How Do Local DSE Students Apply to Hong Kong's Five Universities? The Complete JUPAS Walkthrough

The bottom line: Local candidates holding Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) results can apply to all eight UGC-funded universities in Hong Kong — including HKU, CUHK, HKUST, CityU and PolyU — through a single application via JUPAS (the Joint University Programmes Admissions System). Applicants list up to 20 programme choices, grouped into Bands A–E; after the DSE results are released, the system makes automatic offers based on your choice order and results — no separate application to each university is neededJUPAS official website^※. For the 2026/27 academic year, the government-standard local-student tuition fee is a uniform HK$47,000 per yearGovernment tuition fee announcement^※.

# What Is JUPAS? Who Should Use It, and How Many Universities Can You Apply To?

JUPAS (Joint University Programmes Admissions System, 大学联合招生办法) is the primary route by which local Hong Kong DSE candidates apply for UGC-funded degree places. The official definition describes it as the main application channel "assisting local students who hold HKDSE results (from the current and/or previous years)" to apply for admission to government-funded degree programmes. Participating institutions comprise nine organisations — the eight UGC-funded universities plus the funded programmes of Hong Kong Metropolitan University — and applicants need submit only one application to be considered by all participating programmesJUPAS official website^※.

You should take this route if you meet all three of the following:

• You hold HKDSE results (current-year or previous-year candidates alike);
• You are a local student (non-local and international-curriculum candidates do not go through JUPAS — see note below);
• You are applying for UGC-funded bachelor's degree programmes (self-financing programmes, associate degrees and other sub-degree routes have their own admission channels).

Note: JUPAS is exclusively for local students. Candidates with mainland gaokao, IB, A-Level, SAT or other qualifications do not go through JUPAS — they should use individual universities' Non-JUPAS or mainland-gaokao routes. This is one of the most commonly confused points. The minimum requirements, Band ordering and offer-allocation mechanics described below apply to JUPAS applicants only.

# What Does the Minimum Requirement "332A33" Mean?

The "minimum university entrance requirement" for undergraduate programmes at the five universities is commonly expressed as "332A33" — the minimum grade combination across four core subjects plus two electives. Broken down digit by digit:

CUHK's website lists this combination as the "minimum university entrance requirement" — that is, Level 3 in Chinese and English, Level 2 in Mathematics, Attained in Citizenship and Social Development, plus Level 3 in each of two electivesCUHK minimum entrance requirements^※.

# How Should You Rank Your 20 Choices? Band A–E and Ranking Strategy

This is the most strategic — and most misunderstood — part of JUPAS. Applicants may select up to 20 programme choices, which the system automatically groups into five Bands, A to E, according to the priority order you have specifiedJUPAS actual priority of programme choices^※. The mapping between Bands and choice positions is fixed:

Why do Bands matter? According to JUPAS's official explanation, the system is designed to keep your actual choice order confidential: before the Main Round offer results are announced, participating institutions cannot see your true ranking — they are only given a general indication of "which Band you placed this programme in". Programmes within the same Band are further presented in ascending order of JUPAS programme number, so institutions cannot tell which one you ranked firstJUPAS actual priority of programme choices^※. In other words:

• The three Band A slots are the most precious. Some programmes give priority to — or only consider — Band A applicants. Putting programmes you genuinely want and realistically stand a chance of getting into makes a measurable difference to your odds.
• Within a Band, your ordering is temporarily "invisible" to institutions. Until results are out, a university only knows you placed its programme in Band A or B..., not whether it was your 1st or 3rd choice. But official selection and final allocation still follow your true order, so your internal ranking should honestly reflect your preferences.
• Your full order is only revealed to institutions after the Main Round results are announced. Until then, the system keeps it confidential, so you are not treated differently depending on where you ranked a programmeJUPAS actual priority of programme choices^※.

In practice, a common sound strategy is the "reach–match–safety" three-tier approach: Band A for reach programmes (programmes you genuinely want and whose score thresholds you can realistically reach), Bands B/C for matching programmes (commensurate with your predicted results), and Bands D/E as safety nets (to guarantee you have somewhere to go). How exactly you allocate your choices depends on your target programme's past-year admission scores and your own predicted results; this portal only explains the mechanics and does not substitute for professional academic advising.

# What Happens After the DSE Results? Re-ranking, Main Round and Clearing

The DSE written and oral examinations run from March to May of Year 6, with results released in mid-July. JUPAS's allocation timetable revolves around the release of results, with three key steps:

1. Pre-examination amendment period. After application and before the exams, the system opens a window for revising your programme choices — adding, deleting and reorderingJUPAS programme choices^※.
2. Post-results final amendment. Around the day the DSE results are released, JUPAS typically opens one post-results amendment window — this is your last chance to re-rank your choices after knowing your actual scores, and it is crucial: if you performed better than expected you can upgrade your reach choices; if you slipped, you can shore up your safety netJUPAS programme choices^※.
3. Main Round selection and Clearing. After the amendment deadline, universities conduct official selection based on your results and choice order, with Main Round offers announced around early August; programmes with remaining places then enter the Clearing stage, where applicants who received no offer — or who wish to switch — compete for the leftover places.

Note: The above describes the structure of JUPAS allocation. The exact dates each year (results release, amendment deadlines, Main Round announcement) shift slightly from year to year, and the application timetable published by JUPAS for the current year is the sole authorityJUPAS programme choices^※. Individual universities such as HKU also maintain their own JUPAS admissions pages setting out programme-specific admission criteria and scoring methods, which are worth consulting alongsideHKU JUPAS^※.

# Tuition and Financial Aid for Local Students

Local-student tuition is the lowest of the five admission routes, and it is set uniformly by the government across all five universities. After a freeze of more than 20 years, local tuition is being adjusted from the previous HK$42,100 per year to HK$44,500 in 2025/26, HK$47,000 in 2026/27 and HK$49,500 in 2027/28 (an increase of about 5.5% per year, identical across all five universities)Government tuition fee announcement^※. This is far below the roughly HK$190,000–250,000 per year charged to non-local undergraduates — a tangible benefit of local-student status.

On financial aid, local students on full-time UGC-funded programmes may apply to the government's student financial aid agency (the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency, WFSFAA) for means-tested grants and low-interest loans, assessed on family financial circumstances. Individual universities and faculties also offer their own scholarships, bursaries and work-study opportunities. For specific schemes, amounts and application procedures, refer to the student affairs / financial aid office of your chosen institution for the year in question.

Note: The tuition and financial aid systems for JUPAS local students and non-local students are entirely different — do not extrapolate the local rate of HK$47,000 to mainland-gaokao or international-curriculum applicants, who are charged non-local tuition. See Mainland Gaokao Route to the Five Universities and International Curriculum Non-JUPAS for details.

# The JUPAS Year at a Glance: A Timeline for Local Students

Here is the above, strung into a calendar-ready timeline (for autumn-entry applications; dates shift slightly each year):