiated and developed by researchers from Vietnam National University, Hanoi, which promotes benchmarking among universities. CEU was among the three universities from the Philippines rated in 2020, out of the overall 40 participating schools from different countries. In this rating system, university performance evaluation is assessed in 54 indicators. The rating received by CEU bespeaks of global competence and exemplary reputation characterized by the ability to facilitate student mobility in ASEAN countries. CEU specifically got 4 stars in strategic performance, education, IT infrastructure, and community services. 

CEU also ranked 26th in the overall results of AppliedHE Private University Ranking: ASEAN, a sophisticated higher education ranking system that considers different dimensions of an institutions’ performance based on multiple sources of data. The assessment is based on the institution’s quality of teaching and learning (40%), employability (15%), research (15%), community engagement (10%), internationalization (10%), and institutional reputation (10%). CEU ranked 1st in the teaching and learning criterion among the eight participating Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the country and 12th among 29 Southeast Asian countries.

Prior to these prestigious ratings at the international level, CEU Manila, Makati and Malolos campuses were given the Institutional Sustainability Assessment (ISA) certification by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) signifying its capacity to translate policies and strategies into quality programs and quality results. The presence, implementation, outcomes, and effectiveness of the University’s Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) systems were evaluated and obtained a rating of 3 in most of the indicators under five key results areas (KRAs): governance and management; quality of teaching and learning; quality of professional exposure, research, and creative work; support for students; and relations with the community.   

The University also ranked 271st among 1072 participating universities worldwide in the 2024 Global Top 300 Innovative Universities by The World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI). CEU impressively secured spots in the top 100 in three categories: rank 23 in Industrial Application, 27th spot in Support for Global Resilience, and 36th place in Leadership. This prestigious recognition reaffirms CEU’s substantial contributions to industry and society, focusing on innovative education, research and community engagement.

CEU has also fulfilled the standards of the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) model for Institutional Level Assessment for all its campuses in Manila, Makati, and Malolos.

From the CEU’s founders, Doña Librada Avelino and Doña Carmen De Luna to its current President and Chief Academic Officer, Danilo L. Concepcion, JD, the vision of the University of helping the youth realize their dreams and contribute to national and global progress continues to be sustained amidst the ever-changing dynamics of a globalized educational system.