Study in Malaysia: Know Top Universities, Courses and Admission Cycle

Study in Malaysia - One of the primary reasons for Malaysia’s growing popularity among international aspirants is its affordable cost of education and high-quality tertiary educational standards. To cite an example, candidates can acquire a UK engineering degree (three years) in Malaysia at an estimated cost of RM 68,000 (US$17,000), while the tuition fee of the same three-year degree programme at the host university in the UK will tentatively cost around £36,000 (or RM217,000 or US$ 54,250). The average living cost in Malaysia is up to RM54,000 for three years. According to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation), Malaysia has captured a two per cent market share of international students in the fast-growing education domain.

This Story also Contains

1. Malaysia Country introduction
2. Top 20 Universities to Study in Malaysia 2024
3. Admission Cycle to Study in Malaysia
4. Timeline of Admission Cycle
5. Eligibility Criteria to Study in Malaysia
6. Fee Specifications for University in Malaysia
7. Scholarships to Study at University in Malaysia
8. Malaysia Admission and Visa Cycle
9. Study in Malaysia: Key facts of student visa
10. Why Study in Malaysia?

The country has established some of the top colleges and universities like the Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, which rank among the top 500 universities in the world (QS World University Ranking). According to recent statistics, Malaysia currently accommodates more than 100,000 international students from more than 100 countries across the globe. The icing on the cake is that Malaysia has been known to be a travellers’ paradise for decades. Kuala Lumpur is one of the best cities to study in Malaysia for International students. Life in Malaysia can be a constant adventure where classroom lectures amalgamate with practical experience/application.

Malaysia Country introduction

With immense popularity as one of the finest holiday destinations for tourists, Malaysia’s consistent track record in the field of education justifies its fast emergence as a sought-after study destination. The study in Malaysia for Indian students may feel at home since India falls under the three largest ethnic groups in Malaysia, namely the Malays, Chinese and Indians. Malaysia is multi-cultural, with people from different religions, customs, and practices.

International students who study in Malaysia do not face any security issues and enjoy a comfortable living environment with modern amenities, good healthcare and medical facilities, excellent educational institutions, and world-class recreational and sports facilities. Malaysia offers international students many options of quality education programmes at a much more affordable cost. If an aspirant wants to explore a life away from his/her native country, Malaysia is the most viable place to opt for!

Top 20 Universities to Study in Malaysia 2024

According to the Institute of International Education (IIE), Malaysia is home to over 100,000 international students. The average ratio of international to domestic students studying in Malaysia is 1:10, thus competing with major study abroad destinations like Australia and Japan. Interesting news is that the Malaysian government has plans to attract more than 250,000 students by 2025 and has a variety of educational schemes in place for aspirants planning to study in Malaysia. University Malaya is the top university in Malaysia according to QS World Rankings 2024. Asian countries including Bangladesh, India and China among others dominate in terms of the number of students; they mostly pursue full-time and online degree courses in Malaysia. Computing is one of the best course to study in Malaysia and few other courses like Computer science, IT, Block chain are also prefffered most international students.

Top 20 Universities to study in Malaysia - QS Rankings

Admission Cycle to Study in Malaysia

For candidates aspiring to study in Malaysia, the initial step is to start research on universities. The following steps include an understanding of the admission cycle in Malaysia, the application process and deadlines, mode of payment, visa requirements etc. In this article, Careers brings information related to the admission cycle of Malaysia including the application deadlines of some of the universities. It is crucial to be well-versed the Malaysia admission cycle as it helps international students to keep themselves updated with the application deadlines and processes. In Malaysia, the academic session for both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes start in February.

Malaysia Admission Cycle: Timeline for February Intake

Timeline of Admission Cycle

Candidates considering studying abroad in Malaysia are strongly recommended to start the application procedure 8-12 months prior to the respective intake schedules.

Intakes in Public Universities - September.

Intakes in Private Universities - February, July, September.

