Malaysia continues to strengthen its global academic reputation with four of its universities ranking among the world’s top 150 in QS World University Rankings 2026. This year’s results mark another milestone in the nation’s pursuit of excellence to higher education and research.
Image credit: Universiti Malaya (Facebook)
Malaysia’s top performers in the global arena:
- Universiti Malaya (UM) – 58th in the world (score 80.1)
- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) – 126th (score 65.2)
- Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) – 134th (score 64.1)
- Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) – 134th (score 64.1)
These achievements place Malaysia firmly among the most competitive education systems in Southeast Asia, reflecting continuous improvements in teaching quality, research, and international engagement.
Image credit: INTI International University
Broader improvement across institutions
Beyond the top four, several other local universities also recorded significant progress:
- Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) – 153rd (score 61.6)
- Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) – 251st (score 50.2)
- Taylor’s University – 253rd (score 50)
- UCSI University – 269th (score 48.5)
- Sunway University – 410th (score 36.7)
- University Utara Malaysia (UUM) – 491st (score 32.6)
- INTI International University – 509th (score 31.9)
- University Teknologi MARA (UiTM) – 542nd (score 30.3)
This steady upward movement highlights a broader trend of progress within Malaysia’s higher education landscape, where public and private institutions alike are advancing in quality and recognition.
Image credit: ResearchGate
Measuring excellence: QS ranking indicators
The QS World University Rankings evaluate institutions using a combination of academic, research, and global engagement criteria. Traditional indicators include:
- Academic reputation (40%)
- Employer reputation (10%)
- Faculty-student ratio (20%)
- Citations per faculty (20%)
- International faculty and student ratio (5% + 5%)
Image credit: Canva
For the 2026 editions, QS also introduced new indicators, providing a more comprehensive view of how universities contribute to modern societies:
- Sustainability (5%)
- Employment outcomes (5%)
- International research network
Through these achievements, Malaysian universities demonstrate not only academic excellence but also growing global relevance, positioning the nation as an emerging hub for higher education in Asia.
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