fbpx
Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
1st Feb 2023

Malaysia exceeds target for new international student applications in 2022

Short on time? Here are the highlights:
  • Malaysia is working to reach a long-term goal to build its foreign enrolment base to 250,000 students by 2025
  • For the moment, it has met a more immediate target to receive 50,000 new international student applications in 2022

Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) is reporting substantial year-over-year growth in new international student applications for 2022.

EMGS is the organisation charged by the government with responsibility for promoting Malaysia as a study destination, and operates under the Ministry of Higher Education. While neither EMGS nor the Malaysian government releases official figures on foreign enrolment in the country, various media reports put the total at between 130,000 and 170,000 students for 2022. Malaysia has a long-term goal to build that enrolment base to 250,000 students by 2025.

Against a more immediate target of 50,000 international student applications for 2022, EMGS reports receiving 51,270 applications "to study in Malaysian public and private education institutions" through end of December. This amounts to a 27.5% increase over the application volume for 2021.

The top five sending markets for Malaysia are China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, and Nigeria. China remains, however, far and away the country's leading source market, and we see this reflected in application trends as well.

Chinese students accounted for 47% of all new applications filed in Malaysia in 2021, and 43% of all applications in 2022. The 21,943 applications lodged by Chinese students in 2022 represents a 15% increase from the year prior. Other top senders, however, grew even faster, including Bangladesh, Nigeria, and India, and this explains why the Chinese applicants account for a smaller proportion of total applications received in 2022, even as their total volume continued to grow.

For additional background, please see:

Most Recent

  • What is happening with Indian enrolments abroad this year? Read More
  • ICEF Podcast: How are schools and agents adapting to rising visa rejection rates? Read More
  • Full-year data highlights decline in foreign enrolment in UK universities in 2023/24 Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

What is happening with Indian enrolments abroad this year? Just a couple of years ago, Indian students were flocking to a number of attractive study abroad destinations,...
Read more
Full-year data highlights decline in foreign enrolment in UK universities in 2023/24 For the first time in ten years, the total number of students enrolled in UK universities fell in...
Read more
Analysis shows impact of immigration settings on international tuition fees at Australian universities Keri Ramirez, managing director of sector data specialist Studymove, hosted a fascinating webinar recently that looked at the...
Read more
US: Trump administration actions creating an uncertain outlook for international students So far this year, research indicates that international students still have a mainly positive view of study in...
Read more
Germany recovers an 8x return on investment in international students A new analysis from the German Economic Institute (IW), and commissioned by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD),...
Read more
New Zealand resource aims to connect prospective international students with qualified agents Faced with an ever-more complex international student recruiting environment, many educational institutions are becoming more strategic and selective...
Read more
Asian universities continue to rise in latest QS subject rankings The 15th annual edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject was released today. While it still...
Read more
International degree graduates of Canadian colleges no longer have to meet “field of study” requirements for post-study work permits Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has revised its requirements so that international students in degree programmes delivered...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links