If you’ve been searching for “asia pacific university fees for international students” or trying to work out the real asia pacific university total cost before you commit, you’ve probably noticed that most pages online quote rough estimates rather than the actual numbers on APU’s own invoice. This guide fixes that. Every tuition figure here comes directly from APU’s official 2026 international fee guide, so you can budget with confidence instead of relying on someone else’s guesswork.
We’ll walk through APU tuition fees by programme, the application and EMGS charges nobody mentions until the invoice lands, scholarship options that can shave up to 30% off your bill, and how APU stacks up against other private options if you’re still comparing. If you’re weighing APU against Curtin University Malaysia or want the wider picture of what studying in Malaysia costs overall, we’ll point you to that too.
1. APU at a Glance
Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation began life in 1993 as the Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology before being rebranded in 2004, and it has since produced tens of thousands of graduates through its long-running partnership with Staffordshire University and, more recently, its APU-DMU dual degree scheme with De Montfort University, UK, according to <cite index=”63-1″>Wikipedia’s entry on the university</cite>. It’s a private institution based in Technology Park Malaysia, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, with a student population regularly cited in the 12,000+ range.
On rankings, APU has built a reputation specifically around technology and digital programmes. Third-party university trackers report that <cite index=”68-1″>APU holds a Top 2% global position under the QS World University Rankings 2027 with a 5-Stars Plus rating, and separately ranks in the top 20 in Asia and top 5 in ASEAN under the AppliedHE 2026 Private University Rankings</cite>. It was also the first Malaysian university to receive QAA UK accreditation. If you want the full profile — campus facilities, admission requirements, industry partners — Study Comet’s Asia Pacific University page covers that in detail; this guide focuses purely on the money.
One thing worth flagging honestly: unlike some universities you may be comparing it against, APU does not run a Law or Pharmacy school. Its academic offering sits across Computing & Technology, Engineering, Business, Accounting & Finance, Design & Media, Psychology, and Architecture. If your search brought you here looking for “asia pacific university law cost” or “pharmacy total cost,” APU simply isn’t the right university for that programme — see the FAQ below for what to check instead.
2. APU Tuition Fees for International Students (2026)
All figures below are quoted by APU in Malaysian Ringgit (RM), with USD shown for reference only — APU is explicit that the RM amount on your official invoice is the binding figure, not the USD conversion. Every fee also excludes Malaysia’s 6% Sales & Service Tax (SST), which is charged on top.
2.1 Foundation (Pre-University) Programmes
For students entering after O-Levels/IGCSE or equivalent:
| Foundation Pathway | Full Payment (RM) | Approx. USD |
| Computing & Technology / Business, Finance & Social Sciences | RM 28,400 | ~USD 7,475 |
| Architecture & Design | RM 29,200 | ~USD 7,685 |
| Engineering Pathway | RM 21,200 | ~USD 5,580 |
| Foundation in Computing (100% Online/ODL) | RM 54,200 total (2 years) | ~USD 14,265 |
Full payment carries a discount over paying per semester — for example, the Computing & Technology pathway is billed at RM 15,500 for Semester 1 and RM 7,100 twice more if you pay semester by semester, which adds up to more than the RM 28,400 full-payment rate.
2.2 Diploma Programmes
Most diplomas (ICT, Business Administration, Accounting, Business Information Technology, International Studies, Design and Media, Mechatronic Engineering) run RM 54,200 total across two years (RM 27,900 per year) when paid in full. The exceptions are Diploma in Hotel Management and Diploma in Events Management, which cost RM 22,400 total in full payment.
2.3 Bachelor’s Degree Fees by Field (Full 3-Year Programme, Full-Payment Rate)
This is the section most people searching “asia pacific university bba fees,” “asia pacific university tuition fees for bba,” or “asia pacific university subject list and cost” actually want:
| Field of Study | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | 3-Year Total |
| IT, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Science, AI, Cyber Security, Digital Forensics, Business Management (BBA), Digital Marketing, HRM, Hospitality & Tourism, Accounting & Finance, Actuarial Studies, Banking & Finance, FinTech, Investment Analytics, International Relations, Psychology | RM 34,900 | RM 36,100 | RM 37,500 | RM 108,500 (~USD 28,555) |
| Industrial Design, VFX, Animation, Digital Advertising, Media & Communication, Interactive Media/VR-AR, Computer Games Development | RM 34,900 | RM 36,100 | RM 37,500 | RM 108,500 |
| Architecture | RM 35,800 | RM 36,800 | RM 37,800 | RM 110,400 (~USD 29,065) |
So a Bachelor of Business Administration at APU comes to roughly RM 108,500 (~USD 28,555) across the full three years, paid in full — that’s the number to use if you were searching for “asia pacific university bba total cost.”
