Kuala Lumpur’s climb to 12th place in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Best Student Cities Rankings 2026 (see infographic) has bolstered Malaysia’s ambitions of becoming a premier global education hub, with education leaders saying the recognition reflects both international confidence and the growing strength of the country’s higher education sector.
The achievement, which places the city fourth in Asia after Seoul, Tokyo and Singapore, is Malaysia’s best showing since it entered the rankings in 2016 at 53rd place.
