- 139,341 students from 160+ countries are studying in Malaysia.
- Malaysian universities improve in QS and Times Higher Education rankings.
- Over 1,200 international research projects and 35% of Scopus articles from global collaboration.
Malaysia continues to shine as a preferred destination for international students, with 139,341 students from over 160 countries enrolled in Malaysian Higher Education Institutions (IPT) as of March 31, 2025.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir credited this growth to the country’s high-quality education system, affordable cost of living, strong national security, and globally recognised academic programmes.
“The increase in international students not only enriches the learning environment with diverse cultures, but also promotes the exchange of ideas and experiences that help shape globally-minded graduates,” he said in the Dewan Negara on Tuesday (Sept 2), responding to a question from Datuk Seri Prof Emeritus Dr Awang Sariyan.
The minister highlighted that strong diplomatic ties, mutual recognition of academic qualifications, and Malaysia’s strengths in key fields such as medicine, engineering, information technology, and business management have also supported the growth of international student enrolment.
Malaysia’s universities continue to gain recognition on the global stage. The University of Malaya (UM) rose to 58th position in the QS World University Rankings 2026 from 60th the previous year. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) climbed to 126th from 138th, while Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) shared the 134th position, up from 148th and 146th respectively. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) jumped to 153rd from 181st.
Private institutions are also performing well internationally. Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) ranked 251st, Taylor’s University 253rd, UCSI University 269th, and Sunway University entered the top 500 at 410th position, a leap of over 120 places compared to last year.
Zambry noted that improvements were visible across academic reputation, research quality, international visibility, and graduate employability. Several public universities were also ranked among Asia’s top 100 in the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2024.
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The minister added that collaboration between Malaysian and international academics continues to grow. Over 1,200 research projects are currently being conducted with universities in the UK, Australia, Japan, the Middle East, and ASEAN. International collaboration has contributed to more than 35% of Malaysia’s highly indexed Scopus articles, reflecting the country’s growing research influence.
With its strong education ecosystem and global recognition, Malaysia is steadily cementing its position as a leading international higher education hub.
