TL;DR: Both universities publish their own fee schedules, so this comparison does not need estimates. Ateneo publishes an estimated ₱136,609 per semester in tuition and fees for a standard 20-unit undergraduate load in SY 2027-2028 — ₱110,691 tuition plus ₱25,918 in combined fees — which works out to roughly ₱273,000 a year. La Salle charges between ₱74,000 (College of Education) and ₱96,000 (School of Law) per trimester in AY 2026-2027, at ₱4,175 per unit for every college except Education at ₱3,500, implying roughly ₱222,000 to ₱288,000 a year across its three terms. Ateneo therefore sits inside La Salle's range rather than clearly above it. Neither raised tuition for AY 2026-2027.
Setting the Record Straight
The question which is more expensive, Ateneo or La Salle comes up constantly among Metro Manila families, and it usually gets answered with vibes. It does not have to be. Both universities publish real fee schedules, so the comparison can be made from documents rather than impressions.
The short version: they overlap. Ateneo's annual figure lands inside La Salle's spread, which means the honest answer depends entirely on which La Salle programme you are comparing against. An Ateneo student pays well above a La Salle education major and a little under a La Salle science or law student.
Everything below comes from each university's own published schedules. For the wider price spectrum of Philippine universities, see our cheapest vs expensive universities breakdown.
The Calendar Difference: Semesters vs Trimesters
The single biggest source of confusion when comparing the two is the academic calendar.
- Ateneo de Manila runs on a two-semester system. You pay tuition twice a year. A typical full load is around 18–21 units per semester.
- De La Salle runs on a three-term (trimester) system. You pay tuition three times a year, with smaller unit loads per term.
This matters because a single La Salle trimester bill looks smaller than a single Ateneo semester bill — but La Salle students pay three times instead of two. To compare fairly, you must always convert to annual cost. Comparing one DLSU trimester to one ADMU semester is misleading.
Tuition and Cost Comparison
The figures below come from each university's own published schedules, not from estimates.
| Item | Ateneo de Manila (ADMU) | De La Salle (DLSU) |
|---|---|---|
| Academic calendar | 2 semesters | 3 trimesters |
| Per-unit rate | about ₱5,535 implied by the Loyola Schools fee schedule | ₱4,175 all colleges except Education, ₱3,500 Education |
| Bill per term | ₱136,609 for a standard 20-unit load (₱110,691 tuition + ₱25,918 fees), SY 2027-2028 estimate | ₱74,000–₱96,000 in tuition and fees, by college, AY 2026-2027 |
| Implied annual total | roughly ₱273,000 | roughly ₱222,000–₱288,000 |
| AY 2026-2027 change | Frozen university-wide | No increase; per-college figures identical to AY 2025-2026 |
| Full scholarship available | Yes, merit and need-based | Yes — Star Scholars: 100% of tuition, miscellaneous and lab fees, plus an ₱18,000 monthly stipend |
DLSU's per-college Term 1 figures for AY 2026-2027 give the shape of its range:
| DLSU college | Term 1 tuition and fees |
|---|---|
| College of Education | about ₱74,000 — the cheapest |
| College of Science | about ₱95,000 |
| School of Law | about ₱96,000 — the dearest |
So the answer to is Ateneo more expensive than La Salle is: more expensive than a La Salle education degree by a clear margin, and roughly level with a La Salle science or law degree. There is no single number, because La Salle's spread is wide and Ateneo's is comparatively narrow.
Both universities held tuition flat for AY 2026-2027. Ateneo announced a university-wide freeze by memorandum. DLSU confirmed no increase, and its published AY 2026-2027 figures match AY 2025-2026 college for college — which is a stronger check than a press release, because you can compare the two PDFs yourself.
Why Is Ateneo So Expensive?
Families often ask why is ateneo so expensive and is ateneo expensive as if it were an outlier. In truth, Ateneo's cost is in line with other premium private universities. Several factors drive the price at both Ateneo and La Salle:
- Faculty and small class sizes. Both schools invest heavily in qualified, often graduate-degree-holding faculty and keep classes relatively small, which raises per-student cost.
- Campus and facilities. Sprawling green campuses, modern laboratories, libraries, sports facilities, and student services all cost money to maintain.
- Brand and outcomes. Strong alumni networks, high employment rates, and prestige command a premium in the market.
- Research and program depth. Both universities run research centers and specialized programs that add to institutional cost.
None of this is unique to Ateneo. La Salle, UST, and other premium schools share the same cost drivers. Ateneo simply gets singled out because of its visibility.
What the Sticker Price Does Not Include
The per-term figures quoted above already fold in each university's mandatory fees, which is why they are the right numbers to compare. What neither figure includes:
- Books and materials, which vary widely by programme.
- Transportation or boarding. This is not a small line in Metro Manila, and the two campuses pull in opposite directions: Ateneo sits in Quezon City, La Salle on Taft in Manila. For many families the commute difference outweighs the tuition difference entirely.
- Living costs if you move closer to campus.
- Course-specific charges for field work, studio materials or clinical placements, depending on the programme.
When comparing the two, compare the full annual out-of-pocket cost including the commute, not just the headline figure.
Who Each School Suits
Cost aside, Ateneo and La Salle have different cultures and strengths. Choose based on fit:
- Ateneo de Manila is Jesuit-run, with a strong reputation in the humanities, social sciences, law, management, and a formation-focused, reflective culture. The Quezon City campus is large and green.
