The Top Universities in Malaysia According to Times Higher Education 2026
7 Malaysian universities made it into the top 500 with 3 new ones joining the ranks.
Published 04 Dec 2025
Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 is out! This year's ranking features 2,191 institutions from 115 countries and territories worldwide. So, how did Malaysian universities do?
Topping the list is Universiti Malaya (UM) and Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), both ranked in the 201–250 band. This is UTP's second year and UM's first in this band.
In total, 27 local institutions made it into the ranking, an increase from last year which only featured 23 institutions. Newcomers to the list includes MAHSA University, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) and Lincoln University College. Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), which was absent from last year's ranking, also made a return.
Globally, Oxford University (UK) continues to hold the top spot for the tenth consecutive year, followed closely by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in second place. Princeton University (US) and University of Cambridge (UK) shares the spot for #3 with last year's second runner up, Harvard University (US), and Stanford University (US) sharing the fifth spot.
Check out the top 10 universities in the world and the full list of Malaysia’s top universities in the infographic below!
Congratulations to all the universities that made it into the list! Didn't see your institution there? Fret not.
University rankings are not everything. There's also other factors to consider such as affordability, courses offered, location and more.
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Dzulfazreena Dzulkefli
Too busy complaining about lemon but I sometimes read.
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