Singapore and Malaysia Lead the Largest AppliedEdu ASEAN Rankings to Date

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Sunway University have been named ASEAN's No. 1 public and private universities, respectively, in the AppliedEdu University Rankings 2027 for ASEAN. NUS leads the public university rankings for the third consecutive year, while Sunway University retains the private university top spot for the fourth consecutive year.

Malaysia claims seven of the top ten private university positions and five of the top ten public university positions. It also has more institutions in the top 50 of each category than any other country, with 21 private and 16 public universities.

The 2027 edition is the most comprehensive assessment of Southeast Asian higher education AppliedEdu has ever published. A total of 316 universities across nine ASEAN countries have been ranked, up by a third from 237 last year. More than 100,000 validated student survey responses inform the results, alongside academic peer nominations and verified institutional data.

The results were announced in conjunction with AppliedEduXChange 2026, which brought together more than 150 university leaders under the theme "Beyond Skills: Building Employable, Industry-Ready Graduates".

"Being named ASEAN's No. 1 private university for the fourth consecutive year is a proud moment for Sunway University and for Malaysia. Our ambition is for every graduate to leave with the knowledge, confidence and experience to build a meaningful career and contribute positively to society. That is what being a mission-driven 5^th Generation University means to us. This recognition drives us to keep raising the standard of the education we offer," said Professor Sibrandes Poppema, President and Vice-Chancellor of Sunway University.

What distinguishes the AppliedEdu rankings

The AppliedEdu approach gives greatest weight to teaching and learning, which accounts for 40% of the assessment. Employability contributes a further 20% for private universities and 15% for public universities. Together, these measures represent 60% and 55% of the respective scores, making the quality of education and graduate student outcomes central to the results.

Students directly inform the assessment through their views on teaching, facilities and campus life. Public and private universities are ranked separately, using different weightings to reflect their missions. Research, institutional reputation, community engagement and internationalisation complete the assessment, recognising a range of contributions that universities make to students and society.

"Rankings should do more than recognise achievement; they should drive improvement," said Mandy Mok, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AppliedEdu. "They should help universities build on their strengths, identify where change is needed, and make informed decisions that deliver better outcomes for students and the communities they serve."

Leading universities and biggest rises across ASEAN

Singapore. The National University of Singapore retains ASEAN's No. 1 public university position for the third consecutive year, followed by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, in second place. Four of the country's five ranked universities feature in the top 50.

Malaysia. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia is the country's highest-ranked public university, placing third in ASEAN. Among private universities, Sunway University retains its regional No. 1 position, while Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation climbs from fifth to second. Taylor's University and Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS rank third and fourth, respectively.

Indonesia. With 102 institutions, Indonesia has the largest representation in the rankings. Universitas Airlangga leads the country's public universities at tenth in ASEAN, while Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta climbs 22 places to 61st. Among private universities, Bina Nusantara University (BINUS) leads the country, rising from eighth to fifth regionally. Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang records the largest rise across both categories, climbing 53 places to 57th. Muhammadiyah University of Sidoarjo advances 39 places to 37th, while Institut Teknologi Nasional Bandung rises 27 places, both in the private university rankings.

The Philippines. With 79 ranked institutions, the Philippines has the second-largest national representation. The University of the Philippines leads the country's public universities at 25th in ASEAN. Among private universities, the University of Santo Tomas leads the country, climbing six places from 14th to eighth regionally. First City Providential College also advances 27 places in the private university rankings.

Thailand. Thailand has 43 institutions in the rankings. Chulalongkorn University leads the country's public universities at ninth in ASEAN, with 11 Thai institutions featuring in the public top 50. Krirk University is the country's highest-ranked private university, placing seventh regionally.

Vietnam. Vietnam's public universities record strong gains. The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City leads the country's public universities at 33rd in ASEAN after climbing 23 places. Ton Duc Thang University advances 27 places to 34th, while Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City rises 22 places to 44th. Among private universities, Duy Tan University leads the country at 14th regionally, while Nguyen Tat Thanh University climbs 30 places to 26th.

Brunei. Universiti Brunei Darussalam remains the country's highest-ranked public university and returns to ASEAN's public university top ten, climbing from 12th to eighth.

