4 Best Private Universities in Malaysia You Should Check Out
Choosing a university is one of the toughest decisions you have to make in your life, as it will set you up for your eventual career in the future. To make sure that you’re on the right track, you need to choose a university that will help you attain your goals and give you the start you need.
Fortunately, there are tons of institutes in Malaysia that can cater to different kinds of students and young professionals. To help you make the right decision for you and your future, we’re presenting some of the best private universities in Malaysia!
1. Taylor’s University
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Accessibility | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| — Location | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| — Ease of administration | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| — Affordability | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Programme variety | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Reputation | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Facilities | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| — Safety | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| — Academic | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| — Non-academic | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Culture | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Taylor’s University is widely renowned as one of the most elite private schools not just in Malaysia, but in Southeast Asia as a whole. We can easily see why upon closer look, as this school offers top-notch facilities and programs that can boost a student’s learning experience.
Reputation-wise, you won’t have to think twice about this university’s experience and overall reliability. We only say this because it has managed to be the leading private university in the prestigious QS World University Rankings for three straight years.
Taylor’s University also deserves some praise for its complete facilities. We’re highly impressed to see how each course they offer had a corresponding facility, whether it be for food studies, medicine, engineering, law and more.
This kind of selection is something that we take into consideration because we believe that it makes learning more fun and interactive. Plus, they also feature a bunch of non-academic facilities as well so plus points for that!
We also wanted to include this university on this list because of its accommodation options, which make the lives of its students way easier. We know that a huge struggle of being a college student is finding cheap yet quality housing while studying, and this serves as a great solution!
The only problem we have with this university is the noticeably higher price they charge compared to other establishments. Although one could say that this price is made up for by the quality of facilities and teaching, it can still be too much for other students.
Pros
- Impressive set of facilities
- Reputable
- Financial aids and scholarships
- Accommodation options
Cons
- Relatively higher price compared to other private schools
Customer Reviews
Lecturers are very professional
“In terms of education, the lecturers are very professional and student services are top-notch. However, the facilities are just above average. There are not enough facilities right now especially when the entire college is relocated into this campus.
Parking was a troublesome thing but after recent upgrades, there is plenty of parking. The best part about Taylor’s are the environment, atmosphere, events, lifestyle, ducks, geese and dogs.”—Sultanified, Google Reviews
Student welfare cares for students
“Yes indeed it is an expensive university, but remember you get what you pay for. Medicine is the most expensive and then I believe it’s followed by engineering and business, if you happen to be talented you might as well try to obtain a scholarship.
Student welfare cares for students not as some people mentioned as being ignored, they’ll answer you instantly on working days or in some cases there’s a period for answering given based on your requests. I’m an international student and I requested a counsellor who got in touch with me instantly and helped me through my application. There are no hidden fees.
Fees for international students are a bit more expensive because most of the extra money is for immigration services and some is a deposit which almost every university in the world has for international students.
The university has a lot of events that may distract you but you can always stay at the library or your dorm. In general, the campus/facilities are modern and luxurious with plenty of famous cafés, again you get what you pay for.
For your information, although medicine is the most expensive course at Taylor’s, if you compare it to other universities it’s actually relatively cheaper. The rest of the reviews are old and I’m pretty sure Taylor’s have read most of the reviews and managed to fix all the mistakes whether it’s in the staff, facilities or management.” —Kaniel Outis, Google Reviews
2. UCSI University
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Accessibility | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| — Location | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| — Ease of administration | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| — Affordability | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Programme variety | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Reputation | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Facilities | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| — Safety | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| — Academic | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| — Non-academic | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Culture | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
UCSI University is another well-known institution that has built quite a reputable image over the past years. With 37 and counting years under its belt, you would think that it’s a relatively young school, but it quickly gained traction because of its educational excellence.
Recently, it even garnered one of the most special awards a university can win, which is QS Recognition for Improvement. This award permanently solidified USCI as a remarkable institution, as it’s the first and only recipient of the prestigious title.
As for accessibility, we can say that it’s quite welcoming to students with its complete facilities and easy enrolment process. Not to mention that it’s also located in Kuala Lumpur, so you’ll get to be in the capital as you’re studying here!
We have a feeling that you won’t rush leaving campus, however, as it comes with amazing facilities that can boost student engagement. They have laboratories, libraries and even dormitories for students who are a long way from home.
These facilities go hand-in-hand with their selection of offered programmes, which is just as impressive, by the way.
They offer just about every course you could think of from medicine to music, engineering and more! Having this collection is great, as it allows more students to find their niche before heading into the real world.
However, we advise that you prepare yourself for quite a hefty price, as the tuition here is higher compared to other institutions as well. It is made up for, however, by the campus facilities and high-quality teaching provided here.
