Universiti Sains Malaysia ranking has shown steady global improvement over recent years. In the QS World University Rankings, USM climbed from #208 in 2023 to #146 in 2025, solidifying its position among the world’s top 150 universities. Its performance in the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings also improved, advancing from the #601–800 band in 2023 to the #401–500 range in 2024 and 2025. Although the QS Sustainability ranking declined from #136 in 2023 to #251 in 2025, USM continues to maintain a competitive standing regionally, ranking 8th in Southeastern Asia in 2025.

Across subjects, Universiti Sains Malaysia rankings reveal consistent upward trends in key disciplines. Notable improvements include Computer Science, which rose to #165 in QS 2025 from the 201–250 band earlier, and Natural Sciences, which advanced from #312 to #219 over three years. Engineering and Technology also climbed from #208 to #177 in the QS rankings, while THE placed Engineering in the #301–400 band, up from #601–800. Additionally, fields like Chemistry, Pharmacy, and Business have either held strong or improved moderately, reflecting USM’s broad academic growth and research influence.

Universiti Sains Malaysia World Ranking

USM is regarded as one of the top universities in Southeastern Asia. The Universiti Sains Malaysia QS ranking makes it one of the top 150 universities globally. On the other hand, Times Higher Education (THE) ranked the university within #401-500 bands in the World University Ranking category. A few notable Universiti Sains Malaysia world ranking trends are tabulated below.

Ranked By 2025 Rank 2024 Rank 2023 Rank 2022 Rank 2021 Rank
QS #146 #137 #143 #147 #142
THE #401-500 #401-500 #601-800 #601-800 #601-800
QS- Sustainability #251 #214 #136 - -
US News and World Report - #401 #504 #525 -

Universiti Sains Malaysia Ranking in Asia

Ranked For 2025 Rank 2024 Rank 2023 Rank
QS- Asian University Rankings (Southeastern Asia) #8 #6 #6

Universiti Sains Malaysia Engineering Rankings

Universiti Sains Malaysia has steadily climbed in QS Engineering & Technology rankings, moving from #208 in 2023 to #177 in 2025. While most engineering disciplines like Electrical, Civil, and Mechanical have maintained stable positions in the 151–250 range, Chemical Engineering saw a dip from the 101–150 band to 151–200 in 2025. In THE rankings, USM’s Engineering jumped from the 601–800 range in 2023 to 301–400 in 2024 and 2025, reflecting strong gains in research and academic performance.

Subjects 2025 Rank 2024 Rank 2023 Rank
QS- Engineering and Technology #177 #186 #208
QS- Electrical and Electronic Engineering #151-200 #151-200 #151-200
QS- Civil and Structural #151-200 #151-200 #151-200
QS- Chemical Engineering #151-200 #101-150 #101-150
QS- Mechanical Engineering #201-250 #201-250 #201-250
THE- Engineering #301-400 #301-400 #601-800

Read More: Universiti Sains Malaysia Engineering Courses and Fees

Universiti Sains Malaysia Rankings for Computer Science Programs

Universiti Sains Malaysia has made significant strides in Computer Science. In the QS rankings, it rose from the 201–250 band in 2023 and 2024 to #165 in 2025. Similarly, in THE Computer Science rankings, USM improved from the 301–400 range in 2023 to 201–250 in 2025. These upward trends highlight the university’s growing research output and academic strength in computing disciplines.

Subjects 2025 Rank 2024 Rank 2023 Rank
QS- Computer Science and Information Systems #165 #201-250 #201-250
THE- Computer Science #201-250 #251-300 #301-400

Universiti Sains Malaysia Rankings for Business Programs

Universiti Sains Malaysia has maintained a strong position in Accounting and Finance, consistently ranking in the QS 151–200 band for 2024 and 2025. In Economics and Econometrics, USM improved from #201–250 in 2023 to #185 in 2025. However, Business and Management Studies saw a slight drop in QS rankings, from #151–200 in 2023 to #201–250 in 2024 and 2025. THE rankings for Business and Economics show a gradual decline from #126–150 in 2023 to #176–200 in 2025, indicating increased competition or shifting metrics in the field.

