Overview of Hong Kong Higher Education: The Eight UGC‑funded Universities, the Big Five, and the Academic System

# Overview of Hong Kong Higher Education: The Eight UGC‑funded Universities, the Big Five, and the Academic System

The bottom line: Hong Kong has eight publicly funded universities under the University Grants Committee (UGC), commonly called the "Big Eight." Among them, five universities — HKU, CUHK, HKUST, CityU, and PolyU — are comprehensive research universities. Undergraduate programmes run on a four‑year curriculum, are taught predominantly in English (except for Chinese‑language subjects), and in recent years have consistently placed well in international rankings.

# How many universities are there in Hong Kong? What are the "Big Eight"?

Hong Kong's public‑university resources are coordinated chiefly by the University Grants Committee (UGC). The UGC website lists eight funded institutionsUGC‑funded universities^※: City University of Hong Kong (CityU), Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Lingnan University (LU), The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and The University of Hong Kong (HKU). Collectively, these eight are known as the "Big Eight."

# Which are the five research universities?

Within the Big Eight, five universities — The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, City University of Hong Kong, and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University — are comprehensive research universities. They span a wide range of disciplines, concentrate significant research output, and are the focus of this site. The table below lists each university's founding or university‑title year alongside its latest QS World University Ranking.

Note: CityU and PolyU both received university titles in November 1994, though each has a longer prior history (CityU from 1984; PolyU's antecedent from 1937). For the other three, the founding year given is the one used in official practice.

# What is the language of instruction? How long is an undergraduate degree?

The five research universities are, by and large, English‑medium institutions (EMI). At The University of Hong Kong, for instance, undergraduate courses in arts, science, business, engineering, and social sciences — everything apart from Chinese language and literature — are taught in English.

The academic structure across Hong Kong follows the "3‑3‑4" system introduced in 2012: three years of junior secondary, three of senior secondary, and four years of undergraduate study334 academic reform^※. Before the reform, most undergraduate degrees were three years long; the shift brought Hong Kong into line with the four‑year model used in mainland China and most international systems, and also raised the share of general‑education and liberal‑arts coursework.

# What is the difference between UGC‑funded and self‑financing programmes?

Higher‑education funding in Hong Kong falls broadly into two categories:

• UGC‑funded (government‑funded): Most places at the Big Eight are publicly funded through the UGC. There is a clear fee differential between local and non‑local students. These programmes are public and supported by government money.
• Self‑financing: Some institutions and programmes do not receive recurrent UGC grants. They depend largely on tuition income, operating on a self‑financing basis — examples include various private universities, self‑financing colleges, and continuing‑education arms within the universities.

The five institutions covered by this site are all UGC‑funded public research universities. For non‑local (including mainland Chinese) undergraduates, tuition fees vary by institution and programme; in the 2025/26 academic year the range is roughly HK$170,000–220,000 per yearStudy in Hong Kong^※. Check each university's official website for the most up‑to‑date figures.

# Professional programmes: medicine, law, and more

Professional education in medicine and law is highly concentrated in Hong Kong. The city's two medical schools, which train local doctors, are housed at The University of Hong Kong and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. In law, HKU, CUHK, and CityU each have a law school or faculty. These programmes tend to be fiercely competitive, demand strong language skills and high academic attainment, and are usually tightly linked to professional qualification pathways. Prospective applicants should review the specific requirements of each programme carefully.

# How have Hong Kong universities performed in international rankings in recent years?

In the last few years, many Hong Kong universities have consistently held prominent positions in major global league tables. Taking the latest QS World University Rankings 2027 (released on 18 June 2026) as an illustration, the five universities' world ranks are: HKU 11, CUHK 18, HKUST 33, PolyU 50, and CityU 52QS 2027 release^※. Bear in mind that different rankings — QS, U.S. News, THE, ARWU — use different methodologies; the same university can differ by dozens of places from one table to the next. This is explained in more detail on our 06 Rankings comparison page.

# Recent admissions‑policy change: higher cap on non‑local student places

Hong Kong has in recent years been actively recruiting non‑local students. Following the Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address, starting from the 2024/25 academic year the cap on non‑local student intake at UGC‑funded institutions was raised from 20% of local undergraduate places to 40%2023 Policy Address^※. This means a significant increase in undergraduate places open to mainland Chinese and international students. Exact intake numbers and entry requirements for each university and programme should still be taken from the latest official announcements.

This page is a big‑picture overview. For detailed profiles, signature strengths, and campus insights for each university, see sections [01–05]. For application procedures and timelines, see 07 Admissions & applications.