USM ranking jumps into the global top 350 in THE 2027 list

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has entered the world’s top 350 universities. The USM ranking now sits in the 326–350 band of the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027. That puts it in about the top 15% of the table.

Vice-chancellor Datuk Seri Prof Dr Abdul Rahman Mohamed gave the details in a statement on Wednesday. THE lists 2,297 universities in this edition. USM scored higher on all five THE pillars.

Here is how far the USM ranking has climbed. We also show where it stands in Malaysia and what drove the score.

How USM climbed the table

At first, USM sat in the 601–800 band from 2020 to 2023. Then it moved up to 401–500 from 2024 to 2026. The new USM ranking of 326–350 is its highest in this run of results.

However, Abdul Rahman called the result further progress in a tough global field. He credited USM’s academics, researchers, staff and students. He also thanked its industry and community partners. In his view, they made the rise possible.

Other tables point the same way. In June, USM rose six places to 128th in the QS World University Rankings 2027. That made it the second-highest ranked Malaysian university.

In August, USM climbed 149 places to 581st in the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2026. That placed it first in Malaysia. It also ranked fifth globally, first in Asia and first in Malaysia in the THE Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026.

Where USM stands among Malaysian universities

USM is the fifth-highest ranked Malaysian university in the 2027 edition. Universiti Malaya (UM) leads at 194th. Then comes Universiti Teknologi Petronas at 242nd. Sunway University follows at 283rd.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia sits in the 301–325 band. That puts it just ahead of USM. So USM trails the next university above it by one band.

Also, UM made history this year. It became the first Malaysian university to enter the world’s top 200. The result gives Malaysian higher education a stronger showing.

In all, 29 Malaysian universities were ranked this year. That is two more than in the previous edition. As a result, more Malaysian universities now appear in the global table.

What lifted USM’s score

International Outlook remained USM’s strongest pillar. Its score rose to 80.4 from 76.5 in the previous edition. Abdul Rahman said it reflects USM’s international profile through its students, staff and research partners abroad.

Meanwhile, industry engagement improved the most. USM’s Industry score rose 10.6 points to 75.1. Abdul Rahman said the result reinforces knowledge transfer as a strength, linking research with innovation and technology.

Research quality scored 66.2. It remains an important foundation. Abdul Rahman said the pillar looks at how often other scholars cite the research. Better teaching and a stronger research environment also added to the result.

Also, he said the recognition brought “a responsibility to ensure that academic excellence benefits society”. USM will keep its focus on educational quality and research excellence. He said the university aims for “education that develops talent and research that helps address national and global challenges”. Students comparing universities should check each pillar score, not only the overall band.