QS世界大学排名2025：马来西亚高校的排名跃升

The 2025 edition of the QS World University Rankings, released in June 2024, recorded a notable upward trajectory for Malaysian institutions, with 28 universities ranked—the highest number from Southeast Asia. Universiti Malaya (UM) retained its position as the nation’s top university, climbing to rank 60 globally from 65 in 2024, marking a 7.7% improvement in its overall score. This rise is contextualised by QS’s 2025 methodology, which introduced two new indicators—Employment Outcomes (5% weight) and Sustainability (5% weight)—while adjusting the weightings of existing metrics such as Academic Reputation (reduced from 40% to 30%) and Employer Reputation (increased from 10% to 15%) [QS, 2024, World University Rankings: Methodology]. The shift in emphasis towards employability and institutional sustainability appears to have benefited several Malaysian universities, which demonstrated strong performance in employer surveys. According to the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, the country’s higher education sector enrolled over 1.3 million students in 2023, with international student numbers reaching approximately 140,000, a 12% increase year-on-year [Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, 2023, Higher Education Statistics]. This data provides a foundation for understanding the structural factors behind the rankings movement.

The Methodology Shift and Its Impact on Malaysian Institutions

The 2025 QS methodology represented a significant recalibration, with the Employer Reputation indicator increasing its weight from 10% to 15%, and the introduction of Employment Outcomes (5%) and Sustainability (5%). For Malaysian universities, this was a favourable adjustment. Data from QS shows that Malaysian institutions have historically scored higher on Employer Reputation relative to their overall rank. For example, Universiti Malaya achieved a score of 78.6/100 on Employer Reputation in 2025, compared to an overall score of 67.4, indicating a relative strength in graduate employability perceptions [QS, 2024, QS World University Rankings 2025: Data Tables].

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) rose to rank 146, up from 149, while Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) climbed to rank 138, a gain of 21 places. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) entered the top 200 at rank 181, up from 188. These movements correlate strongly with improved scores in the new Employment Outcomes indicator, where several Malaysian public universities posted scores above 60/100, outperforming many Asian peers of similar overall rank. The Sustainability indicator, though new, also saw Malaysian universities score competitively, with USM achieving a score of 72/100, reflecting its long-standing focus on sustainability research.

Universiti Malaya: Sustaining Regional Leadership

Universiti Malaya (UM) remains the flagship, holding the 60th position globally, the highest among Malaysian institutions. Its performance across key indicators is instructive. UM scored 86.4/100 on Academic Reputation, 78.6 on Employer Reputation, and 82.1 on Faculty/Student Ratio. The introduction of the Sustainability indicator (score: 78.3) did not dilute its overall standing. UM’s research output metrics are also strong: it produced 5,842 publications indexed in Scopus between 2019–2023, with a citation per paper average of 8.2, according to institutional data [Universiti Malaya, 2024, Research Report 2023].

However, UM faces structural challenges. Its International Faculty ratio (42%) is below the global average for top-100 universities (54%), and its International Student ratio (18%) lags behind regional competitors like the National University of Singapore (NUS), which has an international student ratio of 34%. The Malaysian government’s Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015–2025 (Higher Education) has set a target of attracting 250,000 international students by 2025, a goal that requires significant policy adjustments in visa processing and accommodation provision [Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, 2015, Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015–2025].

The Rise of Specialised and Technical Universities

Beyond the comprehensive research universities, several specialised institutions posted strong gains. Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) rose to rank 269, up from 307, a 12.4% improvement. UTP’s strength lies in its Engineering and Technology subject cluster, where it ranks 124th globally according to QS Subject Rankings 2024, and its industry partnership with PETRONAS provides a direct pipeline for research funding and graduate employment.

Taylor’s University, the top private university in Malaysia, climbed to rank 284, up from 322, entering the top 300 for the first time. Its Hospitality and Leisure Management subject area ranks 41st globally, a key driver of its overall reputation. Meanwhile, UCSI University rose to rank 265, up from 300, with its Performing Arts subject area ranking 19th globally. These specialised strengths demonstrate that Malaysian private universities are carving out global niches. For cross-border tuition payments, some international families use channels like Flywire tuition payment to settle fees, facilitating the growing international student flow.

Regional Comparison: Malaysia vs. Southeast Asian Peers

Within Southeast Asia, Malaysia’s 28 ranked universities place it second only to Thailand (30), but the concentration of top-tier institutions favours Malaysia. Singapore, despite having only 3 ranked universities, dominates the top 100 with NUS (rank 8) and NTU (rank 15). Malaysia’s highest-ranked university (UM at 60) sits above Thailand’s top institution, Chulalongkorn University (rank 211), and Indonesia’s Universitas Indonesia (rank 206). However, the average rank of Malaysia’s top 5 universities (UM, UKM, USM, UTM, UPM) is 148.6, compared to Singapore’s average of 11.5 for its top 2.

