Samar State University

What Samar State University does

Samar State University (SSU) is a public state university headquartered in Catbalogan City, Samar province, Philippines, operating under the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Founded in 1912 as Samar Trade School and rebranded as Samar State University, SSU delivers higher education across four campuses (Catbalogan main campus plus Mercedes, Paranas, and Basey satellite campuses) through six colleges: Education, Arts and Sciences, Nursing and Health Sciences, Engineering, Industrial Technology, and Graduate Studies, with the newly launched Samar Island Institute of Medicine (SIIM) providing medical education. The institution operates 20+ specialized research centers including RCCSI, CFARRD, CESTI, SICGLG, SIGISDAC, ESRDC, and TBI-Lambat (a technology business incubator), supported by a digital infrastructure comprising the SSUOnline.net learning management system, digital library, and the SSU Smart University Roadmap.

SSU's business model rests on four revenue streams: annual government appropriations from CHED and the national budget, government-subsidized tuition and miscellaneous fees from students, research grants and external funding from agencies such as DOST, CHED, and NEDA, and testing/certification revenue from professional licensure examinations. Pricing is regulated by the Philippine government and structured per semester based on program level and student units, with multiple scholarship programs (CHED, LGU, institutional) subsidizing student costs. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on extension programs, GAD initiatives, poverty alleviation conferences, and partnerships with Samar municipal LGUs and the Provincial Government to drive enrollment and regional impact.

The university's customer base spans traditional undergraduate and graduate students (primary segment), medical and healthcare students (growing through SIIM), local government units and barangays requiring research and governance support, and partner academic institutions for faculty exchange and benchmarking. SSU's customers are highly distributed across Samar Island and Eastern Visayas, with no individual customer dominating revenue. SSU has achieved notable external validation including WURI #1 global ranking (2022, 2023), THE Impact Rankings 2024 (4th in Philippines), UI GreenMetric rankings, 100% PNLE passing rate (May 2025), and 100% COPC compliance across undergraduate programs as of September 2025.

Name

Samar State University

Legal name

Samar State University

Website

https://ssu.edu.ph

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Samar State University is a public state university in Catbalogan City, Samar, Philippines, delivering higher education across four campuses through six colleges plus the Samar Island Institute of Medicine, serving students, LGUs, and communities across Samar Island and Eastern Visayas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions (EDAHAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• University degree programs
• Medical education
• Research and development
• Community extension programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Catbalogan

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Appropriations: State Universities and Colleges (SUC) receive annual appropriations from the Philippine government through CHED and national budget allocations for operations, infrastructure, and programs
2. Tuition and Miscellaneous Fees: Tuition fees from students (with government subsidies through various scholarship programs), laboratory fees, and other academic service charges
3. Research Grants and External Funding: Funding from DOST, CHED, NEDA, and other government agencies for specific research projects, technology development, and extension programs
4. Testing and Certification Services: Revenue from professional board examinations, licensure testing, and certification services (e.g., PNLE, LET, Civil Engineering board)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Samar State University is a public state university offering higher education across undergraduate and graduate programs in education, arts and sciences, nursing and health sciences, engineering, industrial technology, and medicine through its Samar Island Institute of Medicine. The university operates four campuses in Samar Island and provides research, extension services, professional board examination review, and community development programs to students and communities in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines.

Product overview

Samar State University is a state university in the Philippines offering higher education across multiple campuses. Its technology and product portfolio consists primarily of academic programs, research centers, and institutional platforms including SSU Online (Learning Management System), the Samar Island Institute of Medicine, multiple specialized research centers (RCCSI, CFARRD, CESTI, SICGLG, SI-CAETLe, SIGISDAC, ESRDC, TBI-Lambat), research journals (CDRJ, JAR), and strategic initiatives like the Smart University Roadmap. The university hosts annual events including the International Poverty Conference (iPOVCON) and operates various community extension programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SSU Kamagi: Official academic regalia brand adopted by Samar State University
• Bugsok
• DYSY 102.9

Products and services

• College of Education (COED) Programs
• College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Programs
• College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CONHS) Programs
• College of Engineering (COENG) Programs
• College of Industrial Technology (CIT) Programs
• College of Graduate Studies (CGS) Programs
• Samar Island Institute of Medicine (SIIM)
• SSUOnline.net Learning Management System
• SSU University Library Services
• Testing and Certification Services (PNLE, LET, Board Examinations)

