It is that time of year again — Gaokao season is upon us, and first of all we hope every candidate performs steadily, or even above their usual level, and achieves the score they are aiming for.

One more option, a backup plan — just in case.

But as parents, we always want a backup plan — just in case.

What if the score falls short of the undergraduate cut-off?

What if it is not enough for a Tier 1 or Tier 2 university?

Your child has worked hard, but competition this year is fierce — just in case, what then?

In 2023, 12.91 million students sat the Gaokao — 980,000 more than last year, an all-time record!

If that “just in case” really does happen,is repeating a year or settling for a vocational college really the only choice?

Not at all — studying abroad is another option!

Low budget, low scores — you can still study overseas

A low budget — is that workable?

Below the undergraduate cut-off — is that workable?

There is one country —low entry requirements, low costs, low language requirements, and easy access to world-renowned universities!It is the outstanding value-for-money destination —Malaysia！

If you havea budget of only a few tens of thousands of RMB a year,，no IELTS and no wish to learn a minor language,，and a less-than-ideal Gaokao result — yet you want to turn things around andearn a degree on par with a 985/211 university,，Malaysiacould not be more suitable!

Do not underestimate a Malaysian degree

It carries real weight!

[High rankings]

2023 QS World University Rankings: Malaysia vs Chinese universities

2023 QS Asia Rankings: Malaysia vs mainland Chinese universities

[High teaching quality]

The QS World University Rankings are the only world university rankings endorsed by the International Ranking Expert Group. In 2022 they assessed 5,500 universities and ranked the world’s top 1,000. The methodology weights 40% academic reputation (drawing on the opinions of more than 10,000 experts and scholars in higher education to rate teaching and research quality), 10% employer reputation (based on more than 50,000 employer responses), 20% staff-to-student ratio (the higher the ratio, the more access each student has to teachers and the lighter each teacher’s workload), 20% citations per faculty member, and 5% + 5% for the proportion of international staff and international students.

[Qualifications recognised in China]

Malaysian institutions not only rank highly —their qualifications are also recognised by the Chinese Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) under the Ministry of Education,with a high proportion of international students, a multicultural environment, and English-medium instruction. Whether you return home to work, sit the civil-service or public-institution exams, settle in a city, or go on to postgraduate study in another country, recognition is extremely high! Rather than grinding it out at home, why not study abroad and earn a prestigious degree the easy way?

Study abroad on a budget under RMB 100,000

Outstanding value + easy to settle in

Undergraduate tuition in Malaysia is roughly RMB 20,000–40,000 a year, with living costs of about RMB 20,000–30,000 a year.，Many universities offer quality on-campus accommodation,which means thata budget of RMB 70,000–80,000 a year is enough.

During your studies you can also work part-time to cover living costs, and tuition is paid by the semester. Compared with the US, UK and Australia — where a year can cost anywhere from RMB 200,000–300,000 to over a million — this is fantastic value!It is ideal for children from working-class families.

In day-to-day life, Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multicultural country whose population is made up mainly of three major ethnic groups,with ethnic Chinese making up a quarter of the population. So even international students whose English is not yet strong can settle in and live comfortably when they first arrive.

In terms of flight distance, time difference and climate, Malaysia also has clear advantages.

99% of institutions teach entirely in English

After graduating you can return home,or go on tofurther study in the US, UK or Australia

In study, English is one of the official languages. As a former British colony,Malaysia follows the Commonwealth education system, and ranks third in Asia for the prevalence and use of English, offering an excellent language environment.Most universities also teach entirely in English,and students who graduate from Malaysian universities come away with fluent English.

Many Malaysian institutions have exchange agreements with universities in the UK and Australia.INTI University and SEGi University, for example, offer twinning programmes whose qualifications are recognised worldwide. Many undergraduate graduates who later wish to pursue further study in other countries can do so without sitting IELTS.

Of course, as mentioned earlier, if you want to return home to work immediately after graduating, the qualifications of many Malaysian institutions are recognised by the Chinese Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) under the Ministry of Education.

/ Universities in Malaysia /

General entry requirements

Public university requirements：high-school graduation, an average of 80% across all subjects, and IELTS 5.0–5.5 (some institutions require IELTS before an application can be submitted); programmes run 3–4 years.

Private university requirements：high-school graduation (some accept completion of Year 11), an average of 70% across all subjects, and IELTS 5.0–5.5 (applications without IELTS are accepted, with an English language course provided); programmes run 3 years.

(A photo of SEGi University, Malaysia)

That covers the key background on studying in Malaysia for today.In our next post, we will focus on recommending specific Malaysian universities and programmes.

The major you want to study — covered.

The university rankings you care about — covered.

The entry requirements you have been agonising over — covered too.

If you would like to learn more about every aspect of studying in Malaysia and explore programmes in advance, get in touch with our education consultants for a free, tailored plan. Start preparing now and you could begin as early as September!

Past articles worth revisiting

New state-nomination quotas to be announced in a few weeks! NSW again issues a batch of invitations at low points scores!

In the final month of the financial year, these Subclass 190 / 491 streams are still open and still actively issuing invitations!

Most majors for Australian graduates can lead to migration! The key points to prepare!

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RMB 70,000–80,000 a year, taught in English: even below the Gaokao undergraduate cut-off, you can turn it around and reach a university on par with a 985!

New state-nomination quotas to be announced in a few weeks! NSW again issues a batch of invitations at low points scores!

In the final month of the financial year, these Subclass 190 / 491 streams are still open and still actively issuing invitations!

Most majors for Australian graduates can lead to migration! The key points to prepare!

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