Malaysia admission cycle 2023-24

*Source- University’s official website

Please note that- The Malaysia admission deadline dates for most of the universities are scheduled in October of the previous year for February intake and May-June of the same year for the September intake university in Malaysia. If an aspirant plans to get into a top university in Malaysia, he/she should complete the application process within the mentioned time-frame. However, the deadline may vary depending on the university and its programmes/courses. Therefore, it is advisable to consult with the department concerned before applying to any particular university.

Eligibility Criteria to Study in Malaysia

The eligibility criteria for the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes differ in terms of educational qualification, countries where aspirants hail from, universities applying to.

Eligibility criteria For Renowned university in Malaysia for both UG and PG courses

Fee Specifications for University in Malaysia

There are two classifications of the fee, namely Academic Fees and Non-Academic Fees. The details of each are mentioned below.

University in Malaysia - Fee Details

• Academic Fees - The academic fee includes all the elements like registration fee, Tuition fee, deposit, laboratory fee, library fee and other incidental costs such as examination fees
• Non-Academic Fees - The non-academic fee includes all the elements like student visa fees, Medical check-up, health and hospitalisation insurance premium

Generally in Malaysia, the cost of studying bachelor's in any private institution ranges around $5000 to $14000 per year. Public universities in Malaysia charge low fee than private institutes. Similarly for studying masters ranges around $6000 to $17,000/- per year. The tuition fees in Malaysian universities are much lower than many universities across the globe with many charging just about USD 5,000 for engineering programmes against over USD40,000 in the USA for similar courses. Along with the University fees the student also needs to consider the living expenses to constitute the overall study budget in Malaysia.

How to Apply to Universities in Malaysia

Choose your university or universities: As the country has over 100 world-renowned institutes with a wide range of courses ranked among the top 100 in the world, it is essential to choose your dream university carefully and make sure it's completely cost-effective for you. , location, course, etc.

Complete your application: Most Malaysian universities have their respective application processes and deadlines. The main intakes are in February, July and October. Students are encouraged to apply at least 7-8 months before the deadline.

Apply for a Malaysian student visa: After receiving your admission offer, apply for a Malaysian visa at the nearest embassy and pay the application fee of MYR 1,060. The entire process can take 3-4 weeks or more depending on the individual application.

Provide proof of funds: The applicant must present proof of finance with a minimum of MYR 70,445 per year to obtain a successful visa.

Prepare for your departure: Once you've received your visa, plan your departure by researching accommodation alternatives in the country and get ready to fly.

Application Process

To apply to the universities to study in Malaysia, the students can directly apply at the university's official website online

The list of documents required for application are -

• Resume
• Academic Transcripts
• Accommodation form (if required for on campus)
• Passport
• ID Proof
• Health Report
• SOP

Living Expenses During Study in Malaysia

Malaysia is one of the affordable destinations to pursue higher education and make a living, especially, if compared with countries like the USA and Australia. The next big expense pertaining to accommodation also comes as a relief to candidates as the housing costs are just around $110 to $400 in Malaysia. For maintenance, international students could require around $100 including food, transportation, and other daily expenses. The transport is very cheaper around monthly bus & train passes ranging from $20 to $50, etc. Candidates can consider all these expenses in the living costs.

Scholarships to Study at University in Malaysia

Scholarships, assistantships, and fellowships are usually available for postgraduate students aspiring to study in Malaysia, depending either on availability within the institution and academic record of applicants. Moreover, a number of scholarships are available from other institutions and organisations, such as the Malaysian government itself. However, candidates should know scholarship deadlines vary amongst institutions. Some of the scholarships offered by some of the famed universities are as the following-

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) :

• IGSS (International Graduate Student Scholarship)

• Malaysian International Scholarship (MIS) - For New International Students

• Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Sime Darby (YSD) Collaborative Scholarship Programme

• GRA (Graduate Research Assistantship)

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) :

• Malaysian International Scholarship (MIS)

• Islamic Development Bank (IDB)

• Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP)

• Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP)

Malaysia Admission and Visa Cycle

Once the prospective student gets confirmation from the university on his/her admission, the next major step is to obtain the visa. The students must apply for the Malaysian visa at least three months prior to the commencement of the academic session. International students need a ‘student pass’ similar to student visa as it is a key element to consider after applying for the chosen course. If a student is studying in Malaysia for more than a year i.e., two semesters, then he/she will have to renew the student pass as it is valid for one year only. Once students accept their study offer in Malaysia, they need to apply for the ‘Student Pass’. After which students will receive an approval letter which they will need to produce to the immigration officials at the Malaysian airport.

