2024 Asian university rankings

Japanese universities, particularly the University of Tokyo (14^th) and Kyoto University (17^th), are highly esteemed in the region by both academics and employers.

With 22% of its universities ranking among Asia’s top 100, Malaysia is said to have an exceptional concentration of top-quality institutions. This is the highest proportion in comparison to any other location with at least 10 ranked universities, according to latest rankings.

The 2024 edition of the QS World University Rankings features 856 institutions across 25 locations globally, with a total of 148 Asian institutions featured.

Some of the other highlights from this year’s report include:

• China leads as the most influential research hub in Asia, with 24 universities ranking in the top 50 for 'citations per paper’. This is four times more than the next leading location. Additionally, the strength of Chinese research is underscored by extensive international collaboration, with 15 universities among the top 50 for International Research Network—twice the count of the next top-performing location.
• Malaysia has a remarkable concentration of high-quality universities, with 22% of its institutions ranking among the top 100 in Asia. This percentage is the highest among locations with more than 10 ranked universities.
• Japanese universities, particularly the University of Tokyo (14^th) and Kyoto University (17^th), are highly esteemed in the region by both academics and employers. The University of Tokyo stands as a top university, earning a perfect score of 100 in both 'employer' and 'academic reputation'. Kyoto University ranks second in Asia for 'employer reputation' (99.9) and sixth in 'academic reputation'.
• Kazakhstan outperforms other Central Asian countries with 34 ranked universities, twice as many as its closest competitor, Uzbekistan (with 14 ranked universities). Additionally, Kazakhstan is the sole Central Asian country with an institution listed among the top 100.

Overall, the top 30 universities ranked in Asia are as follows:

Top 30 universities in Asia 

1. Peking University
2. University of Hong Kong
3. National University of Singapore
4. Nanyang Technological University Singapore
5. Tsinghua University
6. Zhejiang University
7. Fudan University
8. Yonsei University
9. Korea University
10. The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)
11. Shanghai Jiao Tong University
12. University Malaya (UM)
13. KAIST – Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology
14. The University of Tokyo
15. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
16. Seoul National University
17. City University of Hong Kong
18. Kyoto University
19. Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU)
20. Tohoku University
21. National Taiwan University (NTU)
22. Pohang University of Science And Technology (POSTECH)
23. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
24. Osaka University
25. Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
26. Hanyang Three of Malaysia’s universities made its way to the global top 30
27. Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech)
28. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
29. Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
30. Nagoya University

Zooming into the Malaysia market, the following universities from the country have made it to the top 100:                                                                                               

 Click here for the full ranking, and here for the full methodology.

Lead photo/ 123RF