Universities in Malaysia

Located in southeast Asia to the south of Thailand, Malaysia boasts dense rainforests, spectacular beaches, and over 800 islands! There is a great deal of diversity in Malaysia and an exciting food scene to explore, making it a very popular destination for tourists. It is also home to many excellent universities, making it an interesting place to consider for international students.

The types of University

There are over 120 Universities in Malaysia, and they can be either publicly funded or privately run. They can be described by the following categories:

Public universities – Public universities in Malaysia may be of several types. Comprehensive universities cover a wider range of subjects, and include institutions such as the University of Malaysia Sabah. Research universities tend to focus on academia and the quality of research output, and include institutions such as the University of Malaya and the National University of Malaysia. There are also Technical universities, which focus more on the teaching of sciences and engineering topics, and these include the University of Technology Malaysia and Technical University of Malaysia Malacca.

Public polytechnics – Public polytechnics in Malaysia tend to offer bachelor’s degrees in a range of subjects, and institutions include Politeknik Ungku Omar, Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan and Politeknik Mukah Sarawak.

Private universities – Private universities earned the right to award degrees in 1996. There are over 50 private universities in Malaysia, including SEGi University, International Medical University and Malaysia University of Science and Technology.

Private university colleges – Privately run university colleges in Malaysia include Widad University College, Lincoln University College and Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan University College.

Language of instruction

The national language of Malaysia is Malay, which is widely spoken throughout the country. English is also used as a second language in the country. In addition, over 100 further languages are spoken throughout various parts of the country.

Whilst Malay, and in some areas Chinese and Tamil, are the languages of tuition in the school system of Malaysia, Malay and English are the two most widely used languages in universities in the country.

Popular student cities in Malaysia

Cyberjaya – Situated just south of Kuala Lumpur, Cyberjaya is a modern, smart city, having been established in 1997. Several universities are based in this city, all benefiting from a location close to hi tech industry. Institutions in Cyberjaya include Multimedia University, Islamic University of Malaysia and the University of Cyberjaya.

Johor Bahru – Located on the southern tip of Malaysia, just north of Singapore, Johor Bahru is the second largest city in Malaysia and has become an economic hub. Several universities have campuses in Johor Bahru and the state of Johor, including Politeknik METrO Johor Bahru, Management & Science University and the University of Technology Malaysia.

Kuala Lumpur – The largest city in Malaysia and also the country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur is home to several of the country’s universities, including the University of Malaya, National Defence University of Malaysia and the University of Technology Malaysia. Perhaps the most popular destination in Malaysia for international students thanks to the diverse cultures to explore, relatively low living costs and prevalence of high quality education.

Penang – Located on the west coast of Malaysia, Penang offers visitors a mix of contemporary and traditional attractions, and a variety of universities, such as Science University of Malaysia, Politeknik Seberang Perai and Politeknik Balik Pulau.

Putrajaya – Located south of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya is home to the universities Heriot-Watt University Malaysia and the National Energy University.

The top ranked universities in Malaysia

The excellence of higher education in Malaysia is reflected in global university ranking charts, which feature many Malaysian universities.