Malaysia's Top 2% Scientists 2024
Malaysia has 769 scientists on the 2024 single-year Top 2% list, up 7.4% from 716 in 2023. That places Malaysia 38th in the world by number of listed scientists, down 1 place. Universiti Malaya has the most listed scientists (125), followed by Universiti Sains Malaysia (86).
Scientists in Malaysia on the list, by year
The single-year count has grown 99% since 2020.
Show the numbers
| Year | Single Year | Change | Career Data | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 387 | 163 | ||
| 2021 | 549 | +41.9% | 234 | +43.6% |
| 2022 | 622 | +13.3% | 274 | +17.1% |
| 2023 | 716 | +15.1% | 320 | +16.8% |
| 2024 | 769 | +7.4% | 368 | +15.0% |
| 2025 | 879 | +14.3% | 460 | +25.0% |
Top 10 institutes in Malaysia
By number of listed scientists
Show the list
All 769 scientists
| Rank in Malaysia | World rank | Scientist | Institute | Sub-field | Rank in sub-field |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 688 | Sunway University | Energy | Rank 19 | |
| 2 | 1,816 | Universiti Malaysia Terengganu | Biotechnology | Rank 5 | |
| 3 | 3,315 | Multimedia University | Environmental Sciences | Rank 63 | |
| 4 | 3,677 | Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | Chemical Engineering | Rank 17 | |
| 5 | 3,907 | Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences | Rank 63 | |
| 6 | 4,045 | Universiti Teknologi MARA | Polymers | Rank 18 | |
| 7 | 4,786 | Sunway University | Environmental Sciences | Rank 86 | |
| 8 | 4,863 | UCSI University | Business & Management | Rank 144 | |
| 9 | 5,216 | Universiti Utara Malaysia | Education | Rank 54 | |
| 10 | 5,228 | Universiti Sains Malaysia | Business & Management | Rank 162 | |
| 11 | 5,525 | Universiti Putra Malaysia | Materials | Rank 90 | |
| 12 | 6,282 |
IA
|
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia | Mechanical Engineering & Transports | Rank 65 |
| 13 | 7,028 | Sunway University | Electrical & Electronic Engineering | Rank 23 | |
| 14 | 7,301 |
FK
|
Universiti Sains Malaysia | Industrial Engineering & Automation | Rank 79 |
| 15 | 7,516 |
AY
|
Universiti Malaya | Applied Physics | Rank 155 |
| 16 | 7,841 | Universiti Malaysia Terengganu | Environmental Sciences | Rank 140 | |
| 17 | 9,018 | Universiti Sains Malaysia | Economics | Rank 174 | |
| 18 | 9,186 | Universiti Malaya | Public Health | Rank 100 | |
| 19 | 10,044 | Sunway University | Energy | Rank 242 | |
| 20 | 11,206 | Curtin University, Malaysia | Environmental Sciences | Rank 211 | |
| 21 | 11,453 | Universiti Malaya | Applied Physics | Rank 226 | |
| 22 | 12,034 | Universiti Malaysia Terengganu | Energy | Rank 291 | |
| 23 | 12,069 | School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 200 | |
| 24 | 12,313 | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia | Environmental Sciences | Rank 232 | |
| 25 | 12,590 | Sunway University | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 553 | |
| 26 | 12,648 | Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS | Energy | Rank 304 | |
| 27 | 13,728 | Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Kuala Lumpur | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 598 | |
| 28 | 15,328 | Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | Polymers | Rank 98 | |
| 29 | 15,541 |
RN
|
Universiti Malaya | Electrical & Electronic Engineering | Rank 54 |
| 30 | 15,940 | Universiti Putra Malaysia | Economics | Rank 276 | |
| 31 | 16,380 | Universiti Sains Malaysia | Chemical Engineering | Rank 93 | |
| 32 | 16,796 | UCSI University | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 718 | |
| 33 | 17,650 | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 754 | |
| 34 | 17,865 | Universiti Putra Malaysia | Energy | Rank 434 | |
| 35 | 18,609 | Universiti Malaya | Environmental Engineering | Rank 91 | |
| 36 | 18,891 | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia | Nutrition & Dietetics | Rank 128 | |
| 37 | 19,495 | Universiti Sains Malaysia | Polymers | Rank 144 | |
| 38 | 19,981 | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia | Energy | Rank 490 | |
| 39 | 20,503 | Universiti Malaysia Perlis | Analytical Chemistry | Rank 91 | |
| 40 | 20,846 |
RS
|
Universiti Malaya | Energy | Rank 516 |
| 41 | 21,725 | Taylor's University Malaysia | Sport, Leisure & Tourism | Rank 111 | |
| 42 | 21,996 | Azman Hashim International Business School | Business & Management | Rank 626 | |
| 43 | 22,001 | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia | Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry | Rank 65 | |
| 44 | 22,310 | Universiti Malaya | Energy | Rank 546 | |
| 45 | 23,670 | National Defense University of Malaysia | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Rank 117 | |
| 46 | 23,840 | Universiti Sains Malaysia | Energy | Rank 592 | |
| 47 | 24,231 | Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 988 | |
| 48 | 24,422 | University of Southampton | Economics | Rank 382 | |
| 49 | 24,468 | Asian Institute of Medicine, Science & Technology | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Rank 124 | |
| 50 | 24,801 | Monash University Malaysia | Food Science | Rank 210 | |
| 51 | 25,289 | Universiti Sains Malaysia | Food Science | Rank 213 | |
| 52 | 26,915 | Sunway University | Finance | Rank 124 | |
| 53 | 27,015 |
SN
|
Universiti Putra Malaysia | Polymers | Rank 214 |
| 54 | 27,079 | Universiti Malaya | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 1,103 | |
