Malaysia on track to attract 250,000 foreign students by 2025

Study Malaysia reports that Malaysia is on track to achieve its goal of increasing international student enrolments to 250,000 by 2025, with an upwards trend in the number of applications from international students, particularly those from China.

The Malaysian government’s international education division, Education Malaysia Global Services publishes application data which provides an indication of enrolment trends in the absence of publicly available enrolment data. In 2024, Chinese students accounted for the largest number of applications from international students to study in Malaysia, with 33,216 applications, a 24.7% increase from 2023. (Table 1) This represents a 173% increase from pre-pandemic numbers in 2019, when there were just over 12,000 applicants from China.

Table 1

Study Malaysia notes that Malaysia’s appeal is partly the result of the number of highly ranked universities in Malaysia, as well as its relatively low cost of living and lower tuition fees compared to other top destinations. According to Study Malaysia, tuition fees for Malaysian undergraduate programs average $6,000 per year, making it a more affordable option for students from more price sensitive markets.

Cultural and religious factors

Cultural and religious factors are also likely driving interest in studying in Malaysia. Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country, which is likely to be attractive to top markets such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria and Egypt. Cultural similarities make Malaysia a drawcard for neighbouring Asian countries. It also has many Chinese-speaking communities, which QS notes is likely to be appealing for Chinese students and their families:

The QS International Student Survey 2024 also shows us that cultural issues are of concern to Chinese students – 44% of prospective Chinese students interested in Southeast Asia said culture and an appealing lifestyle is an important factor when choosing a country to study in – 54% of Chinese students also said that they would be more confident studying abroad if there were no language barriers. 

Increase in foreign university campuses

The Malaysian government has invested in attracting foreign universities to establish branch campuses in Malaysia as part of its bid to increase Malaysia’s appeal to international students. According to the British Council, five UK universities have established branch campuses in the country. These include the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia, University of Southampton Malaysia Campus, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia and University of Reading Malaysia. A number of other UK universities offer franchised degree programmes in partnership with Malaysian providers. The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and University College Dublin have also opened a campus in Malaysia, as have three Australian universities, Monash University, Curtin University and Swinburne University and Chinese university Xiamen University.

Visa flexibility

Malaysian government policy around student dependents is also likely driving increased student numbers. Unlike some destinations, Malaysia allows Masters and Ph.D. students to bring their dependents during their period of study in Malaysia.

Malaysia has also introduced a new visa option for graduates of bachelor’s degrees and higher, the Graduate Pass, which allows graduates from 23 countries and their dependents to stay on in the country for up to a year to further their studies, travel, or work part-time. Applicants from China and India do not automatically qualify, with applications considered on a case-by-case basis.