What is the proportion of international students in postgraduate vs. undergraduate programs?

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International Students Predominantly Enrolled in Postgraduate Studies in Malaysian Higher Education

As of December 31, 2025, international students constitute a significantly higher proportion of postgraduate enrolments compared to undergraduate programmes within Malaysian higher education institutions. Specifically, 33.74 per cent of postgraduate students are international, whereas only 3.44 per cent of undergraduate students are international.
Postgraduate Enrolment Breakdown

At the postgraduate level, there were a total of 114,601 students, with 38,672 being international students. This means that international students made up 33.74 per cent of all postgraduate enrolments. In contrast, Malaysian students accounted for 75,929, representing 66.26 per cent of the postgraduate student body.
Undergraduate Enrolment Breakdown

For undergraduate programmes, the total enrolment stood at 520,105 students. Of this total, 17,893 were international students, comprising 3.44 per cent of the undergraduate population. The vast majority of undergraduate students, 502,212, were Malaysian, making up 96.56 per cent.
Overall Enrolment Context

Across all public and private higher education institutions, international students represented 12.6 per cent of the total enrolment of 1,264,541 students as of December 31, 2025. This overall figure includes 159,138 international students and 1,105,403 Malaysian students. The disparity in proportions between undergraduate and postgraduate levels indicates that international students are not primarily seeking undergraduate places, thus not directly competing for these spots with local SPM, STPM, matriculation, or diploma holders.
Public University Specifics

In public universities alone, the enrolment figures show a similar trend. Out of a total of 634,706 students, 56,565 were international students, accounting for 8.9 per cent. The remaining 578,141 students were Malaysian, comprising 91.1 per cent of the public university student population. This data further supports the observation that international student presence is more concentrated at higher academic levels.

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What is the proportion of international students in postgraduate vs. undergraduate programs?

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