[4] In June 1606, Nueva Segovia bishop Diego de Soria wrote a letter to King Philip III of Spain informing him of the plans of founding a colegio.

Bernardo de Santa Catalina carried out the wishes of Benavides and was able to secure a building near the Dominican church and convent in the walled city of Intramuros in Manila for the college.

[7] During World War II, the Imperial Japanese forces converted UST into an internment camp for enemy aliens, mostly Americans living in the Philippines.

[16][17][18] UST was given the title "Royal" by King Charles III of Spain in 1785, in recognition of the university's loyalty in defending Manila against the British troops.

[21] In 1902, UST was officially declared a pontifical university by the Quae Mari Sinico, an apostolic constitution signed by Pope Leo XIII.

The center oval contains the cross of the Dominican order, which is surrounded by a rosary, crowned by the star of Saint Dominic, and flanked below by a palm branch (representing martyrdom) to its left and white lilies to the right.

[34] The inner lower border of the seal is lined with the Latin name of the university Pontificia et Regalis S(ancti) Thomæ Aquinatis Universitas Manilana.

The surrounding inscription reads the full name of UST: Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila, and the foundation year, 1611.

[43] St. Raymund de Peñafort Building is built in International Style in 1955 and is home to the Faculty of Arts and Letters and the College of Commerce and Business Administration.

It is the biggest catholic university in the Bicol Region, offering courses in the fields of law, medical, architecture, engineering, accountancy, teacher education, and arts and sciences.

[78] UST General Santos is an 80-hectare campus in southern Philippines that will initially offer programs in agricultural and fishery research,[79] arts and humanities, business and accountancy, engineering and technology, and pharmaceutical sciences.

[89] The campus first broke ground on April 19, 2006, which was led by then university rector Tamerlane Lana and attended by UST board member and tycoon Lucio Tan.

[138][139] UST has recently discovered several plant species, namely Vanda ustii,[140] Hedyotis papafranciscoi,[141] Mycetia dagohoyana,[142] Pyrostria arayatensis,[143] and Freycinetia nonatoi.

[147] College of Science professors Nicanor Austriaco and Bernhard Egwolf are members of the OCTA Research team that is associated with forecasts and analyses of the country's COVID-19 situation.

[151][152][153] A study group from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery proposed a strategy to the government entitled "War Plan Mayon", to combat the pandemic through herd immunity.

[169] UST is sixth in the country in the 2024 Alper-Doger Scientific Index, an institutional ranking system based on the performance and productivity of affiliated scientists.

The linkage will involve joint research and policy development initiatives, academic lectures, seminars, training workshops, and short courses for climate innovation, sustainability, and possibly, cultural heritage preservation.

Among the collections are La Guerra Judaica (1492) by Josephus Flavius, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (First edition, 1543) of Nicolaus Copernicus, and the first book ever written and published in the Philippines, Doctrina Christiana (1593).

[211] The collection includes a portrait of José Rizal by Victorio Edades, El Studio Natural of Félix Resurrección Hidalgo, and four masterpieces of Fernando Amorsolo.

The main event of the closing ceremonies is the graduating students' recessional parade through the Arch of the Centuries, which signifies the culmination of their Thomasian life.

[263] The tiger statue in Plaza Mayor, which was installed in 2022, gained media attention when it transformed into a wishing well as students filled its open mouth with coins.

[272] In 2015, the university ordered numerous organizations to take down all rainbow-themed profile pics of its members in social media after the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States.

Established in January 1928 by students from the UST Literary Club led by Jose Villa Panganiban, it is the oldest Catholic newspaper in the Philippines.

[303] In 2012, the Tigers, led by Jeric Fortuna and Carmelo Afuang, finished second at the end of eliminations with a 10–4 record but were defeated by the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the finals.

[308] UST, led by mythical five members[clarification needed] Kevin Ferrer and Ed Daquioag, lost in three games to FEU Tamaraws in the finals.

The Tigers, led by Renzo Subido and Soulemane Chabi Yo, defeated the Kobe Paras-led UP Fighting Maroons in two games to face the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the finals.

[313] Former players include national team members Mary Jean Balse, Aiza Maizo, Maika Angela Ortiz, Aleona Denise Santiago, Cherry Ann Rondina, and Ejiya Laure.

UST Yellow Jackets founder Michael Ismael Flores created the iconic chant in 1990, getting inspiration from Vanilla Ice's Ninja Rap.

[note 3][320] The Quadricentennial Pavilion houses a 5,792-seat arena, a fitness center, a two-lane overall track, and training halls for dance, badminton, fencing, judo, and table tennis.

[346][347] In sports, UST alumni include Olympians Jethro Dionisio in shooting, Donald Geisler and Tshomlee Go in taekwondo, and Ernest John Obiena in pole vault; PBA's 25 Greatest Players Bogs Adornado and Danny Florencio; and world pool champion Rubilen Amit.