The Malaysian Student Visa does not have any multiple categories. All international students, whether they have an offer from Private or government institution have to apply for the Malaysian Student Pass. Foreign students can apply for the Malaysian Student Pass through the Department of Immigration Malaysia.

Study in Malaysia: Key facts of student visa

Malaysian government provides ‘Student Pass’ to international students who aspire to pursue their studies in the country. In most cases, the Malaysian student visa is facilitated by the university that the student has been admitted to. Foreign students can apply at the Department of Immigration Malaysia as well. It tentatively takes around seven to eight weeks for processing, if all documents of student visa are submitted by the candidate. For international students who study in Malaysia, Student Passes are valid for a period of 12 months. The application process for the renewal of visas has to be initiated six weeks before the expiry of the student visa. Another key element for visa processing is candidate photo. Two recent photographs should be submitted. (One loose and one affixed on the application form). Photograph specification: 3.5cm X 5cm 60 percent-70 percent face appearance in white background. Photographs should clearly show from crown to shoulders. Following are the specifications for Malaysian visa required for study in Malaysia.

Visa specifications

Note- International student aspiring to pursue higher studies in Malaysia must apply for the Visa With Reference (VDR), meant for students, and NOT Visa Without Reference (VTR). Malaysian Student Visa without reference is only for the purpose of social visit.

Depending on the course and type of school aspirants are applying to, they have the following types of application categories-

• A foreigner in Government Schools;

• A foreigner in Private Schools;

• A foreigner in public higher education institutions;

• A foreigner in private higher education institutions;

• A foreigner in language centres

• A foreigner in training centres under Department of Skill Development;

• A holder of Dependant Pass (Expatriate).

• Dependents of students can also accompany them on the Malaysian Student Pass. However, only Postgraduate and PhD students can avail this opportunity.

Explore others study destinations:

Best course to Study in Malaysia

Here are few top courses to study in Malaysia

• Engineering
• Medicine
• Business Management
• Accounting
• Arts
• Media communication

Job Opportunities After Study in Malaysia

International students can start applying for jobs in Malaysia during their final year of study. The student visa will be expired after the completion of the degree or course. Candidates need to apply for a work permit for working in Malaysia. The following are a few of the available list of job opportunities in Malaysia.

• IT Engineer
• Civil/Mechanical/ Electrical Engineers
• Banking managers and staff
• Digital marketers/Brand managers
• Hospitality staff
• Travel Agency workers
• Nursing/Hospital staff

Why Study in Malaysia?

The following are the reasons which explain why many international students are excited to study in Malaysia-

• Presence of international students - More than 120,000 international students from over 130 countries study in Malaysia.
• Better quality of education - According to the QS World University Rankings, several Malaysian universities and courses are ranked in the top 500 because they provide world-class education to their students.
• Presence of foreign universities - Students can now obtain a British, American or Australian degree in Malaysia, as many foreign universities have branch campuses in the country.
• Education is affordable - The cost of studying in Malaysia is relatively lower than studying in any other country abroad, and also a wide variety of scholarships to study in the country. An average university degree in the country will cost students around MYR 39,990.
• Safe country for international students - According to recent data provided by the Global Peace Index, Malaysia ranks 29th in the list of the most peaceful countries in the world.
• Career opportunities - The country offers many post-study work opportunities for students and is expected to create thousands of new jobs in the coming years.
• Multicultural environment - Malaysia's global community allows for cultural, religious and social acceptance of all ethnic groups and believes in harmony.