Dumaguete has earned the distinction of being known as “the center of learning in the south,” or a “university town” due to the presence of universities that have made their mark nationally and abroad. The city is a melting pot of students, professionals, artists, scholars and the literati coming from different parts of the country and the world.
Silliman University is the dominant institution of higher learning in Dumaguete, providing the city with a distinct university town atmosphere. It is the oldest Protestant university in the country and the oldest American-established university in Asia. The 610,000 m² campus is adjacent to and intermixed with the city’s downtown district. It is the 4th top performing school in the Philippines, and 2nd if the University of the Philippines System is taken as one, according to a survey conducted by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Some of its buildings have likewise been recognized as landmarks. These buildings include the Silliman Hall, Katipunan Hall, the Luce Auditorium, and the Silliman Main Library (considered as one of the biggest libraries in the Philippines).
Other universities located in the city are Foundation University, Negros Oriental State University (also known as NORSU campuses 1 and 2), and Saint Paul University of Dumaguete (1904), which is the first Saint Paul educational institution to be established in the Philippines by the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres (SPC) from France. With the exception of NORSU, these universities also have grade schools and high schools.
There are also many colleges in the city, including a branch of AMA Computer College and AMA ACLC, a branch of the Asian College of Science and Technology (commonly known as ACSAT), a branch of STI College, Maxino College, Metro Dumaguete College, and Colegio de Santa Catalina de Alejandria (popularly known as COSCA).
