International Islamic University Malaysia
Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (الجامعة الإسلامية العالمية ماليزيا)
An English-medium public university in Gombak that combines Islamic values with professional degrees, with graduates from over 100 countries.
- Tuition
- MYR 12,000
- From · Intake Semester 1, 2024/2025 onwards (current fee schedule)
- Founded
- 1983
- QS World Ranking
- #691
- 2027 edition
- Campus
- Suburban
- 700 acres (2.8 km2), Gombak main campus
About IIUM
The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) was established on 23 May 1983 after then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad proposed an international university of Islamic education. It is sponsored by eight governments and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and it is built on the idea of integrating knowledge with Islamic values across every discipline. Unusually for a Malaysian public university, its main language of instruction is English, with Arabic used for Islamic sciences.
IIUM is headquartered on a large campus in Gombak, Selangor, on the edge of Kuala Lumpur, with medical and health campuses and a Centre for Foundation Studies in Kuantan and Gambang (Pahang), city campuses in Kuala Lumpur, and a languages and tourism campus in Pagoh, Johor. Its 14 faculties are called kulliyyahs, including the Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws, Economics and Management Sciences, Engineering, Architecture and Environmental Design, ICT, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy and the AbdulHamid AbuSulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences.
Since 1987 IIUM has produced more than 70,000 graduates from over 100 countries. It suits students who want a recognised professional degree taught in English, in a campus community shaped by Islamic practice, at fees well below private universities in the region.
Garden of Knowledge and Virtue
University motto
Why students choose IIUM
English-medium teaching at a public university that has graduated students from more than 100 countries.
Relatively low international fees: bachelor's tuition from about RM 12,000 a year (economics, management, human sciences) to RM 21,700 (engineering).
Law at the Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws, whose graduates include Malaysian ministers, judges and a Maldivian attorney general.
On-campus housing in the mahallah residential colleges, charged with the semester fees (about RM 3,025 a year for international students).
Admissions
2026/2027 Semester II (February 2027) and 2027/2028 Semester I (autumn 2027)
Selectivity
IIUM does not publish acceptance rates. Malaysian school leavers apply centrally through the Ministry of Higher Education's UPU system; international applicants apply directly, and their school qualification decides whether they enter a bachelor's degree directly or start with foundation study.
Typical entry requirements
| International school-leaving qualifications (bachelor's-level entry) | Qualifications such as Cambridge GCE A-levels, Australian Year 12, Canadian Grade 12, Bangladesh HSC, Bahrain Tawjahiya or Baccalauréat qualify for Level 6 (bachelor's) entry, per IIUM's list of entry qualifications (updated December 2025) |
|---|---|
| Qualifications giving foundation entry | For example GCE O-levels, Bangladesh SSC, Canadian Grade 11 or Azerbaijan's secondary certificate: entry to foundation, certificate or diploma level first |
| Malaysian applicants | Apply through the Ministry of Higher Education's UPU Online system against programme-specific minimum requirements; students from IIUM's own foundation (former CFS) have a separate route |
| English language | English is IIUM's medium of instruction and a language requirement applies to all programmes; IIUM's current minimum IELTS/TOEFL scores were not available on the pages checked. Students who do not meet the requirement take the CELPAD pre-sessional English programme (listed at RM 13,200 tuition over four semesters for international students). |
Deadlines
IIUM did not publish undergraduate application deadlines for the next intakes on the pages checked. From the Senate-approved calendar: Semester I 2026/2027 lectures began on 28 September 2026 (past), Semester II 2026/2027 starts on 22 February 2027 and Semester III on 19 July 2027 (except Medicine and Dentistry). Apply several months ahead to leave time for the student pass.
How to apply
International applicants apply online through IIUM's e-Admission system (eadmission.iium.edu.my), uploading their school certificate, transcripts and English results; admitted students then apply for a Malaysian student pass (IM14U) through the university. Malaysian applicants apply through the Ministry of Higher Education's UPU Online, and former IIUM foundation (CFS) students have their own route.
What admissions looks for
- A school-leaving qualification recognised in IIUM's list of entry qualifications at bachelor's level (otherwise you start at foundation level).
- Programme-specific subject minimums, especially for Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Engineering.
- English good enough for an English-medium degree, or readiness to complete the pre-sessional English programme first.
- Commitment to IIUM's mission of integrating professional knowledge with Islamic values.
Tips for applying to IIUM
- 1 Check IIUM's list of entry qualifications for your country first: it tells you whether you can enter a degree directly or need foundation study.
- 2 Budget for SST: since 2025, sales and service tax is added to taxable fees for international students, on top of the published amounts.
- 3 Tuition for most programmes is fixed for four years (eight semesters) and must be paid in full for that period, so compare the total, not just year one.
- 4 Start the student pass (IM14U) process as soon as you receive an offer.
Costs & financial aid
Intake Semester 1, 2024/2025 onwards (current fee schedule) · figures in MYR
IIUM's scholarship page lists third-party sponsors for international students, such as the Malaysian International Scholarship (MOHE), the Islamic Development Bank, Yayasan Khazanah and several embassies and ministries (e.g. Saudi Arabia, Libya, Maldives, Qatar, Turkey). Malaysian students can use PTPTN loans, JPA and state foundation scholarships.
