The rise of Malaysian universities in Asia

Learning from Singapore's model and leveraging the strength of the private sector, Malaysia has made a significant breakthrough in Asian rankings, with 6 to 10 universities entering the top 100.

In THE's 2026 Asia university rankings released late last month, Petronas University of Technology climbed 8 places to rank 35th. This is the highest ranking achieved by a Malaysian university in this list over the past 10 years.

In total, Malaysia has 27 ranked universities, three times more than in 2017. Six universities entered the top 100, whereas in previous years, there were only one to 4 representatives.

THE recognized Malaysia's strong performance in Southeast Asia. Phil Baty, THE's Director of Global Affairs, stated that the country has made major strides.

"Malaysia is increasingly becoming a key higher education powerhouse, not only on the continent but also worldwide," he said.

Catherine Tushabe, THE's data expert, noted that the average score increase for Malaysian universities is "much higher" than the global average. While not all universities improved their rankings, this growth momentum has helped Malaysian representatives achieve higher positions.

This trend is consistent with QS's 2026 Asia rankings, published late last year. Notably, University of Malaya, which ranked 9th in 2023, maintained its position in the top 20. From 36 universities, 49 Malaysian institutions are now ranked by QS, with the number in the top 100 increasing from 8 to 10.

Both THE and QS rankings share similarities, with academic quality and reputation (research, teaching, scientific publications) carrying considerable weight. Additionally, criteria related to international factors: transfer partnerships and students, are also considered.

Gerard A. Postiglione, a professor and head of the Faculty of Education at University of Hong Kong, attributed Malaysia's progress to learning from neighboring Singapore and leveraging its large population to become China's largest ASEAN partner in transnational education (TNE) projects.

According to James Chin, a professor of Asian studies at University of Tasmania, Malaysia's achievements stem from its efforts to position itself as a regional education hub, with private universities (such as Petronas University of Technology, Sunway) focusing on improving their rankings.

"The system's strength lies in its private universities performing very well; they place importance on rankings," he stated.