2.4 Engineering Degrees (4-Year Programmes)
Mechatronic, Mechanical, Computer, Electrical & Electronic, and Petroleum Engineering run over four years instead of three:
| Year | Fee |
| Year 1 | RM 32,600 |
| Year 2 | RM 33,600 |
| Year 3 | RM 34,800 |
| Year 4 | RM 36,200 |
| 4-Year Total | RM 137,200 (~USD 36,110) |
There is no separate “eee total cost” figure published by APU beyond this shared engineering table — Electrical & Electronic Engineering is billed at the same rate as the other engineering disciplines above.
2.5 Dual Degree and Optional Add-Ons
If you opt into the APU-DMU Dual Degree Scheme with De Montfort University, UK (available on eligible programmes, excluding the Hospitality and Tourism degree), there’s an additional GBP 450 per level, payable in GBP cash or the RM/USD equivalent at the APU cashier rate. Students in eligible Hospitality & Tourism or Hotel Management programmes are automatically covered under a separate APU-HTMi dual award scheme with Switzerland’s Hotel and Tourism Management Institute, with no extra fee for the dual award itself (though a 2-week optional study trip to Switzerland has its own travel costs).
3. Application, EMGS, and Registration Fees Everyone Forgets
Tuition is only part of the “asia pacific university payment” story. International students pay a separate set of application and immigration-linked charges:
- Stage 1 (payable on accepting your offer): RM 3,400 (~USD 895) — this covers EMGS visa processing plus APU’s own application fee, and includes airport pickup on first arrival. Non-refundable once accepted.
- Stage 2 (payable once your Student Pass is approved): RM 2,000 (~USD 525) — covers post-arrival medical check-up, one year of medical insurance, the i-Kad international student card, the eVAL, and the first year’s Student Pass fee.
- Registration & Administrative Fee: RM 5,000 (~USD 1,315), inclusive of the Student ID card for the full duration of your course.
- Library Deposit: RM 500, refundable at the end of your studies.
- Engineering Lab Deposit: RM 500 (Engineering students only), refundable.
- Hospitality Resource Fee: RM 4,200 (Hospitality & Tourism / Hotel Management only) — covers uniforms, lab and practical fees, food-handling certification.
- Personal Bond: RM 1,000, refundable on completion of studies, provided there’s no visa misuse.
If you enrol in a 100% Open & Distance Learning (ODL) programme, none of the Stage 1/Stage 2 or miscellaneous fees apply — instead there’s a single one-off enrolment fee of RM 2,580, which still includes EMGS processing.
For the government side of this process — how EMGS approval actually works and what it covers beyond APU’s own charges — Study Comet’s guide to Malaysia student visa requirements walks through the wider EMGS system, and EMGS’s own pre-arrival guidelines are the authoritative source if you want to cross-check anything.
4. Ongoing Costs: Annual Visa Renewal
Your Student Pass has to be renewed every year you’re enrolled. According to <cite index=”46-1″>APU’s official fee refund policy, annual Student Pass renewal — covering EMGS processing, the i-Kad, medical insurance premium, and APU’s administrative fee — costs between RM 1,100 and RM 1,450</cite>, depending on when you submit it (submission must happen three months before your current visa expires). Budget for this every year, not just in year one — it’s one of the most commonly missed line items in a multi-year cost projection.
It’s also worth knowing upfront that APU’s fee policy is strict: course fee payments are non-refundable once your visa is approved or you’ve started classes, regardless of level (Intensive English, Diploma, Foundation, or Bachelor’s), except in cases where EMGS or Immigration actually refuses the visa.
5. APU Scholarships & Merit Awards: Cutting the Bill by Up to 30%
Before you assume the full-payment figures above are your final number, check the scholarship route. Per <cite index=”27-1″>APU’s official scholarship page, International Students Scholarships & Merit Awards offer significant rebates on yearly course fees based on academic qualifications, are renewable every year provided you maintain a minimum CGPA of 2.50, and are awarded strictly on a first-come, first-served basis</cite> — so applying early in the intake cycle matters more than having top grades alone. Third-party trackers of the same programme put the discount range at 10% to 30% off tuition depending on your prior academic results.
To reserve a scholarship seat, you typically pay the standard Application & Processing Fee at the point of securing the award — it isn’t a separate cost on top, but it does mean you can’t wait until the last week of an intake to apply and still expect availability. If you’re comparing scholarship options across Malaysia more broadly rather than just at APU, Study Comet’s guide to scholarships in Malaysia covers government-backed options like the Malaysia International Scholarship as well.
One caveat worth passing on directly from APU’s terms: scholarship awards cover course/tuition fees only. Library fees, registration fees, residence deposits, student ID, and resit fees are all still payable by the student regardless of scholarship status.
