What Mindanao State University does

Mindanao State University (MSU) is a public state university system in the Philippines, established under Republic Act 1387 and formally organized on September 1, 1961, with Senator Domocao A. Alonto recognized as the principal author and Dr. Antonio Isidro as founding president. The Main Campus is anchored in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, and the system has expanded into 13 campuses across Mindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, including MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), General Santos, Maguindanao, Naawan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and 13 community high schools. MSU serves undergraduate, graduate, and basic education students through 13 colleges spanning agriculture, business administration, education, engineering, fisheries, health sciences, hospitality, information and computing sciences, law, medicine, natural sciences, public affairs, and social sciences and humanities, and admits a pool of approximately 2,000 Main Campus students and 3,000 satellite-campus students with a stated alumni network of 90,000+ on MSU Alumni Connect and 150,000+ lifetime.

The system operates standard university academic infrastructure including ICT systems, a Fab Lab Marawi for fabrication and prototyping, a digital OPAC library system, and research centers such as the Mamitua Saber Institute of Research and Creation and the Technology and Innovation Center. Cultural and peace-focused assets differentiate its portfolio: the Aga Khan Museum, Meranaw Cultural Heritage Center, Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao (IPDM), and campus radio DXUR 94.1 FM. MSU is supervised by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and governed by a Board of Regents, with the newly appointed 9th Regular System President, Atty. Paisalin P.D. Tago, CPA, taking office in June 2025.

As a public state entity, MSU is funded primarily through national government appropriations, supplemented by student tuition and fees (which are government-regulated) and income-generating programs (IGP) from facilities and services. Additional revenue sources include international grants such as the €550,000 EU-ASEAN SCOPE-HE GreenTrans-Edu award and faculty development scholarships through CHED's SIKAP program. The university's go-to-market is direct-to-student enrollment, distributed across 13 campuses and 13 community high schools, with marketing largely driven by academic reputation, rankings (Top 9 in EduRank 2025), alumni engagement, and partnerships with regional and national agencies including the Bangsamoro Sports Commission, NRCP, NCCA, and international institutions in Turkey, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Name

Mindanao State University

Legal name

Mindanao State University

Website

https://msumain.edu.ph

Company type

Public

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Mindanao State University is a Philippine public state university system with 13 campuses across Mindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, serving undergraduate and graduate students through 13 colleges spanning agriculture, engineering, health sciences, IT, law, and social sciences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Polytechnic & Applied Sciences Universities (EDAHAEAB)

Keywords

• Higher education programs
• Public university services
• Academic degree programs
• Higher education research
• Undergraduate and graduate studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Marawi

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Public university funded primarily through government appropriations and student tuition/fees. Additional revenue from income-generating programs (IGP) including university facilities and services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Mindanao State University is a public state university system that delivers higher education services through undergraduate, graduate, and basic education programs across 13 campuses in the Mindanao region of the Philippines. The university offers degrees in Agriculture, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Fisheries, Health Sciences, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Information and Computing Sciences, Law, Medicine, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Public Affairs, and Social Sciences and Humanities, supplemented by student support services such as the University Library with OPAC, on-campus Medical Services and Hospital, Student Housing, research and extension centers, cultural heritage facilities, and campus media services.