- De La Salle is Lasallian, with particular strength in business, engineering, and the sciences, and a faster-paced trimester rhythm. The Taft campus sits in the heart of Manila.
For a structured way to weigh these factors, read our guide on how to choose a school.
Can You Afford Either? Scholarships and Alternatives
Before you rule either university out on price, note that full rides genuinely exist at both.
La Salle's Star Scholars Program waives 100 per cent of tuition, miscellaneous and laboratory fees and adds an ₱18,000 monthly stipend — that is not a discount, it is the whole bill plus living support. Ateneo runs its own merit and need-based programmes through the Loyola Schools that can bring a qualified student's cost to zero.
Both are competitive, and both require you to apply. A student who assumes the sticker price applies to them and never files is the most avoidable loss in this whole comparison. Explore our scholarships for college students guide and the DOST scholarship guide for science and technology students who may qualify for funded slots.
If neither school fits your budget even with aid, you have strong alternatives:
- Free state and city universities. UP, PUP, and Local Universities and Colleges offer free tuition. See free city universities in Metro Manila and free tuition universities 2026.
- Affordable private universities. See cheapest private universities in the Philippines and low-tuition colleges in Manila.
A premium university is not the only path to a strong career. Many free and affordable schools post excellent board exam and employment results.
The Bottom Line
Ateneo runs roughly ₱273,000 a year on its own SY 2027-2028 schedule; La Salle runs roughly ₱222,000-₱288,000 for AY 2026-2027 depending on the college. That is an overlap, not a gap, and where you land inside it is decided by your programme rather than by the university's name. Both froze tuition for AY 2026-2027. Decide on academic strengths, culture, commute, and the financial aid you can actually secure.
How Programme Choice Changes the Math
Within each university, your programme swings the annual bill by tens of thousands of pesos — and at La Salle the published figures let you see exactly by how much. The ₱22,000 gap between a La Salle education degree and a La Salle law degree in a single term is larger than the plausible gap between the two universities.
La Salle makes the mechanism explicit: ₱4,175 per unit for every college except Education, which is ₱3,500. So your bill is a function of your unit load and one of two rates. Ateneo publishes its own per-unit schedule through the Loyola Schools.
This is why blanket statements like "Ateneo is more expensive" are unreliable. The honest comparison is programme-to-programme: take the specific course you want at each school, read the current per-term figure off each university's published schedule, multiply by the number of terms — two for Ateneo, three for La Salle — and compare the annual totals. Both schools publish enough for you to do this yourself, which is more than most Philippine universities allow.
A Four-Year Cost Perspective
Over a full degree the totals are substantial, and here they follow directly from the published annual figures rather than from an estimate:
| School | Per year (from published schedules) | Four-year total |
|---|---|---|
| Ateneo de Manila | roughly ₱273,000 (SY 2027-2028 estimate) | roughly ₱1.09M |
| De La Salle, College of Education | roughly ₱222,000 | roughly ₱888,000 |
| De La Salle, College of Science | roughly ₱285,000 | roughly ₱1.14M |
Excludes books, transport and living costs, and assumes a standard load with no tuition increase. Both universities held rates flat for AY 2026-2027, but a freeze is a one-year decision, not a promise about later years.
Seen this way, both are roughly a ₱1 million commitment over four years before living costs — which is exactly why the full scholarships, and the free alternatives below, are worth taking seriously if budget is tight.
Beyond Cost: Outcomes and Networks
Part of what families pay for at both schools is the alumni network and employer reputation. Graduates of both Ateneo and La Salle benefit from strong placement in business, law, government, and multinational companies, and their alumni associations are active and well-connected. If you can comfortably afford either school or secure a scholarship, these networks are a genuine long-term return. If affording it means heavy debt or strain, remember that many graduates of free and affordable universities reach the same careers — the network is an advantage, not a requirement, for success.
Compare Top Universities
Ateneo and La Salle are both excellent — the right choice depends on your goals, your budget, and the financial aid you can secure. Compare programs, fees, and locations across Metro Manila on SchoolFinderPH, including schools in Quezon City and Manila.
Related reading: Ateneo de Manila tuition fees, DLSU tuition fees, and how to choose a school in the Philippines.
Compare universities on SchoolFinderPH →
Sources
- Ateneo de Manila University — Tuition and Fees (College) — the official Loyola Schools fee schedule behind the per-semester figure: School Year 2027-2028 estimates of ₱110,691 tuition (20 units), ₱17,394 basic fees and ₱8,524 other fees, page updated 17 June 2026
- Ateneo de Manila University — Tuition Freeze and Salary Increase in SY 2026-2027 (Memo # U2627-001) — the freeze, in the university's own words
- De La Salle University — Projected Tuition and Fees of Incoming First-Year College for AY 2026-2027 (official PDF) — every DLSU per-college figure above
- De La Salle University — Projected Tuition and Fees for AY 2025-2026 (official PDF) — the comparison that confirms no increase
- De La Salle University — Tuition Calculator (official) — the per-unit rates
- De La Salle University — Star Scholars Program — full waiver and ₱18,000 monthly stipend
- PhilSTAR Life — Tuition fees in top PH universities for A.Y. 2026-2027 — comparative context across Metro Manila universities
