KUALA LUMPUR: Oct 1, 2026 — Universiti Malaya (UM) has made history in the national education landscape by breaking into the world’s top 200 universities.
The achievement saw UM leap to 194th place in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027.
This makes UM the first Malaysian university to break into the elite top 200 group in the ranking system.
UM Vice-Chancellor Datuk Seri Professor Ir. Dr. Noor Azuan Abu Osman described the leap as major recognition of the country’s academic quality at the global level.
“Breaking into the world’s top 200 is not the finish line, but a statement of determination that Universiti Malaya is now moving with greater confidence,” he said.
The leap represents remarkable progress compared with the 2023 edition, when the country’s oldest university was ranked in the 351-400 band globally.
The leading international ranking system measures the performance of higher education institutions based on five main pillars, including research quality and teaching environment.
In this edition’s assessment, UM recorded its highest scores in two main criteria, namely International Outlook and Research Quality.
The historic success also drew a positive response from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who described it as proof of local universities’ ability to compete globally.
Source: Universiti Malaya
