Graduate outcomes
What Malaysian graduates actually do
Every year the Ministry of Higher Education tracks what happened to the country's graduates. This is that data for 2023, covering 304,466 Malaysian graduates, laid out by field of study and by qualification level, with nothing added and nothing sold.
Read the first column, not the second. Being in work, continuing to study and upgrading skills are all good outcomes, and fields whose graduates routinely go on to a higher qualification look far worse than they are if you only count who is employed. 86.4% of all Malaysian graduates were doing one of the three.
Quick answers
What percentage of Malaysian graduates are employed?
According to the MOHE Graduate Tracer Study, Higher Education Statistics 2023 (Ch. 7), which covered 304,466 Malaysian-citizen graduates in 2023, 67.9% of graduates were working and 16.6% had gone on to further study. Counting those upgrading their skills as well, 86.4% were working, studying or upskilling, while 10.2% were not yet working. The employment rate alone misleads, because continuing to study is also a good outcome.
Which fields of study have the best graduate outcomes in Malaysia?
In the MOHE Graduate Tracer Study, Higher Education Statistics 2023 (Ch. 7), Engineering, Manufacturing & Construction (91%) and Information & Communication Technologies (89.8%) had the highest share of graduates working, studying or upskilling, against 86.4% across all fields. The lowest was Health & Welfare (74.9%). These are national rates for a broad field, not for any one programme or institution.
Is a diploma enough to get a job in Malaysia?
The employment rate alone does not answer it. In the MOHE Graduate Tracer Study, Higher Education Statistics 2023 (Ch. 7), only 53.4% of diploma graduates were working, but 31.5% went straight on to further study; counted together, 85.7% were working, studying or upskilling. For bachelor's degree graduates, 76.3% were working and 84.6% were working, studying or upskilling.
What is the starting salary for Malaysian graduates by field?
We do not publish a salary figure by field. Chapter 7 of the Higher Education Statistics publishes employment status by field, but not starting salary by field. We have not sourced a per-field salary table we can stand behind, so we show none.
By field of study
Sorted by the share of graduates working, studying or upskilling. The national row at the bottom is what each field should be read against. A number on its own tells you very little.
- Engineering, Manufacturing & Construction91%
- Working
- 70.6%
- Studying further
- 18%
- Not yet working
- 6.5%
78,818 graduates surveyed
Careers in this field - Information & Communication Technologies89.8%
- Working
- 64.7%
- Studying further
- 23.1%
- Not yet working
- 8.3%
22,374 graduates surveyed
Careers in this field - Generic Programmes & Qualifications89.7%
- Working
- 80.9%
- Studying further
- 4.4%
- Not yet working
- 5.9%
68 graduates surveyed
- Natural Sciences, Mathematics & Statistics87.6%
- Working
- 59.3%
- Studying further
- 23.8%
- Not yet working
- 9.1%
13,565 graduates surveyed
Careers in this field - Business, Administration & Law86.6%
- Working
- 68.7%
- Studying further
- 16.5%
- Not yet working
- 11%
85,300 graduates surveyed
Careers in this field - Arts & Humanities85.1%
- Working
- 63.5%
- Studying further
- 20%
- Not yet working
- 13%
26,971 graduates surveyed
Careers in this field - Services84.5%
- Working
- 68.6%
- Studying further
- 15%
- Not yet working
- 13%
20,034 graduates surveyed
Careers in this field - Social Sciences, Journalism & Information84.4%
- Working
- 69.2%
- Studying further
- 12.6%
- Not yet working
- 12.6%
13,744 graduates surveyed
- Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries & Veterinary84.3%
- Working
- 57%
- Studying further
- 22.1%
- Not yet working
- 12.2%
4,826 graduates surveyed
Careers in this field - Education79.7%
- Working
- 70.9%
- Studying further
- 7.2%
- Not yet working
- 13.7%
21,284 graduates surveyed
Careers in this field - Health & Welfare74.9%
- Working
- 67.2%
- Studying further
- 6.8%
- Not yet working
- 11.9%
17,482 graduates surveyed
Careers in this field - All fields (national)86.4%
- Working
- 67.9%
- Studying further
- 16.6%
- Not yet working
- 10.2%
By qualification level
The question behind this table is usually "is the diploma enough, or does he need the degree?". The answer is less obvious than the headline rates suggest.
- Certificate93%
- Working
- 69.3%
- Studying further
- 23%
27,822 graduates surveyed
- Diploma85.7%
- Working
- 53.4%
- Studying further
- 31.5%
115,296 graduates surveyed
- Advanced Diploma93.8%
- Working
- 87.5%
- Studying further
- 6.3%
208 graduates surveyed
- Bachelor's degree84.6%
- Working
- 76.3%
- Studying further
- 5.1%
135,522 graduates surveyed
- Postgraduate Diploma79.4%
- Working
- 77.4%
- Studying further
- 1.1%
2,983 graduates surveyed
- Master93.8%
- Working
- 88.7%
- Studying further
- 3.6%
18,940 graduates surveyed
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)91.1%
- Working
- 87.7%
- Studying further
- 0.5%
2,646 graduates surveyed
Diploma is the clearest example of why the employment rate alone misleads. Only 53.4% of diploma graduates were working, but 31.5% went straight on to further study, which is a decision, not a failure. Counted properly, 85.7% were working, studying or upskilling.
There is no salary column here
Chapter 7 of the Higher Education Statistics publishes employment status by field, but not starting salary by field. We have not sourced a per-field salary table we can stand behind, so we show none.