- Malaysian International Scholarship (MOHE), Islamic Development Bank, Yayasan Khazanah, national embassies and ministries
- Sponsors for international students
- PTPTN loans, JPA, state foundations and corporate scholarships
- Malaysian student funding
Academics
Academic calendar: Three semesters (September-February, February-July, July-September)
Bachelor of Laws (Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws)
Named after its founding dean, a former Attorney-General of Singapore; graduates include politician Syed Saddiq and former Maldivian Attorney General Hassan Saeed.
Medicine (MBBS)
A five-year (ten-semester) programme with its own academic calendar; RM 350,000 total tuition for international students.
Engineering
Four-year degrees at the Kulliyyah of Engineering, RM 86,800 total tuition (RM 21,700 a year) for international students.
Economics and Management Sciences
Includes a three-year BBA; RM 12,000 a year tuition for international students.
Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences
IIUM's signature faculty, pairing Islamic studies with human sciences such as political science, which Turkey's former prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu taught at IIUM in 1993-1996.
Research
- IIUM hosts ISTAC, the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation, founded by Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas.
- The university runs an Institution for Sustainability and a Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE Greater Gombak) on education for sustainable development.
- IIUM's institutional repository (IREP) publishes staff research openly.
Schools & faculties
- Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws
- Kulliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences
- AbdulHamid AbuSulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences
- Kulliyyah of Information and Communication Technology
- Kulliyyah of Engineering
- Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design
- Kulliyyah of Education
- Kulliyyah of Science
- Kulliyyah of Medicine
- Kulliyyah of Dentistry
- Kulliyyah of Pharmacy
- Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences
Student life
Most undergraduates can live in the mahallah, IIUM's residential colleges, whose fees are charged with each semester's fees. The Gombak campus, with its lake, stadium and mahallah blocks, has a strongly Islamic daily rhythm: students from dozens of countries share halls, prayers and co-curricular activities. New international students register together at the start of each session, and those interviewed in September 2026 said they chose IIUM for its mix of Islamic and conventional studies.
- Mahallah residential colleges such as Mahallah Al-Faruq on the Gombak campus.
- A lake and a stadium on the Gombak campus.
- Students from over 100 countries have graduated from IIUM.
- New international students are welcomed at a joint registration session each session.
Housing. International students pay mahallah (hostel) fees of RM 12,100 over eight semesters for most four-year programmes (about RM 3,025 a year), charged with the semester fees.
Location
IIUM's main campus is in Gombak, Selangor, on the edge of Kuala Lumpur. Other campuses are in Kuantan and Gambang (Pahang), Pagoh (Johor) and Kuala Lumpur city, so check where your programme is based.
Nearest airport: Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL)
Notable alumni
- HA Hamza Abdi BarrePrime Minister of Somalia (appointed 2022); master's degree (2009)
- ZA Zambry Abdul KadirMalaysian Minister of Higher Education and former Foreign Minister; BEcon and master's in Islamic thought
- SS Syed SaddiqMalaysia's youngest federal minister (Youth and Sports) and MP for Muar; Bachelor of Laws
- RY Rohana YusufFirst woman President of Malaysia's Court of Appeal; diploma in Syariah law and master's in comparative laws
- HS Hassan SaeedAttorney General of the Maldives (2003-2007); LLB (1995) and master's in comparative law (1997)
- FP Fong Po KuanMalaysian politician (DAP); law degree (1997)
- OS Omar SuleimanAmerican imam and scholar; PhD in Islamic thought and civilisation (2020)
Frequently asked questions
Is IIUM taught in English?
Yes. English is IIUM's main medium of instruction, with Arabic used for Islamic sciences. It is one of only two Malaysian public universities with English as the official language of instruction.
How much does IIUM cost for international students?
Tuition ranges from about RM 12,000 a year (economics, management, human sciences) to RM 21,700 (engineering), RM 35,000 (pharmacy) and RM 70,000 (medicine and dentistry), plus recurrent, hostel and entrance fees and SST.
How do I apply to IIUM as an international student?
Apply online through IIUM's e-Admission system. Your school qualification decides whether you enter a bachelor's degree directly or start at foundation level; after an offer, IIUM helps you apply for a student pass.
When does the IIUM semester start?
Semester I 2026/2027 began on 28 September 2026, Semester II starts on 22 February 2027 and Semester III on 19 July 2027 (Medicine and Dentistry follow their own calendar).
Does IIUM offer scholarships to international students?
Mostly through outside sponsors, such as the Malaysian International Scholarship, the Islamic Development Bank, Yayasan Khazanah and home-country embassies and ministries.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
- IIUM: Admissions (AMAD)
- IIUM: List of entry qualifications for international students (December 2025, PDF)
- IIUM: Admission page (UPU Online and e-Admission links)
- IIUM Finance: Tuition Fees
- IIUM: Bachelor's fees, international and permanent resident, Semester 1 2024/2025 onwards (PDF)
- IIUM: Bachelor's fees, Malaysian students (PDF)
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