| 55 | 27,233 | Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | Chemical Engineering | Rank 171 | |
| 56 | 27,272 | Universiti Malaysia Terengganu | Energy | Rank 676 | |
| 57 | 27,620 | Universiti Sains Malaysia | Energy | Rank 688 | |
| 58 | 27,969 | International Medical University | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 405 | |
| 59 | 28,352 |
OW
|
Universiti Sains Malaysia | Chemical Engineering | Rank 178 |
| 60 | 28,949 |
MK
|
Universiti Malaya | Building & Construction | Rank 201 |
| 61 | 29,384 | Universiti Malaya | Chemical Engineering | Rank 190 | |
| 62 | 29,857 | INCEIF University | Economics | Rank 457 | |
| 63 | 31,048 | Taylor's University Malaysia | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 1,240 | |
| 64 | 31,061 | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia | Networking & Telecommunications | Rank 300 | |
| 65 | 31,225 | Universiti Sains Malaysia | Polymers | Rank 249 | |
| 66 | 31,874 | Taylor's University Malaysia | Environmental Sciences | Rank 620 | |
| 67 | 32,087 | International Islamic University Malaysia | Energy | Rank 816 | |
| 68 | 32,511 |
SM
|
Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah | Energy | Rank 828 |
| 69 | 32,586 | UCSI University | Marketing | Rank 200 | |
| 70 | 32,677 | Universiti Malaya | Microbiology | Rank 686 | |
| 71 | 33,198 | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia | Networking & Telecommunications | Rank 327 | |
| 72 | 33,545 | Universiti Sains Malaysia | Food Science | Rank 303 | |
| 73 | 33,632 | Universiti Sains Malaysia | Chemical Engineering | Rank 221 | |
| 74 | 34,502 | Sunway University | Neurology & Neurosurgery | Rank 1,695 | |
| 75 | 34,639 | Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | Food Science | Rank 312 | |
| 76 | 34,825 | Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah | Energy | Rank 902 | |
| 77 | 35,349 | Monash University Malaysia | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 501 | |
| 78 | 35,585 | Universiti Malaya | Business & Management | Rank 918 | |
| 79 | 36,106 | Universiti Malaya | Materials | Rank 660 | |
| 80 | 36,513 | Universiti Malaya | Chemical Engineering | Rank 238 | |
| 81 | 36,690 | Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | Chemical Engineering | Rank 240 | |
| 82 | 37,182 | Universiti Putra Malaysia | Food Science | Rank 342 | |
| 83 | 37,186 | Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS | Energy | Rank 949 | |
| 84 | 37,631 | Taylor's University Malaysia | Nursing | Rank 67 | |
| 85 | 38,377 | University of Malaya Medical Centre | Gastroenterology & Hepatology | Rank 435 | |
| 86 | 38,414 | Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | Biotechnology | Rank 134 | |
| 87 | 38,792 | Sunway University | Business & Management | Rank 987 | |
| 88 | 38,976 | Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus | Chemical Engineering | Rank 266 | |
| 89 | 39,798 | Universiti Sains Malaysia | Economics | Rank 605 | |
| 90 | 39,815 |
VH
|
Universiti Tenaga Nasional | Energy | Rank 1,021 |
| 91 | 39,860 | Universiti Malaya | Building & Construction | Rank 279 | |
| 92 | 40,046 | UCSI University | Business & Management | Rank 1,016 | |
| 93 | 40,491 | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia | Plant Biology & Botany | Rank 605 | |
| 94 | 41,353 | Universiti Malaysia Terengganu | Business & Management | Rank 1,043 | |
| 95 | 41,993 | Universiti Sains Malaysia | Fisheries | Rank 64 | |
| 96 | 42,065 | Universiti Teknologi MARA | Energy | Rank 1,080 | |
| 97 | 42,291 | Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 1,670 | |
| 98 | 42,294 |
SK
|
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia | Applied Physics | Rank 797 |
| 99 | 42,832 | Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 600 | |
| 100 | 43,514 |
AA
|
Universiti Malaya | Energy | Rank 1,124 |
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See all 769 scientists in Malaysia
You are seeing the first 100. 669 more are on the 2024 single-year list.
Countries with a similar count
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Frequently asked questions
How many scientists from Malaysia are in the 2024 Stanford Top 2% list?
769 scientists affiliated with Malaysia are on the 2024 single-year list, and 368 are on the career-long list.
Which institute in Malaysia has the most Top 2% scientists?
On the 2024 single-year list, Universiti Malaya has the most listed scientists from Malaysia, with 125. It is followed by Universiti Sains Malaysia with 86.
How has the number of Top 2% scientists in Malaysia changed since 2020?
On the single-year list, Malaysia went from 387 scientists in 2020 to 769 in 2024, a change of +98.7%.
What is the difference between the single-year and career-long lists?
The single-year list ranks scientists on the citations their work received in one year. The career-long list ranks them on citations across their whole career. Both lists are published every year, and a scientist can be on one, both or neither.
What is the official source of this data?
The rankings come from the science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators published by Ioannidis et al. in the Elsevier Data Repository, updated every year. TOPSCINET, an independent platform, organises that data by country, year, institute and field, so you can compare and explore it.