One of the best investments in your life is probably your education as it provides you with skills and knowledge to succeed in your career.
Additionally, studies showed that higher learning is likely to lead to higher earnings. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), households headed by a degree holder tend to have higher income than households led by an individual with a diploma or lower-level education.
Whether you’re pursuing postgraduate studies to advance your career or to build on your expertise, it will add to your arsenal of knowledge.
With 20 public universities and more than 350 private higher education institutes (PHEI) in Malaysia, pursuing postgraduate studies could be a viable option for you.
Read Also: What Is The National Education Savings Scheme (SSPN) In Malaysia?
Fees For Master’s Degree Programmes In Malaysia
In Malaysia, there are mainly two types of education establishments offering Master’s degree programmes, which are public universities and private higher education institutes (PHEI). Typically, the duration of studying a Master’s degree for a full-time and part-time student are 2 and 3 years respectively.
Malaysians enjoy subsidised tuition at public universities so fees here are significantly lower compared to private institutions.
For this article, we compare the fees of popular Master’s degree programmes at the top seven universities in Malaysia. The ranking is based on Times Higher Education’s list of best universities in 2025.
| University | Course Fees | |||
| Master of Business Administration (MBA) | Master of Computer Science | Master of Economics/Finance | Master of Education | |
| Universiti Teknologi Petronas | RM33,850* | RM28,800 | – | – |
| University Malaya | RM28,000 | RM14,000 | RM17,900 | RM15,900 |
| Sunway University | RM47,000 | RM45,700 | RM40,000 | RM36,000 |
| Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia | RM30,820 | – | – | RM20,000 |
| Universiti Sains Malaysia | RM23,760 | RM10,720 | RM18,000 | RM8,800 |
| Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | RM22,270 | RM10,660 | – | RM10,660 |
| Universiti Utara Malaysia | RM28,388 | – | – | – |
*MBA specialising in energy management.
Among the top seven universities in Malaysia, only one of them is a private institution, which is Sunway University. The MBA programme fees are significantly higher compared to other universities at RM47,000.
As we can see, the cheapest fee for an MBA programme is at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia at RM22,270. Aside from costs, you may want to consider which university would provide a higher quality education. University Malaya, which is the second highest ranked university in the country, offers an MBA programme at RM28,000, with a difference of RM5,730 in tuition fees.
Requirements To Apply To A Master’s Degree Programme
Depending on the programme and university you choose, the entry requirements will differ. Generally, the minimum qualifications to enrol in a Master’s degree programme in Malaysia is having a Bachelor’s degree and a decent CGPA score.
University Malaya states that students with a CGPA of 3.0 and above will be given preference for admission to its Master’s degree courses.
There may also be other requirements such as English language proficiency.
For individuals who have relevant work experience but do not have a degree, you can consider the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for Access (APEL.A) pathway. Several institutions including Universiti Teknologi Petronas and Sunway University provide the APEL.A option to individuals who fulfil their requirements.
Getting Financial Assistance
Whether you’re planning to pursue a Master’s degree in a public or private institution, there are several types of financial assistance you may consider.
Some institutions including University Malaya and Universiti Teknologi Petronas have graduate assistantship programmes whereby students are appointed as Graduate Research Assistants (GRA) and are paid a stipend of around RM1,000. The students will work in supporting roles at the university while studying for their Master’s degree. They may also enjoy partial or full waiver of tuition, depending on their eligibility.
Besides, applicants can also apply for the PTPTN Education Loan Scheme which finances all or part of tuition fees and living expenses throughout their studies. Managed by the government, the scheme has an affordable loan interest of 1% per annum.
Individuals who are employed may find it useful to know that some courses are claimable whereby employers who sponsor their staff for postgraduate studies can claim the tuition from the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD). This offering is part of the Skim Bantuan Latihan (SBL) scheme introduced by the government to encourage employers to upskill their workers.
Read Also: How Much Does It Cost To Study Medicine In Malaysia?
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