6. Accommodation Near APU
APU doesn’t publish a single official on-campus rate table in its 2026 fee guide, but its own accommodation pages describe university-managed on-campus and satellite residences within Technology Park Malaysia, booked on a first-come, first-served basis with a two-month deposit plus one month’s rent required to confirm a room. Independent accommodation guides for the campus put on-campus rates in the rough range of USD 275–350 per month, utilities included — treat that as an estimate to sense-check against your actual offer letter rather than a guaranteed figure, since room type and availability change by intake.
If you’d rather see full Malaysia-wide living cost ranges — food, transport, utilities, not just accommodation — that’s covered in more depth in the cost of studying in Malaysia guide.
7. How APU’s Fees Compare With Other Malaysian Private Universities
APU sits in the mid-to-upper range of Malaysia’s private university fee bracket rather than the cheapest end. A three-year business or IT degree at roughly RM 108,500 total is a meaningful step up from Malaysia’s public universities, where the same degree level often runs closer to the lower end of the private-sector scale, but it’s broadly in line with — not dramatically above — what comparable private technology-focused universities in the Klang Valley charge. If you’re still deciding between institutions, it’s worth checking Curtin University Malaysia’s profile directly rather than relying on averages, since fee structures differ by faculty and campus even within the same fee bracket. For the fuller list of universities in Malaysia Study Comet works with, see the Malaysia universities overview.
8. What APU Does Not Offer: A Quick Correction
Because a fair number of searches around “asia pacific university” fees also include Law and Pharmacy terms, it’s worth being direct: APU’s course catalogue, confirmed through both APU’s own site and independent education directories, does not include a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), an LLM, or a Pharmacy degree. Its strengths are firmly in Computing & Technology, Engineering, Business & Accounting, Design & Media, Psychology, and Architecture. If Law or Pharmacy in Malaysia is genuinely your goal, that’s a different set of universities entirely, and it’s worth checking with an advisor before assuming APU’s fee structure applies.
9. Step-by-Step: Budgeting for APU as an Indian Student
- Confirm your programme category first. Fees vary by roughly RM 10,000–15,000 across degree categories, so don’t budget off a generic “APU fees” number — use the table for your specific field above.
- Add the RM 5,400 in Stage 1 + Stage 2 fees on top of Year 1 tuition — this is separate from course fees and payable before/at arrival.
- Factor in the 6% SST on every fee component, since APU’s published figures exclude it.
- Apply for the Merit Award early, ideally as soon as you have predicted or provisional results, since awards are first-come, first-served rather than purely merit-ranked.
- Budget RM 1,100–1,450 annually for Student Pass renewal from Year 2 onward.
- Check general admission document requirements before applying — Study Comet’s guide to Malaysia study requirements covers the document checklist that applies across most Malaysian universities, APU included.
If you’d rather have someone walk through your specific programme and scholarship eligibility instead of doing the maths yourself, get in touch with Study Comet for a free breakdown.
10. Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Asia Pacific University’s fee for international students in 2026?
It depends entirely on your programme. A three-year Business, IT, or Accounting & Finance degree totals RM 108,500 in full payment; Architecture totals RM 110,400; four-year Engineering degrees total RM 137,200. Foundation programmes range from RM 21,200 to RM 29,200 depending on pathway.
2. What is the APU application fee for international students?
RM 3,400 at Stage 1 (offer acceptance) plus RM 2,000 at Stage 2 (visa approval) — RM 5,400 combined, separate from tuition.
3. Does APU offer a fee waiver calculator?
APU does not publish a public online waiver calculator in its 2026 materials. Scholarship discounts (10–30%) are assessed individually against your academic results after you apply, not through a self-service estimator.
4. Can Indian students get a scholarship at APU?
Yes — APU’s International Students Scholarships & Merit Awards are open to all nationalities and applied to yearly course fees, renewable annually with a minimum CGPA of 2.50.
5. Does Asia Pacific University offer Law or Pharmacy?
No. APU’s programme range covers Computing & Technology, Engineering, Business, Accounting & Finance, Design & Media, Psychology, and Architecture — it does not run a Law or Pharmacy school.
6. Are APU’s fees the same for BBA and other business programmes?
Yes — Business Management (BBA), Accounting & Finance, Banking & Finance, HRM, Digital Marketing, and several other business-adjacent fields share the same RM 108,500 three-year full-payment rate.
7. What is APU’s EMGS fee?
EMGS processing is bundled into APU’s Stage 1 fee (RM 3,400) rather than charged as a standalone separate line by APU. This differs from what you may see quoted independently by EMGS itself, so always confirm the exact figure on your APU offer letter.
8. Is tuition at APU refundable if I change my mind?
No, generally not. Once your visa is approved or you’ve started classes, course fees are non-refundable except where EMGS or Immigration formally refuses your visa.
Disclaimer: This is a sensitive-cost planning topic — figures above reflect APU’s published 2026 rates and are subject to change without notice by the university. Always confirm current fees directly with APU or your Study Comet advisor before finalising a budget.
