JOHOR BAHRU, 30 September 2026 – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has moved up to the 401–450 band in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027, its highest placement to date. With 2,297 universities from 118 countries and territories ranked this year, the result places UTM in the top 20% worldwide. Nationally, UTM ranks fourth among Malaysia’s Research Universities.

The result continues a steady climb. UTM was in the 601–800 band from 2020 to 2022, entered the 401–500 band in 2023 and held it for four consecutive editions. This year, it moved into a higher band.

The progress comes as the rankings grow more competitive. Since the 2025 edition, THE has added more than 200 universities to its table. Over the same period, UTM has moved from the top quarter to the top fifth of ranked institutions.

Sustained progress in teaching, research, industry and international outlook

THE rankings assess research-intensive universities across five pillars, namely Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, Industry and International Outlook, using institutional data, bibliometric analysis and a global academic reputation survey. UTM improved in four of the five pillars, each reaching its strongest level in four years:

• Teaching, where UTM ranks fourth in Malaysia. The pillar covers teaching reputation, staff-to-student ratios and institutional resources.
• Research Environment, which reflects research income, productivity and reputation.
• Industry, which has risen every year since 2024. It measures industry income and patents, the clearest sign of research that industry invests in and puts to use.
• International Outlook, which reflects international students, staff and research collaboration.

These gains align with UTM ASCEND 2030, the university’s strategic plan to strengthen its impact for Malaysia and the world.

“Moving up while the rankings grow more competitive tells us our progress is real and sustained. UTM is committed to innovating sustainable solutions to real-world problems alongside industry and community, and the steady growth in our performance shows that local and international partners value our research. Under UTM ASCEND 2030, we will deepen those partnerships and keep climbing,” said UTM Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ts Dr Mohd Shafry Mohd Rahim.

UTM thanks its staff, students, alumni and partners for their continued commitment to raising the university’s standing on the global stage.