National University (Philippines)

National University (Filipino: Pamantasang Pambansa) commonly known as NU, colloquially National U, is a private non–sectarian university located in Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines. The founder of the university, Mariano F. Jhocson Sr., established the institution on August 1, 1900, as Colegio Filipino in Quiapo, Manila. It is considered as the first private nonsectarian and coeducational institution in the Philippines and also, the first university to use English as its medium of instruction, replacing Spanish.
With its main campus in Sampaloc, Manila, the university has been expanding by setting secondary campuses. Other campuses of NU includes: NU Nazareth School, NU Laguna (Sports Academy), NU Fairview, NU Mall of Asia, NU Baliwag, NU Dasmariñas, NU Lipa, NU Clark, and NU Bacolod, among others. Additionally, the institution leased a part of the lot and buildings of the former College of the Holy Spirit Manila in Mendiola, Manila and will be known as the upcoming NU Manila College of Business and Accountancy, Mendiola.
Approved by the Department Public Instruction on June 17, 1921, the university received its university status, changing the name from National Academy to National University. Senator Camilo Osías, two-time Senate President of the Philippines, served as the first University President (1921-1936). The current university president is Renato C. Ermita, Jr. (2008–present) and its current majority owner is the SM Group.
NU is one of the pioneer members of National Collegiate Athletic Association- Philippines (NCAA) and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), and also a pioneer member of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU). Its international affiliations and memberships include the Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning (ASAHIL) and the International Association of Universities (IAU).
Mariano F. Jhocson Sr. founded Colegio Filipino on August 1, 1900, Jhocson Residence in Palma Street, Quiapo, Manila. Only a handful of students at that time were enrolled in the fledgling school and they were in the elementary and secondary levels. Mariano Sr. served as the college director, instructor, and janitor. He began business courses in bookkeeping and accounting. This prompted a name change as it became known as Colegio Mercantil, awarding the diploma of Perito Mercantil. A short time later, Jhocson Sr. collaborated with attorneys Simeon C. Lacson and Ricardo C. Lacson and established the Philippine Law School. From Colegio Mercantil, the Board of Trustees changed the name of the institution to National Academy in 1916. Due to continuous growth of the academy, liberal arts courses were offered.
After 21 years of service in the field of education, the Board of Trustees applied for university status to the Department of Public Instruction. Thus the school became known as National University on June 17, 1921. The university installed, on that same day, Senator Camilo Osías, a Filipino educator, as the first president of the university. The Colleges of Education and Commerce were opened in the same year. During the following years, the Colleges of Pharmacy and Dentistry were opened in 1922. The College of Engineering, initially offering Civil Engineering opened in 1925, and the Normal School in 1930. Sanitary Engineering was offered in 1930. Bachelor's degrees in Chemical, Electrical, Industrial, Mechanical Engineering and Architecture and Arts were opened. Master in Sanitary Engineering was also organized. Computer Science was opened in 1990, Marine Engineering, Computer Engineering and Electronics and Communications Engineering in 1994. College of Nursing was offered in 2004, Hotel and Restaurant Management in 2008 and Information Technology in 2009.
A fire broke out on January 1, 1998, and razed four buildings of the university which are the old Main Building, Law and Commerce Building, Elementary Building, and Graduate School Building. The university was able to re-open its doors after three weeks of restoration work and used Mariano F. Jhocson Memorial Building. The College of Dentistry Building, built in the 1920s, was the only building in the NU campus that remained unscathed in the fire.
In 2008, the SM Group of Companies acquired majority ownership of National University.
A new logo for National University was unveiled on October 17, 2017. The new brand features the school's colors and a shield which was inspired from the old university logo.
As the institution grows so as their demand for a bigger campus increases which led to the birth NU Main Building Expansion. The expansion is built to cater approximately 10,000 students in the coming years. The expansion will be a 12-storey building which is physically connected to the existing 8-storey building. The whole development will have a gross floor area of approximately 40,000sm. Additional facilities will be an indoor swimming pool, indoor futsal, basketball court, PE center, and fitness room.
National University Manila offers twenty-four undergraduate degrees in its eight colleges. It also offers basic education via the NU Nazareth School. National University's basic education unit and Nazareth School merged in 2013. During the 2020–2021 school year, NU Nazareth had a student population of 13,729.
National University has a satellite campus in Calamba, Laguna. The abandoned site of St. James College of Calamba was purchased by NU and it is now occupied by National University as a satellite campus. It is the first NU campus outside Metro Manila. The university opened its doors to students in the 2018–2019 school year.
The National University Bacolod (NU Bacolod or NUB) in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental is the school's first satelitte campus in the Visayas-Mindanao region and also the first one outside Luzon. It is located beside SM City Bacolod and its first operations started from school year 2024 to 2025. It offers Senior High School and college courses. Senior High School programs include: Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM), Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS). Its college programs include Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management.
National University is an accredited member of various National and International Organizations:
National University was one of the schools that founded the Philippine National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1924. It was one of the three schools that left the NCAA in 1932 and formed a new athletic association named the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) in 1938.
In the UAAP, NU has teams participating in twelve sports out of fifteen, namely; cheerleading, basketball, indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, football, baseball, softball, tennis, table tennis, badminton, fencing, taekwondo and chess.
The university's collegiate men's and women's varsity teams are called the National University Bulldogs and the Lady Bulldogs, respectively. The high school varsity teams are called the Bullpups and Lady Bullpups.