Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Malaysian public universities' service quality on international student satisfaction, institutional image and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach: A total number of 400 questionnaires were distributed to international students, selected using convenience sampling technique, at three public Malaysian university campuses in Kuala Lumpur. Of this, 241 were deemed fit for analysis (60 per cent response rate). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze the collected data, assess the model and test hypotheses. Findings: The findings show that all the five dimensions of higher education service quality influence student satisfaction which in turn influences institutional image, and together, they influence student loyalty. Research limitations/implications: There are a number of limitations associated with this study. First, the findings of the study are based on data from international students at only three Malaysian public university campuses. Second, this study focuses on a relatively small sample of international students. Besides, this study uses HEdPERF to assess higher education service quality which might exclude some factors that may influence international student satisfaction. On the other hand, it highlights a number of implications for the management of Malaysian universities. Originality/value: This study validates the HEdPERF scale in the context of Malaysian public universities with regard to the perceptions of international students. Furthermore, this study extends the HEdPERF scale and examines its effects on student satisfaction, institutional image and loyalty.