Comprehensive universities are public universities which act as educational centres for pre-undergraduate, undergraduate and post-graduate programmes in various fields without focusing on any one area.

Comprehensive universities comprise of four selected universities as follows:

1. MARA University of Technology (UiTM)
2. International Islamic University Malaysia
3. University of Malaysia Sabah
4. University of Malaysia Sarawak

Among the key elements of a comprehensive university are:

• Various areas of study
• Competitive intake
• Quality lecturers
• A ratio of 7:3 for undergraduates to post-graduates