HONG KONG - Hong Kong's universities have risen sharply in global rankings, with five in the world's top 100 and two in the top 20, underscoring the city's academic strength and making it one of the world's densest clusters of top-tier universities.

These achievements reflect the significant enhancement of Hong Kong's higher education competitiveness in recent years, driven by sustained investment and supportive policies from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, further consolidating the city's position as an international education hub.

In the latest world university rankings released by international higher education research organization Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), five Hong Kong institutions continue to rank among the global top 100.

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) continued to hold its position at 11th in the world, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) rose 14 places to 18th, marking the first time that two Hong Kong universities have ranked in the global top 20.

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology rose 11 places to 33rd, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University ranked 50th, entering the world's top 50 for the first time. City University of Hong Kong ranked 52nd.

Christine Choi Yuk-lin, secretary for education of the HKSAR government, said it was encouraging that, for the first time, two Hong Kong universities entered the world's top 20 and four made the top 50.

These achievements have affirmed the HKSAR government's commitment to investing in education and supporting institutional innovation through Hong Kong's University Grants Committee, Choi said.

Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, CUHK's vice-chancellor and president, said that the rankings reflected CUHK's steady progress in the global higher education landscape. Looking ahead, the university will further advance impactful research and knowledge transfer.

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To nurture future talent, the HKSAR government has recently promoted the introduction of 27 new undergraduate programs by local institutions in areas covering artificial intelligence, creative industries, and data science.

Meanwhile, the cap on non-local student intake has been raised from 40 percent to 50 percent, while postgraduate self-financed enrollment has increased from 100 percent to 120 percent, enabling institutions to expand.

Regarding research and innovation, Hong Kong's Research Grants Council offers over 20 funding and scholarship schemes, supporting more than 1,500 new projects annually, alongside new matching grants and overseas scholar programs to strengthen Hong Kong's research environment.

Apart from the significant rise in overall rankings, Hong Kong universities excelled in multiple assessment indicators. City University of Hong Kong ranked second globally for citations per faculty for the second consecutive year, just behind Harvard University.

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QS Senior Vice-President Ben Sowter said that Hong Kong's higher education system stands out as one of the most improved worldwide, consolidating the city's competitiveness and research orientation in Asia.

Policies introduced by the HKSAR government have further reinforced the city's role as an international education hub, Sowter added.

Hong Kong universities also performed strongly in the Times Higher Education (THE) Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, with five institutions in the global top 100. Lingnan University entered the list for the first time, rising to 63rd overall and third among Hong Kong universities.

President of Lingnan University S. Joe Qin said that the ratings measured a university's development, and more importantly, drove innovation and promoted inclusion through rigorous education, making a long-term contribution to the sustainable development of the HKSAR, the nation, and the global community.

These achievements showcased Hong Kong's strong appeal as a hub for international talent. The HKSAR government is actively building the "Study in Hong Kong" brand, with a dedicated task force working with universities to promote overseas and mainland recruitment.

The Hong Kong Talent Engage noted that these achievements not only fully recognized the unremitting efforts of Hong Kong's post-secondary education sector to strive for excellence, but once again underscored the significant progress made by the HKSAR government in developing the city into an international education hub.

Chan Kwok-ki, chief secretary for administration of the HKSAR government, said that the success provides momentum for the Northern Metropolis University Town project, which aims to integrate education, technology, talent, and industry.

Looking ahead, education secretary Choi pledged to continue to leverage Hong Kong's international and diverse higher education strengths to support universities in building world-class disciplines and deepening the city's role as a global education hub.