Seven Malaysian universities have made it into the top 10 list of Asean institutions in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026.
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) and Universiti Malaya (UM) emerged as joint top-ranked Malaysian universities (see infographic) after Singapore’s National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
UM and UTP placed in the 201-250 band globally, with the latter retaining its position from the previous edition of the rankings.
THE chief global affairs officer Phil Baty said Asia continues its remarkable surge in the THE World University Rankings.
“Asean is rapidly emerging as a global academic powerhouse within a thriving Asia, (while) Malaysia continues to break records with some best-ever placings,” he said in a statement on Oct 9.
Other Malaysian institutions among Asean’s top 10 are Sunway University and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), both ranked in the 301–350 band, as well as Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), which are all placed within the 401-500 band.
According to THE, four Malaysian universities – UM, Sunway, UKM and Management & Science University (MSU) – achieved their best-ever positions in the latest edition.
UM rose from the 251-300 band in the 2025 edition of the rankings, driven by a strong showing in the International Outlook pillar, where it climbed 37 places to 107th globally.
In a Facebook post on Oct 9, UM said it also made gains across other indicators, ranking 167th in Teaching (up 30 places), 280th in Research Environment (up 41 places), 530th in Research Quality (up 75 places) and 632nd in Industry (up 55 places).
“UM will keep striving for excellence, fulfilling its role as the nation’s flagbearer in the higher education global arena,” the varsity said, adding that it is now placed among the top 10% of 2,191 universities worldwide.
Meanwhile, Sunway University, which climbed into the 301-350 band from the 401-500 bracket previously, improved its performance across all five core indicators, notably in Research Quality, where it is now ranked 111th globally.
The institution has also distinguished itself with an exceptionally high International Outlook, supported by robust global alliances.
MSU broke into the top 800 for the first time, while Lincoln University College (1,501+ band) ranked among the world’s top 50 for International Outlook.
“In its second year of participation, MSU made it to the top 100 in the world for International Outlook with a score of 92.1, amplifying the university’s growing global engagement and international collaborations,” the varsity said.
Malaysia now has 27 universities featured in the global list, making it the second most represented Asean country after Indonesia, which leads with 35 ranked institutions.
Across Asean, NUS remains the region’s top-ranked university and holds 17th place globally, followed by NTU in joint 31st, while Universiti Brunei Darussalam (351–400) made its first appearance in the Asean top 10.
The UK-based THE World University Rankings are one of the most globally respected and rigorous assessments of institutional excellence, ranking 2,191 universities worldwide across five key pillars: Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, Industry and International Outlook.
Overall, the University of Oxford retained its title as the world’s top university for the 10th consecutive year, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a joint third placing between Princeton University and the University of Cambridge.
The full rankings can be viewed at https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/latest/world-ranking.
