Asian universities lift foreign student ratios as US and UK decline, QS rankings show
International student ratios across universities in Malaysia, Hong Kong and South Korea rose as tighter visa rules reduced foreign enrolments in the United States and Britain, according to the QS World University…
Source: Channel NewsAsia · August 16, 2026 at 10:20 PM · AI-assisted report
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SINGAPORE, 17 AUGUST 2026 —
International student ratios across universities in Malaysia, Hong Kong and South Korea rose as tighter visa rules reduced foreign enrolments in the United States and Britain, according to the QS World University Rankings 2027.
Market Impact
The US and the UK registered year-on-year declines after introducing stricter caps on international student intakes and graduate employment visas, Channel NewsAsia reported.
Institutions across Asia continued climbing in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) table, particularly within the global top 200. China, Hong Kong and South Korea gained ground, while Singapore kept two universities inside the top 12.
CNA contributor June Yong, lead of programmes at Focus on the Family Singapore, wrote that Asian institutions now offer strong academic programmes, industry links and direct access to expanding regional economies.
For Malaysian students and recruiters, rising regional standings offer alternatives closer to home as Western destinations become more restrictive.
Yet traditional prestige continues to influence household decisions. Yong noted that older generations still place heavy weight on legacy Western institutions, including the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge and the Ivy League.
Related: Singapore