Product overview

Mindanao State University (MSU) is a comprehensive state university system offering a unified portfolio of educational services centered on its academic programs across multiple colleges. The university provides undergraduate and graduate education through its Main Campus in Marawi City and 13 external unit campuses. Key offerings include: (1) Academic Programs spanning Agriculture, Business, Education, Engineering, Fisheries, Health Sciences, Hospitality Management, Information Technology, Law, Medicine, Sciences, and Social Sciences; (2) Research infrastructure through specialized R&D centers including Fab Lab Marawi and Technology and Innovation Center; (3) Student support services including University Library with OPAC, Medical Services and Hospital, and Student Housing; (4) Campus facilities and venues for events and sports; (5) Cultural preservation through the Aga Khan Museum; and (6) Media services via Radio DXUR 94.1 FM. The university operates under a system-wide governance structure with the System President overseeing all campuses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academic Degree Programs (Colleges) Comprehensive higher education offerings through multiple colleges including Agriculture, Business Administration and Accountancy, Education, Engineering, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Forestry and Environmental Studies, Health Sciences, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Information and Computing Sciences, King Faisal Center for Islamic, Arabic and Asian Studies, Law, Medicine, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Public Affairs, Social Sciences and Humanities, and Sports, Physical Education and Recreation. Available to students seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees.
• Basic Education Programs (Senior High School and High School) Pre-university educational offerings including the Institute of Science Education (HS), Integrated Laboratory School, Marawi Senior High School, and University Training Center for students completing basic education before higher education enrollment.
• University Library Services (OPAC) Central library repository with Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) system enabling students and faculty to search and access academic collections and resources.
• Research and Development Services Research infrastructure including Ceramics Development Center, Fab Lab Marawi, Mamitua Saber Institute of Research and Creation (MSIRC), Technology and Innovation Center, and University Extension Services Center available to faculty, researchers, and graduate students.
• Medical Services and Hospital On-campus healthcare facility providing medical services to students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community in Marawi City.
• Student Housing (University Hostel) On-campus accommodation facilities providing hostel rooms for students and a VIP lounge for visiting officials and guests.
• Aga Khan Museum and Natural Science Museum Cultural heritage institutions preserving and promoting the rich cultural legacy of the Bangsamoro people and natural science collections, available for educational visits and cultural engagement.
• Radio DXUR 94.1 U FM Broadcasting Service Campus radio station operated under the Radio, Television, and Cultural Office (RTCO) serving the MSU community and surrounding areas with educational and cultural programming.
• Community High School External Units Off-campus educational units (13 community high schools) in Balindong, Balo-i, Binidayan, Lopez Jaena, Malabang, Marantao, Masiu, Saguiaran, Siawadato, Tamparan, Taraka, Tugaya, and Wao, providing accessible secondary education to remote communities.
• Information and Communications Technology Services Technology infrastructure center managing campus IT systems, digital services, network connectivity, and technology-enabled learning environments for the university community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 9 ranking in Philippines (EduRank 2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Marawi City Government and 7 BarangayscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 January 2024Landmark agreement signed between MSU, Marawi City Government, and seven barangays within MSU campus to enhance cooperation on maintaining peace and order.
• Bangsamoro Sports CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSU-Main Campus and Bangsamoro Sports Commission signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for sports development in the BARMM region. The partnership aims to promote athletic excellence and sports programs across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.
• Kastamonu University (Turkey)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Kastamonu University in Turkey. Programs include student and faculty exchange, joint seminar on sustainable aquaculture, and scholarship opportunities through Türkiye Scholarship Bursları (YTB) offering 16 scholarship slots to MSU campuses.
• TAR UMT (Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology, Malaysia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenewed MOU and MOA signed on May 21, 2024. Partnership includes exchange lecturers from TAR UMT visiting MSU-Main Campus, with cultural exchange programs and academic collaboration.
• National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU signed November 8, 2023 for collaborative implementation of Science and Technology promotion and extension services. NRCP recognized MSU at 2025 RDLead Conference.
• Cotabato Foundation College of Science and Technology (CFCST)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU signed April 8, 2025 to formalize partnership for academic advancement between MSU-Main Campus and CFCST.
• Department of Science and TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on multi-stakeholder consultation to save Lake Lanao's endemic cyprinids. Partnership focused on environmental research and conservation efforts.
• Alagang Angara (DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for KASUGAY 3.0 sports program, bringing together key national organizations for unified kick-off at MSU Grandstand.
• Pinay in Action (Senator Pia Cayetano)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for KASUGAY 3.0 sports program in collaboration with Senator Pia S. Cayetano's advocacy group.
• Philippine Sports CommissionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for KASUGAY 3.0 sports program headed by PSC Chief John Patrick C. Gregorio.
• National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCCA subcommission appointments for MSU cultural leaders (Ayesha Merdeka Alonto and Dr. Linang M. Cabugatan). Sponsorship of archiving and digitization workshop.
• World VisionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through IPDM for sustained peacebuilding in Mindanao. MOA signing in July 2025. World Vision brings young Mindanao students for exposure visits to MSU-IPDM.
• Leimena InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational immersion and learning program on Cross-Cultural and Religious Literacy in support of ASEAN Vision 2045.
• International Center for Social Research, Peace and DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChairman Engr. Ossama Al-azzouni conducts mentorship sessions with student leaders on peacebuilding and leadership.
• Philippine Society of NSTP Educators and Implementers, Inc. (PSNEI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through NSTP for 2nd PSNEI Mindanao Trainers' Training Conference-Workshop on Transforming Volunteerism into Action for National Development.
• Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP), IndonesiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Academic Benchmarking and Engagement activity from January 18-24, 2026. Led by MSU System President Atty. Paisalin P.D. Tago.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/msumain

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries25 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Mindanao State University