Malaysian Universities Shine in QS Asia University Rankings 2024
Malaysia’s higher education sector has made impressive strides in the Quacquarelli-Symonds (QS) World University Rankings: Asia (QS-AUR) 2024, with Universiti Malaya (UM) leading as the nation’s top-ranked university. Out of the 40 Malaysian institutions featured, UM secures a place in the top 20, holding the 12th position this year, affirming its status as Malaysia’s premier university despite a slight drop from last year.
Top Performers in Malaysia
UM excels in key indicators, ranking 16th for Academic Reputation, 9th for Employer Reputation, and 4th for International Research Network. The university’s consistent performance underscores its role as a leader in research and global partnerships.
Following UM is Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), which broke into the top 20 for the first time, now ranked 20th. UPM’s improvement from 25th last year is driven by gains in Academic Reputation, International Research Network, Citations per Paper, and Outbound Exchange Students.
Other prominent universities include:
- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (26th in Asia)
- Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (28th, climbing nine spots)
- Universiti Sains Malaysia (37th, down two ranks)
Private Institutions and Rising Stars
Among private universities, Taylor’s University remains Malaysia’s highest-ranking private institution, excelling particularly in the Citations metric at 40th in Asia. UCSI University has also made notable progress, advancing 16 positions to rank 45th in Asia.
INTI International University achieved the highest improvement among Malaysian universities, climbing an impressive 52 spots to rank 170th. Additionally, Sunway University rose from 103rd to 74th, Management and Science University from 155th to 129th, and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman from 160th to 131st. These advancements reflect significant progress in areas such as the International Research Network and student mobility.
Exceptional Performance in Internationalisation
Malaysia excelled in metrics related to internationalisation, highlighting the country’s attractiveness to international students and faculty. Al-Madinah International University ranked second in Asia for both International Students and International Faculty, with additional strong showings from:
- SEGi University (5th for International Students)
- Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation Malaysia (6th)
- Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (8th)
- Malaysia University of Science and Technology (9th)
Overall, 65% of Malaysian universities climbed in the QS Asia rankings—an impressive feat, outpacing the rankings rise of any other country or territory in the region.
A Reflection of Malaysia’s Higher Education Vision
According to QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter, Malaysia’s consistent rise in the rankings reflects “a commitment to excellence across key functions of higher education, including research impact and internationalisation.” This progress aligns with Malaysia’s ambitions of evolving into a high-income, knowledge-driven economy powered by technology, innovation, and global collaboration.
Asia’s Top Universities
China’s Peking University maintains its lead as the top university in Asia, followed by University of Hong Kong and National University of Singapore. This 16th edition of the QS Asia Rankings evaluated 984 institutions across 25 countries, with 149 making their debut in the rankings.