Cambodia. The University of Puthisastra is the country's highest-ranked private university, placing 28th in ASEAN.

Myanmar. The University of Yangon is the country's highest-ranked public university, placing in the 101–110 band in ASEAN.

Across the region, 23 universities enter the top 100 for the first time. They include Indonesia's Universitas Brawijaya at 36th among public universities, Thailand's Shinawatra University at 21st among private universities and Malaysia's IMU University at 25th among private universities.

The AppliedEdu University Rankings 2027 for ALL ASIA will follow on 30 November 2026. Full ASEAN results are available at appliededu.com/rankings.

Top 10 Public Universities, ASEAN 2027
Rank	University	Country	2026 rank
1	National University of Singapore (NUS)	Singapore	1
2	Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore)	Singapore	2
3	Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)	Malaysia	3
4	Universiti Malaya (UM)	Malaysia	4
5	Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)	Malaysia	5
6	Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)	Malaysia	6
7	Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)	Malaysia	9
8	Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD)	Brunei	12
9	Chulalongkorn University	Thailand	10
10	Universitas Airlangga	Indonesia	11

Top 10 Public Universities, ASEAN 2027

Rank

University

Country

2026 rank

1

National University of Singapore (NUS)

Singapore

1

2

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore)

Singapore

2

3

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

Malaysia

3

4

Universiti Malaya (UM)

Malaysia

4

5

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)

Malaysia

5

6

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)

Malaysia

6

7

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)

Malaysia

9

8

Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD)

Brunei

12

9

Chulalongkorn University

Thailand

10

10

Universitas Airlangga

Indonesia

11

 

Top 10 Private Universities, ASEAN 2027
Rank	University	Country	2026 rank
1	Sunway University	Malaysia	1
2	Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU)	Malaysia	5
3	Taylor's University	Malaysia	3
4	Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)	Malaysia	4
5	Bina Nusantara University (BINUS)	Indonesia	8
6	UCSI University	Malaysia	2
7	Krirk University	Thailand	6
8	University of Santo Tomas	Philippines	14
9	INTI International University	Malaysia	11
10	Management and Science University (MSU)	Malaysia	10

Top 10 Private Universities, ASEAN 2027

Rank

University

Country

2026 rank

1

Sunway University

Malaysia

1

2

Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU)

Malaysia

5

3

Taylor's University

Malaysia

3

4

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

Malaysia

4

5

Bina Nusantara University (BINUS)

Indonesia

8

6

UCSI University

Malaysia

2

7

Krirk University

Thailand

6

8

University of Santo Tomas

Philippines

14

9

INTI International University

Malaysia

11

10

Management and Science University (MSU)

Malaysia

10

The leading university in each country
Country	Public	Private
Singapore	National University of Singapore (1st)	—
Malaysia	Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (3rd)	Sunway University (1st)
Brunei	Universiti Brunei Darussalam (8th)	—
Thailand	Chulalongkorn University (9th)	Krirk University (7th)
Indonesia	Universitas Airlangga (10th)	Bina Nusantara University (5th)
Philippines	University of the Philippines (25th)	University of Santo Tomas (8th)
Vietnam	University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (33rd)	Duy Tan University (14th)
Cambodia	—	University of Puthisastra (28th)
Myanmar	University of Yangon (101–110 band)	—

The leading university in each country

Country

Public

Private

Singapore

National University of Singapore (1st)

—

Malaysia

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (3rd)

Sunway University (1st)

Brunei

Universiti Brunei Darussalam (8th)

—

Thailand

Chulalongkorn University (9th)

Krirk University (7th)

Indonesia

Universitas Airlangga (10th)

Bina Nusantara University (5th)

Philippines

University of the Philippines (25th)

University of Santo Tomas (8th)

Vietnam

University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (33rd)

Duy Tan University (14th)

Cambodia

—

University of Puthisastra (28th)

Myanmar

University of Yangon (101–110 band)

—

How the rankings are made

The ASEAN rankings weigh six criteria: Teaching & Learning (40%), Employability (15% public, 20% private), Research (15% public, 10% private), Institutional Reputation, Community Engagement and Internationalisation (10% each). Public and private universities are never ranked together: each has its own methodology and weights, reflecting the different missions they serve.

