The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has earned a historic double in the latest world university rankings released on Thursday, with the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) breaking into the top 20, while the city retains its position as Asia’s most improved higher education system for the second straight year.

HKU held firm at 11th place, and CUHK jumped from 32nd to 18th —the biggest leap among all top-50 schools as per the latest edition of the QS World University Rankings 2027, penned by UK-based education information firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

Seven Hong Kong universities rose in the rankings, two stayed flat, and none fell — a clean sweep that authorities recognized as “inspiring and encouraging” and a testament to the sector’s pursuit of excellence and significant progress made in cementing Hong Kong as a leading international hub for tertiary education and a magnet for top talent.

The results dovetail neatly with the nation’s strategic goal of developing into a leading country in education, science and technology, and talent, according to a SAR government statement released following the ranking’s publication.

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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) climbed  11 places to 33rd, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) entered the top 50 for the first time after rising four spots, and City University of Hong Kong (CityU) advanced 11 places to 52nd.

Hong Kong Baptist University, Education University of Hong Kong and Lingnan University all posted good advances, ranking 216th, 406th, and 581st respectively. Shue Yan University debuted in the 1001–1200 tier, while Metropolitan University held its position within the 781–790 range.

QS Senior Vice-President Ben Sowter noted that Hong Kong has become one of the world’s “most densely concentrated hubs” of elite higher education.

QS made special mention of Hong Kong’s reign as Asia’s most improved higher education system, with scores nearly three times the global average on international faculty and student ratios, and great employer reputation proving a consistent strength.

Official data shows that more than 30,000 non-local students from over 100 countries and regions are now enrolled across eight publicly funded universities in the 2025-26 academic year, up approximately 14 percent from the previous year.

Additionally, four of the city’s schools ranked among the global top 50 in the number of citations per teaching faculty, led by CityU, which took second place worldwide, the best in Asia and behind only Harvard University.

However the city’s universities underperformed on the international research network indicator, scoring 48.3 against a global average of 56.2, prompting QS to suggest local universities should participate more actively in multinational research projects.

Following the release, HKU President Zhang Xiang spoke of the school’s pledge to keep nurturing agile, adaptive graduates and to deepen interdisciplinary collaboration as artificial intelligence reshapes the world.

Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, president of CUHK — which recorded the largest climb among all top-50 institutions — called the ranking result “a significant milestone”. He attributed the surge partly to a marked improvement in employer reputation, which he considered a clear signal of “growing global confidence” in the school’s graduates.

Lo pledged to further deepen cooperation with top global universities, industry partners, and government bodies to promote impactful research and churn out greater knowledge transfer outcomes.

HKUST President Nancy Ip also reaffirmed her university’s commitment to innovation, while PolyU President Teng Jin-guang welcomed his institution’s top-50 debut and flagged the school’s “active effort” in support of the building of Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis.

The fast-developing township bordering the Chinese mainland includes a planned 100-hectare higher education and innovation hub.

CityU acting President Lee Chun-sing said he was “deeply encouraged” by the university’s sustained excellence in research citations.

Regionally, the National University of Singapore remained Asia’s top despite slipping two places to 10th globally, while on the mainland, Peking University and Tsinghua University both made gains to the 13th and 14th spots, respectively.

Globally, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology kept its grip on No 1 for the 15th year in a row.

Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com