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% passing rate in PNLE (Nursing board exam) May 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• Optimal Consulting & Research Center - UAEminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2025New linkage forged after dominating IIRS 2025, for research and consulting collaboration
• Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2025Partnership for academic and research collaborations including joint programs, faculty exchanges, and research initiatives
• Dong Thai University (DThU) - VietnamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 September 2025Joint programs for education and research development; student exchange programs with tradesmen pursuing global learning in Vietnam
• DIU (Daffodil International University) - BangladeshminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 September 2025Faculty Exchange Lecture Series on IELTS, inspiring students for global opportunities
• UNESA (Universitas Negeri Surabaya)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2025Expanded global linkage through Psychology program collaboration
• Commission on Human Rights (CHR)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 August 2025MOU sealed for human rights and anti-bullying initiatives, promoting institutional compliance with human rights standards
• DOST-PCAARRDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 August 2025₱16M partnership to power sustainable livelihoods in Samar's small islands through the ISLA-LEtS CARE Program, focusing on science-based agricultural and aquatics technology transfer
• PolyU (Hong Kong Polytechnic University)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2025Global nursing informatics expertise partnership for MSN program enhancement, knowledge exchange in healthcare education and research
• Vietnamese Exchange Students ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2025President Palencia shared Communicative Language Teaching approaches with Vietnamese exchange students
• Dong Thap University (DThU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2025Joint programs development for education and research; reinforcement of ties through student exchange program
• APSI (Environmental/Engineering Partner)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2025MOU signed for future environmental and engineering collaborations
• University of Santo Tomas (UST)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2025Partnership for cultural and heritage promotion in Samar, leveraging UST's institutional expertise in heritage conservation
• Cebu Normal University (CNU)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 December 2024Five-year partnership forged for academic collaboration, research, and institutional development
• University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2024MOU signed for academic cooperation through CONserve-KAIGANGAN program, continuing partnership for research and extension activities
• Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2023International partnership for academic exchange and collaboration
• Sias University - ChinaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 September 2023MOU signed for international academic exchange and collaboration
• University of Barletta (UB) and Tra Vinh University (TVU)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2023First International Summer Camp 2024 through cross-cultural exchange program
• IES University Bhopal - IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2023MOU signed and sealed for academic cooperation with Indian institution
• Vision College of Jeonju - South KoreaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2023MOU for renewable energy project collaboration
• Tra Vinh University - VietnamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 March 2023Strengthen academic exchange and promote sustainable development
• Karabuk University - TurkeyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 February 2023Cooperation agreement to alleviate poverty through academic collaboration
• Department of Science and Technology (DOST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple collaborations including CESTI research projects, technology transfer through HEIRIT Program, and STRAND University initiative
• National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner₱2.4M innovation grant awarded; collaboration on Eastern Visayas RDP 2023-2028 and Futures Thinking Agenda
• Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSamar MSAC coordination; barangay capacity enhancement through SICGLG; CBMS training for local planning and budgeting
• Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTara Basa! Tutoring Program; poverty alleviation initiatives; community development collaborations
• Department of Education (DepEd)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch capability building for high school teachers; curriculum development; NSTP implementation; public school teacher training
• Commission on Higher Education (CHED)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDIG grants; CHED HUSAY Program; UCAS implementation; Paglaum Kag Pagdaug equity research; quality assurance and accreditation support
• Various Samar Local Government Units (LGUs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with Catbalogan LGU, Paranas LGU, Basey LGU, Mercedes LGU, Motiong LGU, Marabut LGU, Daram LGU, and others for community development, extension programs, and local governance support
• Samar Provincial GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Samar Island Institute of Medicine; Gen VA 2.0 program; provincial development initiatives
• WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASEAN Lab-to-Market program participation; intellectual property management and commercialization support
• ATU-Net (ASEAN University Network)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership and participation in regional academic network; Vietnam conference attendance
• Wharton School - University of PennsylvaniamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadership development programs for SSU key officials through the CHED HUSAY Program; multiple batches completed
• Philippine Councilors League (PCL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSamar MSAC coordination and local governance capacity building
• Philippine Red CrossminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerComprehensive disaster preparedness workshop collaboration
• United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSU became member of UNAI, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• University of the Philippines Visayas / UP System: National state university system with regional campus in Iloilo. Explicit partner of SSU via CONserve-KAIGANGAN; operates at substantially larger scale with similar regional-extension mandate.
• University of Santo Tomas: Philippine-based university (historically private, with public-service mission) explicitly partnered with SSU on cultural/heritage promotion. Comparable in academic breadth and CHED accreditation, but at much larger scale and primarily private-funded.
• Philippine Normal University: National teachers' college and CHED-recognized institution with strong teacher-education programs. Comparable in CHED oversight and education-research focus, but at a national scale rather than regional.

Direct peers

• Batangas State University: Philippine state university with strong engineering, industrial technology, and innovation-incubation programs (including its own TBI). Comparable multi-campus structure and applied-research orientation.
• Eastern Visayas State University: State university also serving Eastern Visayas with similar multi-campus structure and program mix. Explicitly partnered with SSU in 2025 for joint academic and research programs; most direct regional peer.
• Cebu Normal University: Visayas-based public university with five-year MOU with SSU. Comparable in teacher-education focus, state-university status, and CHED oversight; operates under similar appropriations model.
• Catanduanes State University: Rural Philippine state university with similar geographic constraints, fisheries/agriculture programs, and multi-campus delivery. Closely comparable in scale and CHED funding profile.
• Palawan State University: Provincial Philippine state university with multi-campus structure and teacher-education/engineering programs. Comparable underserved-island geography and government-funding dependency.
• Visayas State University: Regional state university in the Visayas with strong agriculture, fisheries, and engineering programs. Comparable in scale, multi-campus footprint, and CHED-governed funding model.

Regional players

• Leyte Normal University: Teacher-education-focused state university in Tacloban, also serving Eastern Visayas. Comparable CHED-governed funding model and regional scope; overlaps with SSU on education-program admissions.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/samar-state-university-1834755020138029
• Xx.com/ssucatbalogan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/samar-state-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Samar State University