Two surveys sit at the heart of the method. The AppliedEdu Student Survey 2026 gathered the views of students on their teaching, facilities and campus life, with more than 100,000 responses validated and counted across the universities that took part. The AppliedEdu Peer-Nomination Survey asks academics which universities they hold in the highest regard, with every university's academics weighted equally and nominations of one's own institution excluded.

A record number of universities submitted a full set of verified institutional data through the AppliedEdu VAULT and took part in both surveys, the highest level of participation in the rankings' history. The rankings are overseen by the independent AppliedEdu Ranking Advisory Board and have been published since 2021.

The first 100 places in each table are ranked individually; places from 101 are listed in bands of ten, alphabetically. The full tables are at appliededu.com/rankings and the methodology at appliededu.com/rankings/methodology.

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Singapore and Malaysia Lead the Largest AppliedEdu ASEAN Rankings to Date

Dr. Umar and colleagues outline how individualized assessment may reveal additional graft options while identifying areas to avoid

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. U Hair and Skin Clinic in the Los Angeles area reports that a new clinical review led by Sanusi Umar, MD, challenges reliance on fixed maps to define hair transplant donor areas. The open-access paper, "Redefining the Safe Donor Area in Follicular Unit Excision: Toward Dynamic, Patient-Specific Zones," was published Oct. 16 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

Read Dr. Umar's illustrated companion article for clinical photographs and a plain-language explanation of how the shave test helps guide individualized donor assessment.

Traditional donor maps identify hair at the back and sides of the scalp that is relatively resistant to pattern hair loss. These maps remain useful starting points, but may exclude usable hair in some patients or include thinning regions in others.

"A donor map should be a starting point, followed by examination of the individual patient," said Dr. Umar, a board-certified dermatologist and lead author. "That assessment may reveal additional graft options, including finer hair for a softer hairline, or show why harvesting boundaries need to be smaller."

Evidence reviewed and key findings

The narrative review, authored by Dr. Umar, Aditya K. Gupta, Vasiliki Economopoulos and Mesbah Talukder, examines donor variability and tools for refining boundaries. It revisits Dr. Umar's 2015 observational series of 128 men treated with nape and periauricular hair for hairlines and temples.

Key points included:

• The shave test examines changes in hair thickness and density after close clipping. A gradual transition toward the nape and around the ears may support selective harvesting of additional peripheral hair.
• An abrupt decline in thickness or density can reveal unsuitable hair and indicate that donor boundaries should be narrowed. Magnified scalp examination, age, family history and hair-loss progression help guide selection.
• Donor grading and ratio-based methods provide additional tools for refining boundaries. When peripheral scalp hair is unsuitable, clinicians may consider conventional scalp donor hair or separately assess beard and body hair as alternative sources where clinically appropriate.
• Thirty-three patients from the earlier series completed longer-term questionnaires at an average of 4.6 years. The review separately presents one patient's 14-year follow-up showing retained transplanted hairline coverage despite further native frontal hair recession.

Why the findings matter

Follicular unit excision, or FUE, enables individual hair units to be harvested across broad scalp areas. As larger sessions place greater demands on donor resources, individualized assessment can help identify additional usable hair while protecting unsuitable zones.

The framework starts with a conservative core donor area, then refines its borders using scalp findings. Selected peripheral regions may offer additional grafts, while donor thinning can require a smaller harvestable area. Decisions also consider remaining donor coverage and future hair loss.

The authors call for larger prospective studies with standardized long-term follow-up. A favorable shave test does not guarantee lifelong graft permanence or establish a universal additional graft allowance. Read the full open-access review at https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.71250.

About Dr Sanusi Umar

Sanusi Umar, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist, founder of Dr. U Hair and Skin Clinic, and a UCLA and Harbor-UCLA clinical instructor specializing in complex hair loss, baldness and scarring alopecias.

Media Contact
Xuran Huang
PR Coordinator
Dr. U Hair and Skin Clinic
Phone: +1-310-318-1500
Email: contentdept2@dru.com

 

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New hair transplant review challenges fixed donor limits