Centro Escolar University, commonly referred to as CEU, is a private, non-sectarian, coeducational institution of higher education located in Manila, Philippines. Founded in 1907 by Librada Avelino and Carmen de Luna, CEU is recognized as one of the oldest modern universities in the Philippines. It operates six campuses, including its main campus in San Miguel, Manila, with additional campuses in Malolos, Las Piñas, Cebu City, and two in Makati (Gil Puyat and Legaspi). CEU offers more than fifty academic programs and is actively involved in research across a range of disciplines. CEU is accredited by the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines and the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities' Commission on Accreditation (Level IV, the highest level), and has full autonomous status from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). It is certified by the Institute of Corporate Directors, the Department of Trade and Industry, SGS S.A., Arthram International Organization for Standardization, and the ASEAN University Network. In 2006, CEU won the Papal Award Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice. In 2022, CEU was awarded with the Safety Seal from the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

History

CEU was established in 1907 by pedagogists Librada Avelino and Carmen de Luna as the Centro Escolar de Señoritas, based in Parañaque. Its main purpose was to teach "ideal womanhood, intelligent citizenry, and democratic leadership that would instill in the tenets of science and virtue." At the time of its establishment, it was the first non-sectarian women's educational institution in the Philippines (now a coeducational educational institution). It founded the College of Pharmacy in 1921, pioneering medical education in the Philippines. Subsequently, the Colleges of Liberal Arts, Education, Business, Dentistry, and Optometry were also established one after another. It began operating as a university in 1930 and in 1932 was converted into a corporation for financial reasons. Its name was then changed to Centro Escolar University, which still holds today. In 2009, the School of Law and Jurisprudence was established. There is also an Integrated School at CEU, which was established upon the university's founding. It was removed from the Mendiola campus in the mid-1990s and in Malolos in 2004 after nearly 100 years open. It was revived starting in the 2014-2015 academic year as the Centro Escolar Integrated School (CEIS) and is offered in Manila, Malolos, and Makati. There have been seven presidents in the history of CEU: Librada Avelino (1907-1934); Carmen de Luna (1934-1962); Pilar Hidalgo-Lim (1962-1972); Dionisio Tiongco (1972-1992); Lourdes Talagechauz (1992-2002); Rosita L. Navarro (2002-2006); and Cristina Padolina (2006-present).

Campuses

CEU has six campuses: the main campus in San Miguel, Manila; the Malolos campus; the Las Piñas campus; the Cebu campus; and the Makati campuses (Gil Puyat and Legaspi). In 2013, CEU expressed interest in expanding to Baguio and Davao City.

Schools

The Graduate School was founded in 1926 during Avelino's presidency, which is the main place for CEU to engage in academic research. CEU Graduate School is the only school in the Philippines that offers a post-doctoral degree in Business Administration-Total Quality Management (TQM).

Sport

CEU offers varsity sports in basketball, volleyball, futsal, cheerleading, badminton, swimming, Taekwondo, and table tennis. Scorpion varsity teams are part of the Men's National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Women's National Collegiate Athletic Association, Universities and Colleges Basketball League, and the National Capital Region Athletic Association and have played competitions in the Philippine Basketball Association D-League, Breakdown, and the Philippine Basketball League. The men's basketball team on the Malolos campus have been part of the Bulacan Collegiate Athletic Association and Private Schools Athletic Association. Recent coaches of men's basketball include Derrick Pumaren (2018-2019), Jeff Napa (2020), and Chico Manabat (2020–present).

Notable alumni

Entertainment

Politics

Religion

Sports