QS World University Rankings 2024: Top Malaysian Universities
QS World University Rankings®
Find Out Which are the Top Ranked Government and Private Universities in Malaysia in the Latest QS World University Rankings
The 20th edition of the QS World University Rankings features 1,500 institutions across 104 locations and is the only ranking of its kind to emphasise employability and sustainability.
Malaysia has been commended for its “highly diverse” and international faculty and student body as well as a “flourishing” reputation among international academics and employers in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2024 released today.
QS senior vice-president Ben Sowter said Malaysian higher education was a “beacon of diversity and internationalisation” that attracted talent from around the world.
Overall, Malaysian universities are performed better than last year. 28 universities made it into the list with Universiti Malaya (UM) maintaining its position as the top university in Malaysia while Taylor’s University is ranked as the top private university.
This year, QS implemented their largest-ever methodological enhancement, introducing three new metrics: Sustainability, Employment Outcomes and International Research Network.
The results draw on the analysis of 17.5m academic papers and the expert opinions of over 240,000 academic faculty and employers. Massachusetts Institute of Technology celebrates twelve years at the top, the University of Cambridge retains 2nd place while the University of Oxford (3rd) climbs one position.
QS World University Rankings have been attracting the attention of students, parents and people in various fields worldwide.
The ranking is an important reference index for parents and students in recruiting universities and employers.
A total of 1,498 universities are listed in the QS World University Rankings 2024, with nine metrics to assess in this year’s rankings, including:
- Academic reputation (30%)
- Employer reputation (15%)
- Research citations per paper (20%)
- Student-teacher ratio (10%)
- Proportion of international teachers (5%)
- Percentage of international students (5%)
- Employment performance (5%) [New indicator]
- International Research Network (5%) [New indicator]
- Sustainability (5%) [New indicator]
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Top Malaysian Universities in the QS World University Rankings 2024
Malaysia’s premier university, ranked 70th this year, is still the only local university in the top 100 – a feat it has now achieved for the sixth consecutive year. It is the only Malaysian university to sit among the global top 100.
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) jumped from 143 to 137, while Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) fell from 123 to 158.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) also dropped from 129 to 159, while Universiti Teknologi Malaysia moved up from 203 to 188.
Taylor’s maintained its ranking of 284, while UCSI University dropped six notches from 284 to 300.
Other research universities ― Universiti Putra Malaysia (158th), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (159th) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (188th) ― round up the institutions listed in the top 200.
A total of four Malaysian universities made their debut in the rankings including INTI International University (joint 556th rank with Florida International University, United States), Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (621-630 band), Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia and Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (both in the 1201-1400 band).
A record-high number of 28 Malaysian higher education institutions (HEIs) were ranked this year.
Among the factors used to determine the scores are academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, faculty student ratio, international research network and employment outcomes.
Although there was a slight overall decline in the rankings for Malaysian higher education institutions, Malaysia had the highest average score in Asia in five out of the nine metrics among countries with 10 or more universities ranked.
Sowter said Malaysia’s challenge lay in bridging the gap between academia and industry, as the country faced hurdles in producing “work-ready” graduates.
“A focus on experiential learning and global partnerships could help it develop this area,” he said.
No. University QS World Ranking
- University Malaya (UM) 65
- Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) 137
- Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) 158
- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) 159
- Universiti Teknologi Malaysia 188
- Taylor’s University 284
- UCSI University 300
- Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) 307
- Universiti Utara Malaysia 538
- Universiti Teknologi MARA – UITM 555
- INTI International University 556
- Sunway University 586
- Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU) Malaysia 621-630
- Management and Science University 621-630
- International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) 711-720
- Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) 761-770
- Universiti Malaysia Pahang 781-790
- Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) 801-850
- Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) 951-1000
- Multimedia University (MMU) 1001-1200
- Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) 1001-1200
- Universiti Malaysia Perlis 1001-1200
- Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) 1001-1200
- Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) 1001-1200
- Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) 1001-1200
- Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) 1001-1200
- Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia 1201-1400
- UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA 1201-1400
Top 10 Private Universities in Malaysia According to QS World University Rankings 2024
No. Private University QS World Ranking
- Taylor’s University 284
- UCSI University 300
- Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) 307
- INTI International University 556
- Sunway University 586
- Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU) Malaysia 621-630
- Management and Science University 621-630
- Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) 761-770
- Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) 801-850
- Multimedia University (MMU) 1001-1200
Ranking of the Foreign Branch Campuses in Malaysia
Malaysia took a step forward in internationalisation of higher education by opening its doors for reputable foreign universities to set up their campuses in Malaysia. Currently there are 10 foreign branch campuses that originate from Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland and China. Monash University has notably improved its position as they jump 15 spots to rank at #42. Meanwhile, the University of Nottingham has achieved a place in the top 100 universities. Below are the rankings for the Foreign Branch campuses in Malaysia:
- Monash University 42
- University of Southampton 81
- University of Nottingham 100
- Newcastle University 110
- Reading University 169
- University College Dublin 171
- Curtin University 183
- Heriot-Watt University 235
- Swinburne University of Technology 285
- Xiamen University 392
