Higher education in Hong Kong means any education higher than secondary education, including professional, technical, and academic. It is the highest level of education in Hong Kong, regulated under the Hong Kong Law.
Admission Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) is a scheme and the main route of application designed to assist students with Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) or Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) results to apply for admission to the universities in Hong Kong.
Institutions According to the Education Bureau, Hong Kong has 22 degree-awarding higher education institutions, including:
UGC funded universities Below universities funded under the University Grants Committee (UGC): The University of Hong Kong (HKU, founded in 1911) – University of Hong Kong Ordinance (Cap. 1053) The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK, founded in 1963) – The Chinese University of Hong Kong Ordinance (Cap. 1109) The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST, founded in 1991) – The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Ordinance (Cap. 1141) The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU, founded in 1937, granted university status in November 1994) – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Ordinance (Cap. 1075) City University of Hong Kong (CityU, founded in 1984, granted university status in November 1994) – City University of Hong Kong Ordinance (Cap. 1132) Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU, founded in 1956, granted university status in November 1994) – Hong Kong Baptist University Ordinance (Cap. 1126) Lingnan University (LU, founded in 1967 as Lingnan School in Hong Kong, granted university status in July 1999) – Lingnan University Ordinance (Cap. 1165) The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK, founded in 1994, granted university status in May 2016) – The Education University of Hong Kong Ordinance (Cap. 444)
Self-financing institutions Statutory university
Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU; known as the Open University of Hong Kong, OUHK; founded in 1989, granted university status in May 1997) – The Open University of Hong Kong Ordinance (Cap. 1145)
Approved post secondary colleges
Approved post secondary colleges are educational institutes registered under the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance (Cap. 320). This type of colleges are allowed to give out academic awards at bachelor's degree level or above as well as to include the Chinese words "" or "", or the English word "University" in the registration name with prior approval from the Chief Executive-in-Council (Before 1 August 2025) or Secretary for Education (Starting from 1 August 2025).
Hong Kong Shue Yan University (HKSYU, founded in 1971, granted university status in December 2006) Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK, founded in 1980, granted university status in October 2018) Saint Francis University (previously Caritas Institute of Higher Education, granted university status in January 2024) Chu Hai College of Higher Education HKCT Institute of Higher Education Tung Wah College Centennial College Gratia Christian College Hong Kong Nang Yan College of Higher Education Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, Vocational Training Council UOW College Hong Kong
Publicly funded institutions Statutory institution The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA, founded in 1984) – The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Ordinance (Cap.1135)
Ranking +QS World University RankingsTimes Higher Education World University Rankings + QS World University Rankings Institution 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 201820192020202120222023202420252026 HKU 23 22 23 26 28 30 27 262525222221261711 CUHK 42 37 40 39 46 51 44 464946433938473632 HKUST 40 40 33 34 40 28 36 303732273440604744 CityU 129 110 95 104 108 57 55 495552485354706263 PolyU 166 177 159 161 162 116 111 9510691756665655754 HKBU 342 243 271 288 318 281 278 299277261264287281295252244 LU 551–600 601–650 601–650 601–650 551–600601–650591–600571–580581–590601–650641–650711–720701–710HKMU 781–790
+ Times Higher Education World University Rankings Institution 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 201820192020202120222023202420252026 HKU 21 34 35 43 43 44 43 403635393031353533 CUHK 151 124 109 129 138 76 585357564945534441 HKUST 41 62 65 57 51 59 49 444147566658646658 CityU 193 182 201–225 192 201–250 119 11911012612615199827873 PolyU 149 251–275 251–275 251–275 201–225 201–250 192 1821591711299179878480EdU 195 HKBU 111 276–300 301–350 301–350 301–350 351–400 351–400 401–500401–500401–500351–400401–500501–600301–350251–330201–250LU 301–350
+ QS University Rankings: Asia Institution 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023202420252026 HKU 1 1 2 3 2 3 2 2 5 2 4 3 4221 CUHK 2 4 5 5 7 6 6 8 10 9 13 11 121067 HKUST 4 2 1 1 1 5 5 4 3 7 8 9 1415116 CityU 18 15 15 12 12 11 9 7 8 21 18 20 2317107 PolyU 38 30 30 26 25 27 27 29 27 31 25 25 26231710 HKBU 73 45 49 48 43 45 51 64 64 65 64 66 68647153 LU >200 191–200 151–160 121 115 128 142 109 100 123 120 131 152167188181HKMU 701–750541–560393
+ QS World University Rankings by Subject Institution 2016 (Top 20) 2017 (Top 100) 2018 (Top 20) 2018 Best subject of this institute The highest ranking of this subject in Hong Kong (2018) The University of Hong Kong 29 37 10 1st:Dentistry The University of Hong Kong (1st) The Chinese University of Hong Kong 17 30 1 20th:Communication & Media Studies The Chinese University of Hong Kong (20th) The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology 12 16 4 14th:Computer Science & Information Systems The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (14th) City University of Hong Kong 7 18 0 26th:Linguistics The University of Hong Kong (11th) The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 8 16 3 3rd:Hospitality & Leisure Management The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (3rd) Hong Kong Baptist University 0 2 0 51-100th: Communication & Media Studies The Chinese University of Hong Kong (20th) The Education University of Hong Kong 1 1 1 9th:Education & Training The University of Hong Kong (7th) The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts 0 1 0 50-100th:Performing Arts The University of Hong Kong (44th)
Notes: UGC is the abbreviation of University Grants Committee. HKCAAVQ is the abbreviation of Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (formerly HKCAA). Programme Area Accreditation means the programme operator can operate specific programmes at designated subject areas and academic levels during specific period, granted and reviewed by HKCAAVQ. Prior notice and individual accreditation to HKCAAVQ are not required. Honour diploma (academically equivalent to higher diploma and associate degree in Hong Kong, and equivalent to bachelor's degree in some countries) was an academic award issued by colleges or institutes before they were granted full university status, such as HKBU, LU and SYU. It is no longer awarded.
See also Education in Hong Kong Medical education in Hong Kong Joint University Programmes Admissions System Self-financing Higher Education in Hong Kong Hong Kong
References
Further reading French, N.J., (1999). The Reform of Higher Education in Hong Kong. In C.B. Teather (ed) Higher Education in a Post-binary Era: National Reforms and Institutional Responses (pp. 158–180) London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1999. Mok, K.H. (2001). Academic Capitalisation in the New Millennium: The Marketisation and Corporatisation of Higher Education in Hong Kong. Policy & Politics, 29(3), 299–315 Postiglione, G.A. (2002). The Transformation of Academic Autonomy in Hong Kong. In M.K. Chan and A.Y. So (eds.) Crisis and Transformation in China's Hong Kong (pp. 307–321). London : M.E. Sharpe. Shive, G. (1992). Educational Expansion and the Labour Force. In G.A. Postiglione (ed) Education and Society in Hong Kong: Toward One Country and Two Systems (pp. 215–234). Hong Kong: HKU Press. Sutherland, S. (2002). Higher Education in Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Research Grant Council. Tang, H.H. (2010). "Higher Education Governance and Academic Entrepreneurialism in East Asia: The Two Episodes of Hong Kong and Macau". Research Studies in Education 8: 106–124. (). University Grants Committee. (1996). Higher Education in Hong Kong: A Report by the Universities Grants Committee. Hong Kong: Government Printer.
External links Education Bureau University Grants Committee Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications Dissertations and Theses Collections (DTC)