Overview
Basic facts and historical timeline, world and subject rankings, admissions/tuition and graduate outcomes.
00 Overview Overview · Facts · History
9 articlesBasic facts, FAQ, key figures, pre-founding history, historical timeline, motto and crest, and governance structure.
HKU Key Facts Card & Statistics over the Years
HKU is Hong Kong's oldest tertiary institution (founded 1911, with its predecessor the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese dating to 1887). It now has 10 faculties and about 45,000 students. In recent years, TPg and non-local student numbers have surged, with tuition-fee income now exceeding government subventions.
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) – Key Figures at a Glance
One-page quick reference summarising HKU's founding year, faculty count, student and staff populations, campus, QS/THE rankings, and financials and donations.
University of Hong Kong Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
A Q&A-style fast-facts overview of HKU: established by ordinance in 1911, commenced classes in 1912; currently has 45,000 students and ten faculties; operates a hall system, not a college system; the Chancellor is the Chief Executive *ex officio* and the President & Vice-Chancellor is Prof. Xiang Zhang; ranked 11th in the QS World University Rankings 2026.
A History of The University of Hong Kong (Part I) — Pre-Founding Origins, the Opening Act, and Wartime Suspension (1887–1945)
HKU's medical lineage can be traced to the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, established in 1887 (where Sun Yat-sen studied). The University was incorporated by the University Ordinance in 1911 and opened in 1912 with three faculties: Medicine, Engineering, and Arts. The 1941 Japanese invasion led to the University's one and only total suspension; its Faculty of Medicine evacuated to Chengdu before HKU was restored in 1945.
The University of Hong Kong — History Part II: Post‑war Reconstruction, Centenary, and Recent Developments (1945–2026)
HKU history, Part II — Sir Lindsay Ride (1949–1964) leads post‑war reconstruction; Social Sciences (1967), Law (1969), Dentistry (1982), Business and Economics (2001) are successively founded; the 2011 Centenary, the 2012 Centennial Campus, and the four‑year curriculum launch in tandem; in recent years the proportion of non‑local students has surpassed one‑half.
The University of Hong Kong — Motto, Emblem, Coat of Arms, Colours & Anthem
An overview of HKU's motto 「明德格物」 (Latin: Sapientia et Virtus) from The Great Learning, the shield granted in 1913 and full coat of arms in 1984, the dark green university colour, and the university anthem composed in 1912 and revived for the Centenary.
The University of Hong Kong — Governance Structure and Successive Vice-Chancellors
HKU's governance rests on the University of Hong Kong Ordinance (Cap. 1053): the Chief Executive is the ex-officio Chancellor, the Court is the supreme advisory body, the Council controls governance and finances, and the Senate oversees academics. A complete list of Vice-Chancellors from 1912 to the present is appended.
The University of Hong Kong — Firsts and Superlatives
A compilation of verifiable HKU 'firsts/superlatives': Hong Kong's oldest university, the earliest stream of medical education (the 1887 College of Medicine for Chinese), the only Faculty of Dentistry, the only university with a full grant of arms, the first Chinese Vice-Chancellor, the first intake of women students, and several subject ranking superlatives, each with its source cited.
Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong are my intellectual birthplace" — Sun Yat-sen's 1923 Speech at HKU
Sun Yat-sen studied from 1887 to 1892 at the College of Medicine for Chinese, Hongkong, which was incorporated into HKU in 1912; on 20 February 1923, he returned to HKU and delivered a speech in what is now Loke Yew Hall, declaring that "Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong are my intellectual birthplace" — the most quoted line in HKU's institutional history.
03 Rankings World · Subject
6 articlesWorld rankings from QS / THE / ARWU and their year-on-year trends, plus standout subject rankings.
Decoding HKU's Rankings Trajectory: How It Rebounded to 11th After the QS 2024 Methodology Change
HKU ranks 11th in QS 2027 (highest in Hong Kong) and 40th in U.S. News 2026-27 (up 4). This piece dissects QS's five-year \"dip-then-rebound\" trajectory and the purely bibliometric contest of U.S. News, while also examining strengths in Dentistry, Education, and other subjects.
HKU World University Rankings—historical trends across the four major ranking systems
HKU's latest overall ranks: 11th in the world in QS 2027 (a historic best), 33rd in THE 2026, 67th in ARWU 2025, and 40th in U.S. News 2026–27, all the highest among Hong Kong institutions. This piece traces the historical trends and methodological differences of the four systems.
Subject Rankings
In the 2026 QS subject rankings, HKU had 51 subjects listed, 8 in the global top 20, with Dentistry ranked 2nd worldwide as its brightest star; the Faculty of Education has been U.S. News #1 in \"Education and Educational Research\" for three consecutive years, while Geography, Architecture, Law, and other subjects also place in the top 20.
Asia's No. 1, lost and regained — HKU's 15-year journey in the QS Asia rankings (2011→2026)
Around 2011, HKU was overtaken by HKUST and fell from the QS Asia top spot, remaining among the leaders but not first for over a decade; in the QS Asia University Rankings 2026 released in November 2025, it returned to No. 1, leapfrogging Peking University — the first time in fifteen years — while its QS World Ranking concurrently rose to 11th.
