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UNIVERSITI Malaya (UM) has maintained its position as Malaysia’s highest-ranked university, placing 15th in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings: Asia 2026, despite a slight drop from 12th place last year.
UM excelled across key indicators, ranking 14th in Asia for Academic Reputation, 10th for Employer Reputation and an impressive fourth for International Research Network.
The latest rankings featured 49 Malaysian universities, with 30 improving their positions, 10 declining and nine making their debut.
Following UM, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) is ranked 22nd, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) 24th, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) 25th and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) 34th, marking the first time all five of the country’s research universities have entered Asia’s top 50.
UTM achieved its highest regional ranking to date, entering the top 25 and placing among the top two per cent of Asian universities, surpassing 98.4 per cent of institutions in the region.
Naib Canselor Prof Dr Mohd Shafry Mohd Rahim said the achievement reflects the dedication and teamwork of UTM staff, faculty and students.
“Peningkatan ke tangga ke-25 dalam QS Asia Rankings 2026 adalah detik yang membanggakan bagi UTM dan Malaysia. This achievement reflects the commitment of our staff and students, upholding integrity and striving to ensure technology benefits humanity and society,” he said.
He added, “Our focus is not merely on rankings, but on continuous improvement in teaching, research and innovation, developing talent capable of addressing global and national challenges and preparing for a rapidly changing future.”
UTM’s rise follows a decade of consistent progress, moving from 61st in 2015 to the top 50 in 2018, top 40 in 2021, and now breaking into Asia’s top 25.
Its overall score increased significantly from 84.8 to 91.2 this year, supported by the university’s strategic plans, Pelan Global UTM 2012-2020 and enVision UTM 2021-2025.
Among other notable achievements, UTM ranked seventh in Asia for International Research Network and recorded scores of 97.4 for Academic Reputation and 97.8 for Employer Reputation.
Private institutions also made strides, with Taylor’s University reaching its highest-ever ranking at 27th and UCSI University entering the top 30 for the first time after climbing 75 places over five years.
Regionally, the University of Hong Kong claimed first place, followed by Peking University, while Singapore’s NUS and NTU shared joint third position. - November 5, 2025