We have compiled a list of most best, top and affordable MBA programs in Malaysia for local and international students.
Malaysia has the top universities in the world that offer MBA programs for full time or part time & online basis. The universities offer many different options to subline your schedule and needs as well. These options include but not limited to accelerated and executive MBA courses.
The top rated universities in Malaysia offer best education for local and international students alike. The coursework covers real-world case studies that covers marketing, management, accounting, economics and financial accounting etc.
Malaysia is recognized as one of the best education systems in Southeast Asia. International acknowledgement is one of the key status achieved by many Malaysian universities.
Top 10 Affordable MBA programs in Malaysia for local students
- University Malaysia Pahang – RM 19,300
- Universiti Teknologi Malaysia – RM 22,270
- Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman – RM 22450
- Universiti Malaya – RM 28400
- Universiti Putra Malaysia – RM 29950
- UCSI University – RM 29980
- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia – RM 30820
- Universiti Tenaga Nasional – RM 31350
- INTI International University – RM 35600
- Taylor’s University – RM 46920
Top 10 Affordable MBA programs in Malaysia for International students
- University Malaysia Pahang – $ 5,850
- Universiti Teknologi Malaysia – $ 7,074
- Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman – $ 7,183
- Universiti Tenaga Nasional – $ 7,557
- INTI International University – $ 7,832
- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia – $ 9,055
- Universiti Putra Malaysia – $ 9,823
- UCSI University – $ 10,384
- Universiti Malaya – $ 11,594
- Taylor’s University – $ 14,494
Top 10 Affordable Universities for MBA in Malaysia for local & International students
1. University Malaysia Pahang
- Duration: 3 Semesters
- Intakes: February and September
- Tuition Fee
- Local Students: RM 19,300
- International Students: RM 26,590
2. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
- Duration: 4 Semesters
- Intakes: February and September
- Tuition Fee
- Local Students: RM 22,270
- International Students: RM 32,154
3. Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
- Duration: Min – 1 Year and Max – 4 Years
- Intakes: May and September
- Tuition Fee
- Local Students: RM 22,450
- International Students: RM 32,650
4. Universiti Tenaga Nasional
- Duration: 1.5 – 4 Years
- Intakes: March, May and October
- Tuition Fee
- Local Students: RM 31,350
- International Students: RM 34,350
5. INTI International University
- Duration: Full time: 1 year | Part time: 2 years
- Intakes: January, May and September
- Tuition Fee
- Local Students: RM 35,600
- International Students: RM 35,600
6. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
- Duration: Full time: 1 year |Part time: 2 years
- Intakes: March and September
- Tuition Fee
- Local Students: RM 30,820
- International Students: RM 41,160
7. Universiti Putra Malaysia
- Duration: 1 – 3 years
- Intakes: January, May and September
- Tuition Fee
- Local Students: RM 29,950
- International Students: RM 44,650
8. UCSI University
- Duration: 1 year
- Intakes: January, May and September
- Tuition Fee
- Local Students: RM 29,980
- International Students: RM 47,200
9. Universiti Malaya
- Duration: 1.5 – 2 years
- Intakes: October and March
- Tuition Fee
- Local Students: RM 28,400
- International Students: RM 52,700
10. Taylor’s University
- Duration: 1 year
- Intakes: January, March and August
- Tuition Fee
- Local Students: RM 46,920
- International Students: RM 65,881
General Entry requirements for MBA in Malaysia
Admission requirements for MBA programs in Malaysia does vary widely from institution to institution. In general the basic admission guidelines require a bachelor’s degree especially in a subject area relevant to Master in Business Administration. Other general requirements includes:
- Cumulative Grade point average (CGPA) with a minimum of 2.50
- An English language proficiency exam (such as IELTS or TOEFL) with acceptable passing marks
- Working Experience (if required) minimum of 2 years
- Age (some institutions have a minimum age limit for MBA admission)
Entry requirements for MBA in Malaysia for international students
- Must have a Bachelor’s degree from a reputable university and a CGPA of 2.50
- In-case the CGPA is less than 2.5, the working experience of 5 years’ in relevant industry is also acceptable
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required with a minimum of 6.0 band
- Or Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with minimum score of 60
- Or Cambridge English Qualification and Test with minimum score of 169
- Or Pearson Test of English with minimum score of 59
- Or MUET with minimum band of 4
As per Ministry of Higher education regulations internationals students are only allowed to continue their studies in main study programs when they have achieved the minimum English Language proficiency assessment scores requirements. However on some conditional basis international students are allowed to apply for a student visa.
