PETALING JAYA: Universiti Malaya (UM) is the country’s most represented institution in the 2025 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject.
Of UM’s 46 subject entries, 20 are ranked among the world’s top 100 in the index.
Among UM’s highest-ranked subjects are Library and Information at 29 and Education at 38. The latter climbed 32 spots from =70th in 2024 (= denotes sharing the rank with another institution).
English Language and Literature secured the 46th spot up from =53, while Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) was ranked =47th.
UM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Seri Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman attributed the university’s performance to its commitment to academic and research excellence.
“Our new achievements, including our historic new Dentistry and Marketing programmes and our continuous success in other subjects, reinforce our mission to lead the nation and the world in charting new frontiers that will shape a better tomorrow,” he said in a statement yesterday.
UM ranks 71 for Social Sciences and Management, 79 for Engineering and Technology, 98 for Arts and Humanities, 118 for Life Sciences and 134 for Natural Sciences.
The university’s Anthropology subject also entered the global top 200 for the first time, making it the only ranked Anthropology programme in Malaysia.
In terms of total subjects ranked, UM was followed by Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) at 37 entries, and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) at 35 entries each.
With 277 subject entries across 55 academic disciplines, Malaysia was the most represented country in South-East Asia in the rankings.
The country also leads in the number of ranked institutions (27) and new entries (51).
Overall, 52 Malaysian institutions’ subjects improved, 103 showed no change while 72 saw their rank decline.
Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) broke into the world’s top 20 for Petroleum Engineering when it ranked 16.
UTP vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib said the programme is globally renowned and consistently top-ranked, driven by expert faculty, advanced facilities, and strong industry ties.
Taylor’s University’s Hospitality and Leisure Management ranks 20 globally, while its History of Art programme debuted in the 21-50 band.
Taylor’s is ranked in the top 150 for Social Sciences and Management, and Arts and Humanities, and top 500 for Engineering and Technology.
Taylor’s University vice-chancellor and president Prof Barry Winn said the achievement reaffirms its commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and student success.
UCSI University’s Performing Arts climbed 10 spots to 32, and its Hospitality and Leisure Management programme broke into the top 100.
UCSI is ranked 78th for Arts and Humanities, 132nd for Social Sciences and Management, and 223rd for Engineering and Technology.
“I’m encouraged to note that UCSI is making good progress, particularly in science-based subjects that are crucial in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR),” said UCSI vice-chancellor Prof Emerita Datuk Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir.
QS senior vice-president Ben Sowter highlighted Malaysia’s growing role in Asia’s higher education landscape.
The rankings released yesterday by QS provide an independent, comparative analysis of more than 18,300 academic offerings from over 1,700 universities in 100 locations worldwide, spanning 55 academic disciplines and five broad faculty areas.
The broad faculty areas are Arts and Humanities, Engineering and Technology, Life Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences.
For more information, check out www.topuniversities.com/world-university-rankings