Another Yardstick: HKU’s Ten-Year Trajectory in the THE World University Rankings
HKU placed 33rd globally in THE World University Rankings 2026 (highest in Hong Kong), with a ten-year peak of 30th (2022 edition). Scores for International Outlook and Research Quality are near perfect, while Teaching and Research Environment scores are lower—the main reason for the roughly 20-place gap between its THE and QS ranks.
How the Rankings Are Actually Calculated — Indicator Weights, Methodological Controversies, and HKU's Strategic Response
The three rankings measure different things: QS draws nearly half its weight from reputation surveys, THE assigns almost 30% to citation impact, and U.S. News is almost purely bibliometric. The QS 2024 overhaul caused HKU to fall from 21st to 26th in a single year, then rebound to 11th three years later — the key is that the yardstick changed.
香港大学 ranking overview(updated 2027)
| University | QS World | U.S. News World |
|---|---|---|
| HKU · This university | 11 | 40 |
| CUHK | 18 | 28 |
| HKUST | 33 | 82 |
| CityU | 52 | 47 |
| PolyU | 50 | 52 |
World rankings as officially reported by each list; every figure is sourced — see each university's deep-dive for detail. Machine-readable data (JSON · with sources) ↗.
香港大学's world-class subjects
Ranking FAQ
What is 香港大学's (HKU) QS World Ranking in 2027?
In the QS World University Rankings 2027 (released 2026-06-18), 香港大学 is ranked 11 in the world.
What is 香港大学's U.S. News World University Ranking?
In U.S. News Best Global Universities 2026-2027 (released 2026-06-16), 香港大学 is ranked 40 in the world.
How do Hong Kong's five universities rank in QS 2027?
QS 2027: HKU #11, CUHK #18, HKUST #33, CityU #52, PolyU #50.
What are 香港大学's strongest subjects?
香港大学's world-class strengths include 牙医学 Dentistry (ranked 2 in the world), 教育与培训 Education & Training (ranked 5 in the world), 地理学 Geography (ranked 11 in the world), among others.
02 Admissions Admissions · Tuition · Outcomes
7 articlesAdmission pathways, mainland and international applications, tuition and scholarships, and graduate outcomes.
HKU DSE Entry Requirements and the Complete JUPAS Application Guide
Four main undergraduate pathways at HKU—JUPAS (local DSE, \"3322\" floor), Non-JUPAS (international qualifications), the Mainland NJCEE/Gaokao Scheme (no provincial quota cap), and sub-degree transfer. The non-local student intake cap was raised from 20% to 40% from 2024/25.
HKU Postgraduate Scholarships and Undergraduate Tuition at a Glance (HKPFS / Presidential Scholarship)
For 2025–26, HKU's local undergraduate composition fee is HK$44,500; non-local fees, split by STEM/non-STEM, rise to a maximum of HK$218,000, with year-on-year increases confirmed. Doctoral students can stack the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) with the HKU Presidential PhD Scholarship, the latter additionally waiving composition fees.
Graduate Destinations and Employment
According to the CEDARS Graduate Employment Survey, HKU's bachelor's employment rate has remained above 98% for many years. The 2024 survey recorded a mean monthly salary of HK$33,492 (a 4.7% rise year on year) with 95.8% working in Hong Kong. This article reminds readers to distinguish between mean and median salary figures.
Undergraduate Programme Catalogue (with JUPAS Codes)
HKU's complete JUPAS undergraduate programme list, with JS codes and full names by faculty, taken as a snapshot during the 2025–26 admissions cycle. Programmes and codes change yearly; always check the current JUPAS website.
The \"3-3-4\" Reform and the 2012 Double Cohort — Why HKU's undergraduate degree went from three years to four
Hong Kong's \"3-3-4\" new academic structure was introduced from 2009. In 2012, candidates from both the new and old systems entered university simultaneously, creating a \"double cohort\" year that saw first-year undergraduate numbers across Hong Kong surge by about 50%. In response, HKU converted its degree from three years to four and built the Centennial Campus to accommodate the influx of students.
Interview Hurdles and \"God-Tier\" Programmes — Entry Scores and Diverse Talent Admissions for HKU's Competitive JUPAS Courses
HKU's Medicine, Dentistry, BBA(IBGM) and LLB programmes are the most competitive, with median JUPAS scores ranging from 33 to 53 in 2024; most popular courses require interviews, while SNDAS and SPN offer alternative routes for admission on non-academic achievements.
The Gate Beyond JUPAS — International Students, Non-JUPAS, and the IB / A-Level Entry Route
Applicants holding qualifications other than the HKDSE must apply to HKU undergraduate programmes via the Non-JUPAS route. IB lower boundaries are roughly 32–43 points, A-Level roughly 3A–3A*, and the English requirement is IELTS 6.5. The non-local student quota cap has been raised to 40% (2024/25) and will be further raised to 50% from 2026/27.