Study In Malaysia

Over the years, Malaysia has become one of the most popular choices of international students who wish to further their studies abroad. Malaysia, standing out in the heart of Asia, is a country where the quality of life is high, the cost of living is low, and the population is made up of people from different cultures, while universities in Malaysia are known as higher education institutions where international students can receive world-class education in English for reasonable fees.

University Education in Malaysia

As mentioned above, Malaysia is one of the top education destinations in Asia, frequently preferred by international students. For more than 30 years, universities in Malaysia have been offering bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs to international students, preparing them for the information economy and providing them with the skills for professional development. Universities in Malaysia are divided into three categories; university colleges, research universities and polytechnic institutes. Research universities offer preparatory programs, bachelor’s degree programs and master’s degree programs that mainly focus on academic training in almost every field of study, while university colleges and polytechnic institutes provide vocational training through diploma and certificate programs. Programs are taught in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil languages.

How Long Does It Take To Complete Your Studies?

Though the duration of study for bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in Malaysia varies depending on the program of study, a typical bachelor’s degree program relating to a general field of study takes 3 years to complete, while bachelor’s degree programs in fields such as medicine, dentistry and health science can usually be completed in 4 or 5 years. Master’s degree programs, though subject to change depending on the program of study, take 1 to 2 years to complete.

Cost of Studying in Malaysia

There are many factors that make Malaysia such a popular study destination among international students. These factors include but are not limited to high quality of life, low cost of living and annual tuition fees. In Malaysian ringgit, the country's currency, the cost of living and tuition fees are almost half the cost of countries like Australia, the UK, Singapore and Canada.

Tuition fees in Malaysia vary depending on the university and the program of study. That being said, the annual tuition fees that international students are required to pay for a typical bachelor’s degree program range from RM 18,000 to RM 27,000 on average, while programs such as medicine, law, health sciences, nursing, dentistry can cost between RM 28,000 and RM 90,000 on average. A typical master's degree program in a general field of study costs on average between RM 23,000 and RM 45,000 per year, while master's degree programs in fields such as medicine, law, health sciences, nursing, dentistry and business can cost between RM 57,000 and RM 78,000 per year.

Cost of Living in Malaysia

Cost of living in Malaysia varies depending on the region, city and the lifestyle you will adopt during your stay. Monthly cost of living for the majority of Malaysia averages between RM 1,800 and RM 3,100. A breakdown of average monthly expenses (accommodation not included) may look like;

• Food and Meals: RM 660
• Utilities: RM 215
• Internet and Cell Phone Plan: RM 97
• Transportation: RM 110
• Books and Course Materials: RM 150
• Compulsory Health Insurance: RM 95
• Social Activities, Entertainment, Sports and Other Personal Expenses: RM 85

Accommodation in Malaysia

As in the rest of the world, accommodation costs make up the largest part of living expenses in Malaysia. Many universities in Malaysia offer residence halls for students and though fees for residence halls may vary depending on the university, they usually average between RM 445 and RM 2,200 per month. Private accommodation is more costly, with rents averaging between RM 1,250 and RM 3,800 per month for Kuala Lumpur and between RM 950 and RM 2,500 per month for Penang.

Why Study in Malaysia?

Universities like Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) are all ranked in the top 150 in world university rankings, and Malaysian universities offer world-class education for international students as well as nationals. Accordingly, the education international students receive at universities in Malaysia brings along many advantages not only in the Asia-Pacific job market but also in global business centers.

The quality of education in Malaysian universities is very high, and the annual tuition fees for bachelor’s degree and master’s degree programs are relatively reasonable compared to some countries in the US, Europe and Asia. In addition to tuition fees, Malaysia is among the countries where living expenses such as food, travel, transportation and accommodation are low and the standard of living is high. Moreover, in Malaysia, English is spoken by a large proportion of the country's population and Malaysian universities offer many bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in English.

How to Apply as an International Student?

International students who wish to apply for bachelor’s and master’s degree programs offered by universities in Malaysia must meet certain academic and language requirements. Although these requirements may vary depending on the university and the program, general admission requirements may be summarized as follows;

Admission Requirements - Academic (Bachelor’s Degree)

• To Have Completed 11 or 12 Years of Primary and Secondary Education
• Certificate of Secondary Education
• A High Grade Point Average

or

• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma
  or
• GCE A-Level / International A-Level Certificate
  or
• Advanced Placement (AP) 
  • To have taken the courses related to the field of the undergraduate program to be applied within the scope of the Advanced Placement (AP) program and to have taken the exams

or

• SAT/ACT Standardized Test Scores

Please bear in mind that international students who are going to apply to programs that are directly or indirectly related to the fields of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, civil engineering, industrial engineering, bioengineering, mathematics, physics and pharmaceutics may be asked to apply and take the relevant exams administered by the Malaysian government or by the respective university.

Admission Requirements - Academic (Master’s Degree)

• Bachelor’s Degree (of a 3 or 4-year undergraduate program)
• High Grade Point Average

Please note that you may be asked to submit GRE or GMAT test scores depending on the admission requirements specific to the program you are applying to.

Admission Requirements - Language

• Certificate of Proficiency in English (for programs taught in English)
  • You will be asked to submit the scores of at least one of the internationally recognized proficiency tests like IELTS, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, CAE, CPE, etc.

Universities in Malaysia offer many bachelor’s and master’s degree programs where the medium of instruction is English. There are also bachelor’s and master’s degree programs taught in Malay, the official language of the country, and Chinese and Tamil, the languages spoken in the country. International students, who wish to apply to such programs are required to submit a certificate of proficiency in the relevant language.

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines for bachelor’s and master’s degree programs vary depending on the university and program of study. However, international students who wish to begin their studies in the first semester of the upcoming academic year are advised to complete their applications by May and June of the previous year and who wish to begin in the second semester of the upcoming academic year are advised to complete their applications by October and November of the previous year.

Top Universities in Malaysia

1. Universiti Malaya (UM)
2. Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
3. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
4. Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
5. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
6. Taylor's University
7. UCSI University
8. Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP)
9. Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM)
10. Management and Science University