UCSI Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Hons) Fees

The direct answer

The Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Hons) at UCSI University is listed at RM 115,715 total for the full 4-year degree, according to UCSI's official programme page (ucsiuniversity.edu.my). That is the whole-course figure, not a per-year figure — read it carefully before you build a budget, because the two get mixed up constantly in WhatsApp groups and agent quotes.

Intakes are January, May and September. The award is a UCSI degree, from UCSI's Cheras campus in Kuala Lumpur.

What the fee figure actually is

Two things a Nepali family should hold on to here.

First, "total" means the tuition across four years, not one. If a counsellor quotes you RM 115,715 as an annual number, you are being quoted wrongly and your whole funding plan will be four times too large. If someone quotes you a much smaller "per semester" number without telling you how many semesters there are, ask for the full-course figure in writing on UCSI letterhead or the official fee page.

Second, tuition is not the cost of the degree. Living costs, the EMGS Student Pass costs, medical screening, flights and the initial deposit sit on top. I am deliberately not adding them together below — you should do that sum yourself with the actual quote UCSI sends you, because deposits, registration charges and any applicable taxes differ by applicant and are confirmed at offer stage.

One example from UCSI's own listings shows why taxes matter: the Doctor of Medicine programme is listed at RM 501,300 total and the award line specifically notes +6% SST for non-Malaysians. Ask UCSI in writing whether any equivalent charge applies to your engineering offer, and get the answer before you transfer money.

UCSI fees in context — other programmes

Useful if you are comparing engineering against a sibling's or your own back-up option at the same university. All figures are UCSI's official listings.

Note the Pharmacy line says "(intl)" and the engineering line does not. That is not proof the engineering figure is a domestic rate — but it is exactly the kind of ambiguity that should be cleared up by email with UCSI admissions before you commit. Ask: "Is RM 115,715 the international student total fee for this programme?"

Living costs in Kuala Lumpur

UCSI's campus is in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. These are the KL ranges our cost tables carry for the KL cluster:

For reference, the most reliable published quote we have from any KL institution is APU's: residence RM 1,120–1,390/month and a total student budget of RM 1,500–3,000/month, broken down as food RM 600–1,200, transport RM 100–300 and utilities RM 50–150. Malaysia overall runs roughly RM 1,500–2,500/month — far below Sydney, London or Toronto. UCSI's own accommodation page is the number that counts for you; confirm it there rather than borrowing another university's figure.

Plan for the high end of these ranges, not the low end. Students who budget on the cheapest shared room and then find nothing available near Cheras in September are the ones calling home in month two.

English and entry

UCSI is a private Malaysian university, so use the general Malaysian benchmark rather than a branch-campus one:

Alternatives generally accepted across Malaysian institutions include TOEFL iBT, PTE, MUET and often Duolingo, at level-equivalent scores — verify per programme, because acceptance is programme-specific, not university-wide. Waivers based on English-medium instruction plus a strong Class-12 or O-Level English result are frequently accepted, but the institution decides, not you and not your agent.

If you are below target, most Malaysian institutions run an in-house intensive English programme of roughly 10 weeks per level that satisfies entry in place of IELTS and is EMGS-recognised for the Student Pass. Confirm with UCSI whether they run one and whether your engineering offer can be conditional on completing it.

Engineering also has an academic-subject catch that trips up Nepali applicants: Mathematics and Physics at Class 12. A strong overall percentage will not rescue a weak Maths grade for a mechanical engineering intake. Check the subject-level cutoff on the UCSI programme page before you pay any application fee.

You can sanity-check your own grades and budget against Malaysian options with our free Master Reckoner tool, and read wider country guidance on the Malaysia hub.

Money and documents for the Student Pass

Malaysia's immigration authorities and EMGS publish no single statutory minimum funds figure. Anyone who tells you there is a fixed bank-balance rule is guessing. What our planner uses are published Year-1 cost components you can verify:

Keep these as separate line items on your worksheet. Do not let an agent collapse them into one "total you must show" number and then present that as an official rule — it is not one. Confirm the exact figure requested with UCSI and EMGS at application time.

The financial-proof document itself is defined more loosely than families expect: bank statements, fixed deposits, or a sponsor/scholarship letter covering tuition plus living for at least one year. That "at least one year" phrasing is the bit that actually gets checked, and a suddenly-funded account with no source history is the most common reason a file goes back for questions.

Documents you will be asked for

• Offer letter from an EMGS-approved institution (conditional or unconditional)
• Passport valid at least 12–18 months beyond the intended study period
• Attested academic transcripts and certificates
• English proficiency proof, or an institution English-medium/waiver letter
• Financial proof as above
• eVAL (electronic Visa Approval Letter), issued after EMGS approval
• Single Entry Visa — for Nepali nationals this is applied for through the official eVISA portal using the eVAL, before travelling
• Pre-departure medical, plus the mandatory post-arrival medical within 7 days of landing
• Health insurance for the study period, usually bundled into the EMGS fee quote
• Passport photographs to EMGS/Immigration specification

Budget 3–4 months end-to-end for Student Pass approval via EMGS once you hold the offer letter. Start the day you accept. Nepali, Indian, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi applicants routinely face more thorough document and financial verification, and a January intake applied for in November is a January intake you will miss.

Common questions

Is RM 115,715 per year or for the whole degree?

It is the total for the full 4-year Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Hons) at UCSI, as published on the official UCSI programme page. It is tuition only. Accommodation, food, transport, EMGS Student Pass costs and the medical screening are separate and are not included in that figure.

Will a UCSI engineering degree be recognised back in Nepal?

UCSI is a Malaysian private university awarding its own MQA-accredited degree — not a branch campus of a foreign university, so the testamur is a UCSI qualification. It is recognised locally and by employers who know the brand. For any smaller institution, always confirm MQA status through MQR before paying; for engineering specifically, also ask UCSI which professional engineering body accredits the programme.

Can I work part-time in Malaysia to cover my fees?

Up to 20 hours per week, but only during scheduled breaks and holidays — not during term, and subject to Student Pass conditions and university approval. That rules out funding a RM 115,715 degree from part-time work. Show full funding at application stage and treat any earnings as pocket money, not tuition.

Can I stay and work in Malaysia after graduating?

Malaysia does not offer a broad open post-study work visa like Australia, New Zealand or Canada. Staying means an employer sponsors an Employment Pass after a job offer, and from 1 June 2026 the Employment Pass salary floors make this harder for fresh graduates, because many entry-level jobs pay below the threshold. Treat Malaysia as a cost-effective degree and a stepping stone, not an easy stay-and-work route.

Official sources

• UCSI University — programme and fee pages: https://www.ucsiuniversity.edu.my

Fees and entry requirements change between intakes. Confirm the current figure on the UCSI page above and in your written offer before you transfer any money. More country guidance on the Malaysia hub, cost and entry matching in the Master Reckoner, and further guides on the blog.