Sunway University Ranked No. 1 Private University in ASEAN and No. 6 in Asia by AppliedHE

Sunway University has once again been ranked AppliedHE’s #1 Private University in Southeast Asia, marking its third consecutive year at the pinnacle of regional private higher education in ASEAN. This sustained distinction underscores Sunway’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence, student success, and meaningful societal impact, reinforcing its position as a leading higher education institution in Asia.

This milestone follows closely on the announcement at the AppliedHE XChange (27–29 November 2025), where Sunway University was ranked No. 6 in Asia in the AppliedHE Public & Private University Ranking: ALL ASIA 2026. The result places Sunway firmly among the top universities in Asia, recognised for the quality of its teaching, strength of its innovation ecosystem, and outstanding graduate outcomes.

AppliedHE is a respected authority in higher education evaluation, distinguished by its student-centric and outcomes-driven methodology. Its rankings prioritise graduate employability, teaching effectiveness, industry relevance, and practical skill development, while differentiating between public and private institutions. By incorporating direct student feedback into its assessment framework, AppliedHE offers a more balanced and meaningful benchmark for students, parents, employers, and policymakers seeking high-quality, future-ready education.

“AppliedHE was started because we saw an important gap. University rankings often do not reflect what really matters to students and the communities they live in. With the ALL ASIA ranking, we are creating an Asia rooted, globally trusted ranking that listens to students, focuses on employability and real life outcomes, not just reputation, and importantly separates public and private universities so that comparisons are fairer and more meaningful” said Mandy Mok, Founder and CEO of AppliedHE.

As a mission-driven 5th Generation University, Sunway University continues to advance education that is human-centred, socially responsible, and globally relevant. Through the award-winning innovative and scalable Sunway University’s Sustainability-focused Transformative, Accessible, Immersive, and Globally Networked (S.U.S.T.A.I.N.) teaching and learning framework and a campus-wide living-lab approach, Sunway integrates transformative teaching, interdisciplinary research, sustainability leadership, and deep community engagement, ensuring that learning extends beyond the classroom to create lasting positive change.

“In this evolving landscape, we must also rethink how we evaluate excellence. Rankings play a role, but they must be meaningful, fair and contextual. I therefore view AppliedHE’s work in this area as a timely and progressive contribution to our higher education ecosystem,” said Dato’ Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia during his address at the AppliedHE XChange Summit 2025.

Sunway University extends its sincere appreciation to its faculty, researchers, students, professional staff, partners, and collaborators. Their shared commitment to Sunway’s mission has made this sustained recognition possible. Together, the Sunway community continues to set new benchmarks, shape futures, and lead with purpose across ASEAN and Asia.