PETALING JAYA: Universiti Malaya (UM) continues to lead among Malaysian varsities in the QS World University Rankings 2025.

Sitting in the 60th spot globally, it is also the only Malaysian university to be in the top 100.

UM had climbed five spots, from 65th last year, in the 21st edition of the rankings.

UM is the top national performer in the Academic Reputation, placing 62nd, and Employer Reputation, placing 34th.

Coming in second is Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) climbing 21 spots from 159th to 138th.

The other research universities in the country – Universiti Sains Malaysia (146th), Universiti Putra Malaysia (148th) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (=181th) – round up the institutions listed in the top 200.

Meanwhile, Taylor’s University maintains its position as the top private university in Malaysia, ranking 251st, followed by UCSI University at =265th.

A total of 28 Malaysian higher education institutions (HEIs) were ranked this year.

In a statement on Wednesday (June 5), QS said five Malaysian universities ranked among the world’s top 100 for the International Student Ratio indicator and four universities among the top 200 for International Faculty Ratio.

“Malaysia is making significant strides towards its ambitious goal of attracting 250,000 international students by 2025,” it said.

It also said Malaysia’s universities are gaining increased recognition among academics, with almost all ranked universities showing improved year-on-year results.

However, it added, they face declining recognition by employers, with 22 of the 26 ranked universities dropping in this indicator.

“Despite progress in other areas, Malaysia’s research impact still falls short compared to its regional and global peers,” it added.

QS senior vice president Ben Sowter said: “Malaysia’s journey towards becoming a high-income nation hinge on the quality of its educational system.

He said that by focusing on developing a strong educational foundation at the primary and secondary levels, Malaysia can nurture the next generation of university students.

“Their learning experience needs to include emerging skills and competencies, fostering both the technical and human skills required to thrive in an increasingly AI-centric global economy,” he added.

Sowter said this approach is critical for meeting the rising demand for a skilled workforce and sustaining economic growth.

Overall, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States continues to dominate the ranking for the 13th year, while the United Kingdom’s Imperial College London takes second spot, knocking the University of Cambridge, UK, (now fifth) off the rank.

University of Oxford, UK, maintains its rank (3rd) and shares the spot with Harvard University, United States of America.

Singapore is the only Asian country featured among the world’s top 10 in the latest rankings with National University of Singapore ranking 8th globally.

Note: = symbol means it shares a rank with another institution