Admissions & applications
Undergraduate and postgraduate application routes, Mainland students (DSE/Gaokao/international curricula), tuition and scholarships, and application timelines.
Articles
6 articlesHong Kong Five-Institution Admissions Overview and Application Timeline (DSE · Gaokao · International Qualifications · Postgraduate)
Admissions at Hong Kong's five universities are divided into five tracks by applicant background: local DSE through JUPAS, mainland gaokao via institution-specific routes, early selection through holistic assessment, international qualifications via Non-JUPAS, and postgraduate through the Graduate Schools. This page is the sorting hub and cross-track master timeline; once you've identified which line you're on, open the corresponding detailed article for the specifics. Exact dates on each track adjust slightly each year and are subject to each institution's official prospectus for that year.
How Local HKDSE Candidates Apply to the Five Hong Kong Universities — The Full JUPAS Walkthrough
Local DSE candidates apply to all eight UGC-funded universities with a single JUPAS application and are automatically allocated places based on their results. The general minimum entry requirement is commonly "332A33" (Level 3 in Chinese and English, Level 2 in Mathematics, Attained in Citizenship and Social Development, and Level 3 in two electives). Twenty programme choices are split into Bands A–E (A=1–3, B=4–6, C=7–10, D=11–15, E=16–20); institutions see only the band, not the intra-band order. Apply and rank choices during the Secondary 6 academic year; re-rank after mid-July results release; Main Round offers are made in early August. The local-student tuition fee for 2026/27 is HK$47,000.
Hong Kong University Admission Requirements for Mainland Students: Comparison of Five Universities' Unified and Independent Recruitment
The core divide for gaokao candidates applying to the five universities is \"does it take up a unified admissions choice?\" CUHK is part of the national unified early batch—no separate application, no interview, National Code 81002. HKU, HKUST, CityU, and PolyU conduct their own independent, direct online applications—they do not take up a unified admissions choice, can run in parallel with the unified system, and deadlines mostly fall in May–June. After the gaokao, scores are submitted and admission is score-based. From 2026/27, CityU switches from the unified system to independent recruitment, leaving CUHK as the sole remaining university on the unified track. Non-local undergraduate tuition fees are approximately HK$190,000–250,000 per year.
How to Apply to Hong Kong's Top Five Universities with International Qualifications or as a Transfer Student: A Complete Non-JUPAS Guide
Applicants holding international qualifications (IB, A-Level, SAT/AP) or seeking to transfer all apply directly to each university online via the Non-JUPAS (International and Other Qualifications) route. Admissions are holistic, based on academics, English scores, personal statements, and interviews, and are mostly on a rolling, merit-based basis. The English threshold at the five universities is roughly IELTS 6.0–6.5 / TOEFL 79–93. HKU and CUHK have stated that IELTS Indicator/Online and similar tests are not accepted. The international qualifications application window usually opens in the autumn of the preceding year, earlier than the gaokao route. Non-local undergraduate tuition fees are approximately HK$190,000–250,000 per year.
A Practical Guide to Mainland Chinese Students: Hong Kong Study Visas and Post-Graduation Stay (IANG)
Mainland students need two documents for HK: a student visa/entry permit (issued per course duration, capped at six years) and a mainland Type-D stay endorsement (multi-entry). After graduation, the IANG grants an initial 24-month stay with no quota or sector restrictions; renewal requires employment and typically follows a 3+3 year pattern. On-campus part-time work allowed ≤20 hrs/week, with no limits during summer break.
How to Apply for Postgraduate Studies at Hong Kong's Top Five Universities: A Complete Guide to Taught and Research Programmes
Postgraduate admissions are completely independent of undergraduate admissions, handled centrally by each university's Graduate School. There is no JUPAS or gaokao pathway. Programmes are split into taught (TPg, mostly one-year, career-oriented, self-financed) and research (RPg, including MPhil/PhD, research-oriented, requires a matched supervisor, typically comes with a stipend). RPg applicants can compete for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS): a monthly stipend of ~HK$28,400, ~HK$340,000 annually, for up to three years, with a deadline around 1 December.