Pros
- Wide variety of offered courses
- World-class facilities
- Reputable image
- On-campus accommodation
- Scholarships for international and local students
Cons
- Expensive
Customer Reviews
Good experience but could’ve been better
“Overall, my experience was good but could’ve been better. The education quality for mass communication students is not that good, the last year pathway subjects were a bit more useful but other practical subjects were not very beneficial. ” —Anonymous User, Afterschool.my
This is the phase that everyone has to go through and I never regret it
“Having fun joining and attending clubs and activities, being exposed to uni life, meeting lots of new friends from diff backgrounds and diff countries.
Students should be more open, as in learn to respect and accept the culture, people’s different race and attitude, to be more outgoing and blend in the crowd, it helps to build confidence and mix more new people.” —Chian, hotcourseabroad
3. Sunway University
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Accessibility | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| — Location | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| — Ease of administration | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| — Affordability | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Programme variety | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Reputation | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Facilities | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| — Safety | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| — Academic | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| — Non-academic | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Culture | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Sunway University is a great option if you’re looking for good facilities and equally great teachers. Not to mention that it also features a plethora of programmes for undergraduate and postgraduate enrollees.
They also have this thing called micro-credentials, which are short courses that teach students in-demand skills to help them start building a career. These topics range from mathematics to biodiversity, computer fundamentals and more.
Several things are worth highlighting when it comes to their facilities. The ones that impressed us because we don’t often see them in schools include free shuttle buses, canopy walks and an actual good wifi connection that’s strong enough to cover the entire campus.
One thing we noticed about this university’s culture is its diverse students, as they come from different cultural backgrounds. We see this as a great opportunity to build networks and discover new things that you don’t necessarily learn with people with the same background as you.
They also hold various activities to keep their students engaged such as National Joke Day, No-Plastic Day, etc. We think these are great additions to the usual campus life, as it provides a break from all the academic stuff students have on their plates.
As much as we love their facilities, whether they be academic or non-academic, we can’t help but think that their tuition fees are ridiculously high. We’re not alone in thinking this as well, as several people we’ve spoken with have voiced out their thoughts on Sunway’s fees.
Overall, we think Sunway University is a solid option if you can look past its pricey tuition fees. It has a great culture, which we’re sure students will appreciate, and high-quality facilities that are sure to boost engagement.
Pros
- Fun extracurricular activities
- Amazing selection of programmes for undergraduates and postgraduates
- Great selection of micro-credentials
- Complete facilities
Cons
- Ridiculously-high tuition fees
Customer Reviews
Lecturers are great
“The lecturers are great, helpful and will always be up for answering any questions you may have. Facilities are also well.” —Anonymous user, Masters Portal
Plenty of events happening every week
“Good place to have your tertiary study. Plenty of events happening every week. The library is my favourite spot throughout my entire sem.” —Zhe Kai Ng, Google Reviews
4. Multimedia University (MMU)
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Accessibility | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| — Location | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| — Ease of administration | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| — Affordability | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Programme variety | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Reputation | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Facilities | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| — Safety | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| — Academic | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| — Non-academic | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Culture | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Multimedia University is considered the best school to enrol in if you’re planning to pursue an artistic career. Some of their famous programmes include creative multimedia, communication, information technology, and cinematic arts.
They’re also known for helping students build connections through their collaborations with industry-leading brands. Some of the brands that they’ve partnered with over the years include Dell, Microsoft and Intel.
These are only two of the many factors why they rank among the top 10 private universities in QS Malaysia and the entire world in 2023. Plus, it also helps that it’s one of the top institutes that employers look for in an applicant’s resume in screening interviews.
We also appreciated how they hold several events throughout the year to build campus culture and help students break their academic-related stress.
As for its downsides, we can really only name two. Firstly, we didn’t like that some of their equipment was old, which could throw off some enrollees who chose this school because of its multimedia facilities.
Also, we felt that the tuition fee was a bit high, especially considering some of the age-old facilities. Nonetheless, Multimedia University is still a great choice for students who want to study arts from communication, digital marketing, cinematic arts, etc.
Pros
- Amazing selection of Bachelor of Arts programmes
- Top pick for graduate employment
Cons
- Some facilities and pieces of equipment are dated
- Expensive tuition fees
Customer Reviews
The lecturers guided us closely
“I was an MBA student at MMU which started in 2018 and finished in 2020, during the pandemic. My study experience here was great.
Even though the classes were quite packed and had a lot of assignments to handle, the lecturers did help and guide us closely which I cannot demand this treatment at public universities.
My 1st degree was from a public university in Malaysia. The workloads and credit hours are equal to public Uni.
On the other hand, the advantage of studying in MMU is the number of students in MMU is on a small scale which means less crowd in class, less competition, more focus and easy to approach the lecturer.
It’s true the facilities are lacking compare to public uni and it does not bring any issues to me since I am not staying at the university hostel.”—Shazleen Eshak, Google Reviews
Good study place
“Studying here is amazing, the weather is wonderful and the environment is good for students. The environment is also friendly and everything is within walking distance from one faculty to others. Facilities are good & people here are really nice.” —Eric, hotcoursesabroad