CUHK admissions requirements, tuition fees and an introduction to the University

In short: The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a comprehensive research university founded in 1963 under the Hong Kong Chinese University Ordinance, and is the only university in Hong Kong that combines a college system with the equal use of Chinese and English as medium of instruction. Located in Ma Liu Shui, Shatin, it enrols around 25,000 students in the 2024/25 academic year. In the latest QS World University Rankings 2027, it placed 18th globally — ranked second in Hong Kong and marking its first-ever entry into the world's top 20.QS 2027 发布稿^※

# What kind of university is CUHK?

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) describes itself as "a forward-looking comprehensive research university with a global vision." According to its official website, its mission is to "combine tradition with modernity, and bring together China and the West."CUHK 大学简介^※

CUHK has three defining features that set it apart from other public universities in Hong Kong:

• A research-led comprehensive university: its disciplines span the humanities, social sciences, engineering, medicine, business, law and more, organised into eight faculties plus the Graduate School.八大学院与研究院^※
• The college system: unique in Hong Kong. Nine constituent colleges each maintain their own cultural and residential communities, and are responsible for students' accommodation, pastoral care and college general education.
• Bilingualism: both Chinese and English serve as media of instruction, a tradition that carries through the "Chinese" in the University's name.

# How does the college system work? The nine colleges

CUHK was founded in 1963 through the merger of three foundational colleges — Chung Chi College (1951), New Asia College (1949) and United College (1956) — with further colleges added over the years. Today there are nine constituent colleges.CUHK Facts and Figures 2024/25^※

Every undergraduate is affiliated with a college upon admission; colleges provide accommodation, mentorship schemes and cross-disciplinary communities. Together with general education, the college system underpins CUHK's philosophy of whole-person education. According to the University's website, CUHK's general education "harmonises Chinese humanistic ideals with the Western liberal arts tradition," and operates on a two-tier structure of "University General Education + College General Education." University General Education offers over 200 courses across four areas — "Chinese Cultural Heritage," "Nature, Science and Technology," "Society and Culture," and "Self and Humanities" — plus a "General Education Foundation Course" required of all first-year students.CUHK 通识教育^※

# How does CUHK rank? The latest four league tables

In the major rankings published in 2026, CUHK holds a firm position near the top of Hong Kong, with QS 2027 marking its first entry into the world's top 20. The table below shows the latest values and methodologies of each ranking.

• QS 2027: 18th — CUHK's first time in the world's top 20, and second in Hong Kong (behind HKU, which placed 11th).QS 2027 发布稿^※
• U.S. News 2026–2027: 28th — of the four major tables, this is the one where CUHK ranks first in Hong Kong (HKU is 40th).U.S. News CUHK Profile^※
• THE 2026: 41st — consistent with its positioning as a research-intensive university.THE 2026 排名^※
• ARWU (Shanghai) 2025: 101–150 band — the Shanghai Ranking weights research output and highly cited researchers heavily, making it the most research-metric-oriented of the four.ARWU 2025^※

(Note: methodologies differ considerably across rankings, so positions cannot be compared directly across tables; refer to each publisher's own statement for what its ranking measures.)

# What are CUHK's strongest disciplines?

CUHK has a comprehensive disciplinary landscape spanning eight faculties (Arts, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Science and Social Science) plus the Graduate School, alongside units such as the Yee Chi Interdisciplinary School of Mathematical Sciences.八大学院与研究院^※

Its traditional strengths cluster in:

• Medicine and life sciences: Prince of Wales Hospital serves as its teaching hospital, and the Faculty of Medicine has strong research output in clinical and translational medicine.
• Business: the Faculty of Business Administration was among the earliest in Asia to offer MBA and EMBA education.
• Humanities and Chinese studies: building on the Chinese-language tradition embedded in its name and its bilingual edge, its Chinese language and literature, Chinese studies and translation programmes carry strong academic reputations.
• Engineering and information sciences: notable research strength in areas such as artificial intelligence and information engineering.

(Note: to stay objective, this article does not list subject-level world rankings one by one; for specific subject placements, please consult official subject tables from QS, THE and other publishers.)

# How large is CUHK? Scale and internationalisation

According to the CUHK Facts and Figures 2024/25 (data as of 23 April 2025), CUHK's student body breaks down as follows:CUHK Facts and Figures 2024/25^※

All told, the University enrols roughly 25,000 students (2024/25; 18,438 undergraduates plus the postgraduate population), of whom about 5,600-plus are non-local — reflecting a high degree of internationalisation and a substantial postgraduate share.CUHK Facts and Figures 2024/25^※

# Where is CUHK's campus?

CUHK's main campus sits in Ma Liu Shui, Shatin, New Territories, built into the hillside and facing the sea. Covering more than 130 hectares, it is one of the largest university campuses in Hong Kong, reached directly by the "University Station" on the East Rail Line.CUHK Facts and Figures 2024/25^※ The campus houses a library system, an art museum, a concert hall, swimming pools and sports facilities; each of the nine colleges has its own college buildings and hostels, providing more than 9,800 residential places in total.

# How do you get into CUHK? Admissions at a glance

Local undergraduate admissions are channelled mainly through the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS); non-local and international students apply through separate non-local/international admission routes. According to official figures, in 2024 CUHK admitted around 3,019 students through JUPAS; more than 99% of those admitted came from Band A choices, and the University enrolled about 50% of the top 100 scorers in Hong Kong — the highest share of any institution.CUHK Facts and Figures 2024/25^※

Tuition: non-local/international undergraduates pay HK$214,000 per year (2026 entry, in two instalments of HK$107,000 each); local students on UGC-funded places pay the standard Hong Kong rate set by the University Grants Committee (UGC), at HK$42,100 per year.CUHK 非本地本科生学费^※ (Note: tuition and admissions figures are adjusted annually; please check the official website for the latest figures before applying.)

Figures on this page follow the Chinese University of Hong Kong's official Facts and Figures, the University Grants Committee (UGC), and the official publications of the respective ranking bodies. Last updated 19 June 2026. Ranking methodologies differ, so positions cannot be compared directly across tables.

# Frequently asked questions

Question: How much is the annual tuition at the Chinese University of Hong Kong? Answer: According to CUHK's official 2026 admissions information guide, non-local/international undergraduates pay HK$214,000 per year (in two instalments of HK$107,000 each); local students on UGC-funded places pay the standard Hong Kong rate set by the University Grants Committee (UGC), at HK$42,100 per year. Tuition and admissions figures are adjusted annually; please refer to the official website for the latest figures before applying.

Question: How much is the annual tuition at CUHK in RMB? Answer: CUHK's non-local/international undergraduate tuition is HK$214,000 per year, and HK$42,100 per year for local students on UGC-funded places (both in official HKD terms). The equivalent in RMB fluctuates with the exchange rate and should be converted at the rate prevailing at the time of application; the HKD figure as published on the official website is the only authoritative reference.