More Than 169,000 SPM Graduates Secure Public Higher Education Placements Through UPUOnline
PETALING JAYA: A total of 169,803 students who completed the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2025 examination have successfully secured placements in public higher education institutions through the UPUOnline system for the upcoming academic session.
In a statement today, the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (MOHE) said the figure represents 72.11 per cent of the 235,480 eligible applications received from SPM graduates this year.
According to the ministry, the offers involve placements at Universiti Awam (public universities), polytechnics, community colleges and institutions under Mara Higher Education Division (Mara BPT).
Out of the total offers, 91,357 students secured placements at public universities while another 60,947 students were accepted into polytechnic institutions.
Meanwhile, 15,844 students received offers from community colleges and 1,655 others obtained placements at Mara BPT institutions.
The Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia said the government also continued prioritising inclusive access to higher education through several special admission pathways involving targeted groups.
These included 701 students from the Persons with Disabilities (OKU) category, 310 Orang Asli students, 179 athletes and 10,499 applicants from B40 low-income households.
In addition, the ministry said 65 students from institutions managed by the Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (Social Welfare Department) also successfully secured placements in public higher education institutions.
According to MOHE, this year’s intake marked an important milestone as, for the first time, all academic programmes were opened to OKU applicants based on their eligibility and suitability.
The ministry said the move reflects ongoing efforts to create a more inclusive and equitable higher education system that provides wider opportunities to all segments of society.
“MOHE has also taken the initiative to ensure excellent students who achieved 8A and above receive appropriate opportunities to continue their studies at higher education level,” the statement said.
Overall, a total of 363 academic programmes were offered for this intake across various study levels.
The programmes include 41 certificate programmes, 57 foundation programmes, 264 diploma programmes and one bachelor’s degree programme.
The Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia explained that student selection was conducted based on meritocracy principles, with all eligible applicants ranked according to their merit scores from highest to lowest.
The ministry stressed that the selection process was carried out transparently to ensure opportunities were awarded fairly to qualified students who met the academic and merit requirements.
For applicants who did not receive an offer during this intake session, MOHE said a second opportunity remains available through the UPUOnline appeal process.
Appeals can be submitted over a 10-day period beginning at noon today until 5pm on May 31.
The ministry expressed hope that successful candidates would fully utilise the opportunity to pursue higher education and build a brighter future through academic advancement.
