KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — The admission of international students to public universities does not affect local students’ chances of securing places, including those applying with Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), matriculation or diploma qualifications.
According to the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), data from the MyMoheS system as of December 31, 2025, showed that international students accounted for 8.9 per cent of total enrolment at public universities, comprising 56,565 of the 634,706 students.
MOHE said the majority of international students were enrolled in postgraduate programmes, while undergraduate programmes at public universities continued to give priority to local students.
Overall, enrolment at public and private higher education institutions stood at 1,264,541 students, with international students making up 12.6 per cent, or 159,138 students.
“The admission of international students at the undergraduate level is implemented based on the ‘over and above’ principle, meaning they are admitted outside the existing quota,” the ministry said.
“Admissions to postgraduate programmes, such as master’s and doctoral (PhD) studies, are based on academic qualifications and the university’s research capacity,” the ministry said in a written reply uploaded to the Parliament portal today.
The ministry was responding to a question from Chow Yu Hui (PH-Raub), who sought details on the number of international students at public higher education institutions by university, field of study and country of origin over the past five years, as well as the government’s target for increasing their enrolment.
Breaking down enrolment at public universities, MOHE said 520,105 students were enrolled in undergraduate programmes, of whom 96.56 per cent (502,212) were Malaysians, while international students accounted for just 3.44 per cent (17,893).
“The data clearly show that the majority of international students are enrolled at the postgraduate level, rather than competing for places with SPM and STPM holders as well as matriculation or diploma graduates applying for undergraduate programmes,” it added.
At the postgraduate level, 75,929 students (66.26 per cent) of the total 114,601 enrolments were Malaysians, while 38,672 (33.74 per cent) were international students.
MOHE said Malaysia’s reputation for academic quality, research excellence, teaching expertise and competitive education costs had made the country a preferred destination for students from more than 180 countries. — Bernama