These students will be allowed to appear for an English Language Certification program at APU after their arrival in Malaysia and will appear for IELTS or TOEFL, etc. In-case the students who are not able to obtain minimum required English Language proficiency assessment level within a maximum period of 12 months, international students will not be allowed to continue their studies in the main program and must have to return to their home country.
International Students with their previous qualifications of Bachelor’s or Master’s degree taught in English or from English speaking countries are exempted from English language proficiency assessment to study their MBA program in Malaysia. Students need to provide supporting documents to be exempted from this test.
Entry requirements for MBA in Malaysia for local students
- A recognized Bachelor’s degree with a CGPA of 2.50
- MQA Accreditation Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) approval for program admission can be appealed for non-degree holders with at least a Diploma or STPM
GMAT requirements for MBA in Malaysia
The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is a specific test required for management programs like MBA. This is based on a computer adaptive test and the purpose is to assess specific skills like verbal, reading and written English, certain analytical & quantitative skills as well.
As a general rule most of the institutions does not require the GMAT test in Malaysia. Most of the universities focus on students’ academic background and work experience.
GMAT is mostly required for scholarships as it help the admission committee to evaluate the candidate application. They require a minimum of 550 GMAT score. GMAT is also required by some of the top level MBA programs. Some of the following public Malaysian universities do have the requirements of GMAT.
- Universiti Malaysia Kelantan
- Universiti Putra Malaysia
General Document Requirements for MBA in Malaysia
- Academic Documents
- Attested copies of all previous certificates of X, XII and Graduate Degree (if applicable)
- All Mark Sheets including Backlogs (Re-sits)
- Note: If you are currently studying in the final year of your bachelors, you may submit your final semester or final mark sheet can be submitted later
- Transcript
- A consolidated mark sheet is called transcript and can be obtained from your college. Some universities may require your transcript from your degree college.
- English Language Proficiency Test
- Evidence of your English language test (IELTS, TOEFL, etc.) if applicable.
- Recommendation Letters
- Minimum 2 academic references are required by the institute. These recommendation letters can be from school/college or from your employer/teacher and must be on their letter head.
- Photo
- Two passport sized photographs
- Statement of Purpose (SOP)
- The SOP is almost a 2 page long essay. SOP is about
- Your previous academic journey
- About your choice of why study MBA in Malaysia
- Why a specific university
- Your career goals
- How will this course help you to achieve your goals
- The SOP is almost a 2 page long essay. SOP is about
- Resume (if applicable)
- One page resume with your
- Work Experience
- Education Qualifications
- Additional Courses
- Other activities
- Interests
- One page resume with your
- Application Fee
- Draft for application fees
- Extra-curricular (if applicable)
- Certificated and achievements of your extracurricular activities
Why Malaysia is the best choice to study MBA?
1. Affordable Tuition Fees
Malaysia offers cost effective MBA programs for local and international students. Apart from Kuala Lumpur (capital of Malaysia), there are many universities in major and smaller cities including Johor Bahru, Penang and Malacca which may fit your budget and needs.
Let’s have a comparison of tuition fee among major countries (Singapore, Australia, United Kingdom and United States)
| Country | Tuition Fee (Approx) |
| Malaysia | $450 – $60,000 |
| Singapore | $14,000 – $98,000 |
| Australia | $33,000 – $86,500 |
| United Kingdom | $40,000 – $112,000 |
| United States | $48,000 – $112,000 |
2. World class education
According to QS World University Rankings 2022 report, there are many Malaysian universities that rank among the top 1000 institutions worldwide. Here is the list of top 10 universities in Malaysia that rank among the QS World University Rankings in 2022.
| University | Worldwide Rank |
| Universiti Malaya (UM) | 65 |
| Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) | 143 |
| Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) | 144 |
| Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) | 147 |
| Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | 191 |
| Taylor’s University | 332 |
| UCSI University | 347 |
| Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) | 414 |
| Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) | 511 |
| Management and Science University | 601 |
According to 2007 Malaysian Qualifications Agency Act, the Malaysian Government takes the educational standards very seriously throughout all universities in Malaysia. This act enforces the continuous monitoring of the Malaysian universities to ensure that the education is relevant to the industry, up-to-date. This gives the surety to the students that they receive quality education and get recognized internationally.
Just for a reference the Malaysian universities offer intakes throughout the year. The intake times are based on different locations. You may contact Iconic Studies to get specific intake timings.
3. Cost of Living
Malaysia has an excellent quality of life with the options of high and low lifestyles. With all international standards Malaysia stands among the top 5 most affordable countries in the world.