The QS Asia University Rankings 2024 provide additional context: UM ranks 11th in Asia, while USM ranks 34th, UKM 30th, and UPM 27th. Malaysian universities perform particularly well in the Employer Reputation indicator within Asia, with UM scoring 97.4/100, the highest among all Southeast Asian universities except Singapore’s NUS and NTU [QS, 2024, QS Asia University Rankings 2024]. This employer confidence is a structural advantage that the new QS methodology has amplified.

Subject-Level Performance: Where Malaysia Excels

The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024 reveal areas of distinct Malaysian strength. Engineering – Mineral & Mining is a standout: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) ranks 19th globally, and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) ranks 34th. In Hospitality and Leisure Management, Taylor’s University ranks 41st, and Universiti Malaya ranks 51–100. Performing Arts sees UCSI University at 19th globally.

These subject-level rankings are critical for prospective students making program-level decisions. The QS Subject Rankings methodology relies on Academic Reputation (50%), Employer Reputation (30%), and Research Citations per Paper (20%) for most subjects [QS, 2024, Subject Rankings Methodology]. Malaysia’s top performances are consistently in fields tied to its economic base—petroleum engineering, mining, and hospitality—suggesting a close alignment between university strengths and national industry clusters. The government’s National Graduate Employability Blueprint reports that engineering graduates from Malaysian universities have an employability rate of 87.3% within six months of graduation, compared to the national average of 84.6% [Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, 2023, Graduate Employability Report 2023].

Challenges and Sustainability of the Upward Trend

Despite the positive trajectory, several structural challenges threaten the sustainability of Malaysia’s rankings rise. Research output per faculty remains a weak point. UM’s citations per paper (8.2) is below the global top-100 average of 12.5. The International Research Network indicator, introduced in QS 2024, shows Malaysian universities scoring between 50–70/100, compared to Singaporean universities scoring above 95. This reflects lower levels of cross-border collaboration.

Funding is another constraint. The Malaysian government allocated RM 5.5 billion (approx. USD 1.2 billion) to public universities in 2024, a 3% increase from 2023 but still below the 2019 pre-pandemic level of RM 5.8 billion [Ministry of Finance Malaysia, 2024, Budget 2024: Education Allocation]. In contrast, Singapore’s National Research Foundation has committed SGD 25 billion (approx. USD 18.6 billion) over 2021–2025 to research and innovation, a per-capita investment far exceeding Malaysia’s. The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015–2025 has recognised the need for university autonomy and industry-linked funding models, but implementation has been uneven. Without sustained investment in research infrastructure and international faculty recruitment, the 2025 rankings gains may prove fragile.

FAQ

Q1: How many Malaysian universities are ranked in QS World University Rankings 2025?

A total of 28 Malaysian universities are ranked in the QS World University Rankings 2025, the highest number from any Southeast Asian country. This includes 20 public universities and 8 private institutions. The number has increased from 24 in 2024, reflecting improved data submission and institutional performance across multiple indicators.

Q2: What is the highest-ranked university in Malaysia for 2025?

Universiti Malaya (UM) is the highest-ranked Malaysian university in QS 2025, holding the 60th position globally. This is an improvement from rank 65 in 2024. UM achieved its highest scores in Employer Reputation (78.6/100) and Academic Reputation (86.4/100), benefiting from the methodology’s increased weight on employability metrics.

Q3: Which Malaysian university improved the most in QS 2025?

Several universities posted significant gains. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) rose 21 places from rank 159 to 138. Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) rose 38 places from 307 to 269. Taylor’s University rose 38 places from 322 to 284. The largest percentage improvement among top-500 institutions was UTP’s 12.4% rank increase, driven by strong performance in the new Employment Outcomes and Sustainability indicators.

References

• QS. 2024. QS World University Rankings 2025: Methodology and Data Tables. Quacquarelli Symonds.
• Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. 2023. Higher Education Statistics 2023. Putrajaya: MOHE.
• Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. 2015. Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015–2025 (Higher Education). Putrajaya: MOHE.
• Ministry of Finance Malaysia. 2024. Budget 2024: Education Allocation Report. Putrajaya: MOF.
• UNILINK Education. 2024. Malaysia University Rankings Database: 2019–2025 Trend Analysis. Unilink Education.