Subjects 2025 Rank 2024 Rank 2023 Rank
QS- Accounting and Finance #151-200 #151-200 -
QS- Economics and Econometrics #185 #151-200 #201-250
QS- Business and Management Studies #201-250 #201-250 #151-200
THE- Business and Economics #176-200 #151-175 #126-150

Read More: Universiti Sains Malaysia Business Programs

Universiti Sains Malaysia Rankings for Medical Science

Universiti Sains Malaysia continues to perform strongly in Pharmacy and Pharmacology, ranked #87 in both 2023 and 2025, with a peak at #76 in 2024. Medicine has maintained a stable QS ranking in the 251–300 range over three years, while THE rankings for Medical and Health have remained steady in the 401–500 band, indicating consistent performance but room for growth in global impact and research visibility.

Subjects 2025 Rank 2024 Rank 2023 Rank
QS- Pharmacy and Pharmacology #87 #76 #87
QS- Medicine #251-300 #251-300 #251-300
THE- Medical and Health #401-500 #401-500 #401-500

Also Read: Universiti Sains Malaysia Medicine Courses and Fees 2025

Universiti Sains Malaysia Rankings for Natural Sciences

Universiti Sains Malaysia shows steady improvement in the natural sciences. Its QS ranking for Natural Sciences rose from #312 in 2023 to #219 in 2025, while Chemistry and Materials Science held strong in the top 200. Physics and Astronomy also improved significantly, climbing from #401–450 in 2023 to #251–300 in 2025.

In THE rankings, USM's Life Sciences progressed from the 601–800 band to 401–500 in 2025, indicating better research performance and academic reputation. Physical Sciences saw consistent placement at #501–600 recently, improving notably from the #801–1000 range in 2023.

Subjects 2025 Rank 2024 Rank 2023 Rank
QS- Chemistry #170 #151-200 #151-200
QS- Materials Science #151-200 #201-250 #201-250
QS- Natural Sciences #219 #241 #312
QS- Environmental Sciences #201-250 #151-200 #201-250
QS- Mathematics #201-250 #201-250 #201-250
QS- Physics and Astronomy #251-300 #301-350 #401-450
QS- Biological Sciences #251-300 #251-300 #301-350
QS- Psychology #301-350 - -
THE- Life Sciences #401-500 #501-600 #601-800
THE- Physical Sciences #501-600 #501-600 #801-1000

Read More: Universiti Sains Malaysia Science Courses and Fees 2025

Universiti Sains Malaysia continues to strengthen its global academic reputation, with consistent improvements across major global rankings. Its QS World University Ranking climbed to #146 in 2025, and subject-wise gains in fields like Computer Science, Engineering, and Natural Sciences highlight USM’s growing research output and academic excellence.

FAQs

Ques: Which is the No. 1 uni in Malaysia?

Ans: While multiple institutions compete for the top spot, Universiti Malaya (UM) is generally ranked as the No. 1 university in Malaysia, consistently leading in global rankings such as QS and THE.

Ques: What is the ranking of Universiti Sains Malaysia?

Ans: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is ranked #146 in the QS World University Rankings 2025 and falls within the #401–500 band in THE World University Rankings 2025, reflecting strong academic and research performance globally.

Ques: Is Universiti Sains Malaysia private or government?

Ans: USM is a public research university and one of Malaysia’s oldest and most prestigious government-funded institutions.

Ques: How much is USM Malaysia's fee for international students?

Ans: Fees for international students at USM vary by program. Postgraduate courses range from USD 5,600 to 63,000, while undergraduate fees typically fall between USD 1,562 and 13,750 per semester, depending on the course.