The average cost of living for international students is $300 / month. You may check the following list of total expenses including house rents, restaurants and transportation cost in Malaysia. The prices below are in local currency (Malaysian Ringgit).
| Restaurants | Price | Range |
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 15.00 RM | 8.00-25.00 |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 100.00 RM | 60.00-200.00 |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 18.00 RM | 15.00-20.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught) | 15.00 RM | 9.00-27.75 |
| Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) | 20.00 RM | 15.00-35.00 |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 11.73 RM | 6.00-18.00 |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) | 2.62 RM | 2.00-4.00 |
| Water (0.33 liter bottle) | 1.69 RM | 1.00-3.00 |
| Markets | ||
| Milk (regular), (1 liter) | 7.16 RM | 6.00-8.00 |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) | 3.53 RM | 2.50-5.40 |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | 6.96 RM | 2.59-14.00 |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 7.16 RM | 3.60-9.60 |
| Local Cheese (1kg) | 42.50 RM | 15.00-125.00 |
| Chicken Fillets (1kg) | 15.05 RM | 7.99-25.00 |
| Beef Round (1kg) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 39.39 RM | 18.00-60.00 |
| Apples (1kg) | 11.29 RM | 6.00-16.00 |
| Banana (1kg) | 6.78 RM | 4.00-12.00 |
| Oranges (1kg) | 12.55 RM | 3.50-20.00 |
| Tomato (1kg) | 6.46 RM | 4.00-10.90 |
| Potato (1kg) | 4.63 RM | 2.39-8.00 |
| Onion (1kg) | 4.24 RM | 2.70-8.00 |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.89 RM | 2.00-6.00 |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.65 RM | 1.50-5.00 |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 70.00 RM | 45.00-100.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 11.13 RM | 7.00-16.00 |
| Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) | 15.53 RM | 8.50-25.00 |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 18.00 RM | 17.40-20.00 |
| Transportation | ||
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 3.00 RM | 2.00-4.50 |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 100.00 RM | 50.00-200.00 |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 5.00 RM | 3.50-8.00 |
| Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) | 4.00 RM | 2.00-8.00 |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 16.00 RM | 15.00-25.00 |
| Gasoline (1 liter) | 2.12 RM | 2.05-2.70 |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 155,000.00 RM | 120,000.00-169,225.00 |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 130,812.88 RM | 120,000.00-140,000.00 |
| Utilities (Monthly) | ||
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment | 227.35 RM | 150.00-450.00 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) | 0.33 RM | 0.10-0.50 |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 110.66 RM | 100.00-150.00 |
| Sports And Leisure | ||
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 171.75 RM | 100.00-250.00 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 29.58 RM | 20.00-40.00 |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 19.00 RM | 14.00-30.00 |
| Childcare | ||
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 1,159.38 RM | 500.00-2,500.00 |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 42,792.00 RM | 15,000.00-100,000.00 |
| Clothing And Shoes | ||
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 208.09 RM | 90.00-329.00 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, …) | 120.45 RM | 70.00-230.00 |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 277.88 RM | 175.00-500.00 |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 272.73 RM | 125.00-500.00 |
| Rent Per Month | ||
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 1,888.58 RM | 1,200.00-2,800.00 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,221.26 RM | 800.00-2,000.00 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 3,675.93 RM | 2,000.00-6,000.00 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,349.88 RM | 1,600.00-3,500.00 |
Career Opportunities after MBA in Malaysia for local & international students
Malaysia has a one of the strongest economy with the 28th biggest in the world and 3rd largest in Southeast Asia. The biggest sectors of the country includes banking, financial and manufacturing.
Due to a strong emphasis of Malaysian Government over research, development and commercialization, Malaysia is growing as an industrialized nation. Malaysia is a nature rich green country with advanced technology and great infrastructures as well. Among many other booming sectors like digital broadcasting, telemedicine, online information services, e-commerce and telecommunications.
Among many international companies including Intel, Microsoft, Dell, Malaysia Airlines, Unilever etc. keep offering ample opportunities to MBA graduates from Malaysian business schools.
Malaysia is known for ease of business. World Bank issued a report in 2013, in which Malaysia was ranked as 6th best country to start a business due to business-friendly and easy business environment.
- Analytics & Reporting Manager
- Banking Manager
- Business Consultant
- Business Development Manager
- Business Research Analyst
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
- Decision Analytics Manager
- Entrepreneur
- Finance Manager
- General Manager
- Human Resource Manager
- International Marketing Manager
- Logistic and Supply Chain Manager
- Management Consultant
- Market Researcher
- Procurement Manager
- Project Manager
- Sales and Marketing Manager
