Centro Escolar University (
Filipino: Pamantasang Centro Escolar;
Spanish: Universidad Centro Escolar) also referred to by its acronym CEU is a private, non-sectarian,
coeducational institution of higher education located in
Manila, Philippines. Established in 1907 by
Librada Avelino and
Carmen de Luna,[1][2] it is one of the oldest modern higher education institutions in the Philippines. 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 (located in
Gil Puyat and Legaspi).[2][3][1] The university offers more than fifty higher education programs and engages in
research in various fields.[4]
CEU was established in 1907
by pedagogists
Librada Avelino and
Carmen de Luna as the Centro Escolar de Señoritas, based in
Parañaque.[1][2] Its main purpose was to teach "ideal womanhood, intelligent citizenry, and
democratic leadership that would instill in the tenets of science and virtue."[1][2] At the time of its establishment, it was the first non-sectarian women's educational institution in the Philippines (now a
coeducational educational institution).[9] It founded the
College of Pharmacy in 1921, pioneering
medical education in the Philippines.[2][1] Subsequently, the Colleges of Liberal Arts, Education, Business, Dentistry, and Optometry were also established one after another.[2][1] It began operating as a university in 1930 and in 1932 was converted into a corporation for financial reasons.[1] Its name was then changed to Centro Escolar University, which still holds today.[1] In 2009, the School of Law and Jurisprudence was established.[10]
There is also an Integrated School at CEU, which was established upon the university's founding.[2][11] It was removed from the Mendiola campus in the mid-1990s and in Malolos in 2004 after nearly 100 years open.[12] 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.[13]
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).[2][3] In 2013, CEU expressed interest in expanding to
Baguio and
Davao City.[14]
Malolos campus: Opened in 1978. This campus has a teaching hotel called the Ada (after founder
Avelino) for the hospitality and tourism program. This campus is also home to the Centrodome, an auditorium that seats 5,000 people.[19]
Parañaque campus (defunct): The Parañaque campus was phased out in the 1990s.[2]
Sampaloc campus (defunct): When the university started in 1907, it was held in a rented house in the Sampaloc area of Manila. When its student population became too high, it moved to its permanent home in Mendiola.[14]
Schools
School of Accountancy and Management: Established in 1928 as the College of Commerce. Previous names include the College of Commerce and Business; the College of Commerce and Secretarial Administration; the College of Accountancy, Commerce, and Secretarial Administration; and the School of Accountancy, Business, Secretarial and Public Administration.[citation needed] The business department has honors from
CHED for its excellence.[6][5] The school is based on the Mendiola campus.[22]
School of Dentistry: Established in 1925.[23][24] The school is based on the Mendiola campus.[25]
School of Education, Liberal Arts, Music and Social Work: Established in the late 1990s[citation needed] when four major departments were combined.[26] The school is based on the Mendiola campus.[26]
School of Law and Jurisprudence: Established in 2009.[10] Faculty have included Supreme Court Associate Justice
Jose Midas Marquez, former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel
Salvador Panelo, and Chief Justice
Alexander Gesmundo.[27][28][29] The school is based on the Makati, Gil Puyat campus.[30]
School of Medical Technology: Established in 1960. The school is based on the Mendiola campus.[31]
School of Medicine: The school's first graduates finished their degree in 2021 and scored an 80% passing rate.[32] In 2008, CEU established a
subsidiary called the Centro Escolar University Hospital, Inc., but no moves have been made to build a teaching hospital.[33] As such, the school works with the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center. The school is based on the Mendiola campus.[34]
School of Nursing: Established in 1975.[35] CEU nursing students on the Makati campus earned a 100% passing rate on the licensure exam in 2021.[36] The school is based on the Mendiola campus.[35]
School of Optometry: Established in 1928.[37] The school has honors from
CHED for its excellence;[6][5] in 2021, CEU optometry students earned the top passing rate of the licensure exam at 93.6%.[38] The school is based on the Mendiola campus.[39]
School of Pharmacy: Established in 1921, the first higher education program at the university.[2][1] In 1999, the College of Pharmacy became the School of Pharmacy with the introduction of MS and PhD programs.[40] The BS became available on the Malolos campus in 2001 and the BS and Pharm.D. were available in Makati, Gil Puyat in 2005.[41][42] It is a founding member of the Philippine Association of the Colleges of Pharmacy and the Asian Association of Schools and Pharmacy.[citation needed] The school is based on the Mendiola campus.[43]
School of Science and Technology: Established in 1928 as the School of Science. It was the first school in Asia to offer a cosmetic science degree. [citation needed] The school is based on the Mendiola campus.[44]
School of Nutrition and Hospitality Management: Established as the College of Foods and Nutrition. Previous names include the College of Nutrition and Home Economics (1967); College of Nutrition, Home Economics and Tourism (1989); and the School of Tourism, Family Economics, and Nutrition (2001) before landing on the School of Nutrition and Hospitality Management in 2007.[citation needed] The school is based on the Mendiola campus.[45]
Jay Taruc - Mass Communication (Broadcasting) (late 1990s); journalist[67][56]
Darryl Yap - Mass Communication (Broadcasting); film director and screenwriter
Politics
Concepcion A. Aguila - Master of Law (1926), Master of Arts (1937) - lawyer, pedagogist, former Executive Director and Dean at CEU, and former
UN regional chairman[68][2]