How to Apply to Hong Kong's Five Universities with International Qualifications: The Complete Non-JUPAS Guide

Bottom line: Candidates holding IB, GCE A-Level, SAT/AP or other international qualifications, as well as current undergraduates seeking transfer admission, all apply directly through each university's Non-JUPAS (International and Other Qualifications) channel via the online application system. Admission is based on academic results, English proficiency, personal statements, reference letters and—for some programmes—interviews, with most universities operating on a rolling, merit-based admissions basisHKU International Qualifications^※. English language requirements across the five universities sit at roughly IELTS 6.0–6.5 / TOEFL 79–93, and application windows for international qualifications generally open in the autumn of the preceding year—earlier than the gaokao route.

# What Is Non-JUPAS? Who Should Use It, and Which Qualifications Count

Non-JUPAS (non-Joint University Programmes Admissions System) is the admissions channel for "international and other qualifications", administered independently by each university under its own policies. Unlike JUPAS—where one application covers eight universities and places are allocated by DSE results—Non-JUPAS applicants must apply separately on each university's website, with each institution assessing applications and issuing offers independently. Three main groups of applicants use this route:

• Holders of international high-school qualifications — the IB Diploma, GCE/International A-Levels, SAT/AP, and various national high-school diplomas (e.g. Canadian, Australian, Singaporean systems);
• Holders of other qualifications that are neither HKDSE nor mainland gaokao — including students who have studied international curricula in Hong Kong;
• Transfer and senior-year entry applicants — those who have already studied at another university and wish to enter at an advanced standing level with credits transferred (Advanced Standing; see the dedicated section below).

HKU groups these applicants under its "International Qualifications" channel, accepting IB, GCE A-Level, SAT/AP and various other overseas qualifications for direct online applicationHKU International Qualifications^※; CityU, meanwhile, maintains a separate "International Admission" portal for non-local applicants, listing accepted qualifications country by country (IB, GCE A-Level and various national school-leaving diplomas), for either first-year or senior-year entryCityU International Admissions^※.

A note on scope: candidates holding mainland gaokao results do not go through Non-JUPAS; they should use each university's mainland gaokao route instead (CUHK via the national unified admission system; HKUST, CityU and PolyU via independent admissions). See The Five Universities via the Mainland Gaokao. Non-JUPAS is for international qualifications and transfers.

# Official Non-JUPAS Entry Points at the Five Universities

Each university's international / Non-JUPAS admissions page is your starting point for applying online. The table below lists the official entry points for all five (sub-pages and current-year requirements are as published on each official website).

Note: CUHK classifies all applicants holding qualifications other than HKDSE and the mainland gaokao under the Non-JUPAS channel—local applicants with international curricula apply via Non-JUPAS (Local Year 1), while overseas/international applicants are handled by the international admissions team; follow the guidance on CUHK's Non-JUPAS page for specificsCUHK Non-JUPAS Overview^※.

# English Language Requirements: A University-by-University Comparison

All five universities use English as the primary medium of instruction, and applicants from non-English-medium backgrounds are generally required to submit standardised English test scores (IELTS/TOEFL or equivalent qualifications). The table below summarises the minimum English requirements published by each university for undergraduate admission via international qualifications, with official sources attached to each entry.

Two hard-and-fast rules that are easy to overlook, so read carefully:

• HKU additionally requires that test scores be obtained within two years before 1 September 2026, and that IELTS Indicator (home edition) and IELTS Online are not acceptedHKU English Language Requirement^※.
• CUHK likewise states that IELTS One Skill Retake, IELTS Indicator and IELTS Online are not acceptedCUHK Language Requirements^※.

Scope note: the table above gives the general minimum thresholds for Non-JUPAS international qualifications at undergraduate level. Some programmes (e.g. law, medicine, translation, English) require higher scores, and individual IELTS band scores often carry their own minimums (e.g. no component below 6.0). Candidates taking IB/A-Level with English as the medium of instruction or examination may be exempted from standardised English tests at some institutions—check the official page for your chosen programme in the relevant year for specific exemption conditions.

# Transfer and Senior-Year Entry (Advanced Standing)

Applicants already studying at another university who wish to transfer to one of the five Hong Kong universities generally apply via Non-JUPAS for "Advanced Standing" (senior-year entry) with credits from prior study. Several key realities:

• Very few places, admitted against vacancies. Transfer places depend on vacancies in the upper years of each programme and are far fewer than first-year admissions—competition is intense;
• Credit transfer varies by university and by programme. The number of credits exempted, and the year of entry, are determined by faculty assessment of the content and grades of your previously completed courses, and outcomes vary considerably;
• Still via the Non-JUPAS online application, assessed holistically. You will need to submit university transcripts, course syllabuses (for credit assessment), English test scores and personal statements; some programmes interview.

Specific thresholds and credit policies are set out in the Advanced Standing sections of each university's international / Non-JUPAS admissions pages. Note that transfer application windows often close earlier than those for first-year international applicants—miss the deadline and you wait a full year.

# How Are Offers Made? Rolling Admissions and Interviews

Non-JUPAS mostly operates on a "rolling admission" basis: applications are reviewed in order of receipt, offers go to the strongest candidates, and admission continues until places are filled or deadlines pass. This is fundamentally different from the JUPAS "central allocation" model, and a few practical points follow:

• Apply early. Under rolling admission, popular programmes may fill up before the official deadline—the earlier you submit a complete application, the better your position;
• Conditional offers are common. For applicants who have not yet received final results (e.g. IB/A-Level still in progress), universities often issue conditional offers, converted to firm offers once final results meet the conditions;
• Some programmes interview. Design, architecture, medicine, media, and leadership-oriented programmes frequently require interviews or portfolios;
• Holistic review. Beyond academics and English, personal statements, reference letters, and extracurricular and competition experience all count—this is the space Non-JUPAS gives to "all-round" applicants.

# Tuition and Scholarships for International Students

Applicants with international qualifications pay non-local tuition, at the same rate as mainland gaokao students, with each university setting its own fees by discipline. The table below gives a quick overview of annual non-local undergraduate tuition for the 2026/27 entry cohort; full details and per-university sources are in The Five Universities via the Mainland Gaokao · Tuition Section.

Scholarships: most universities offer entrance scholarships for outstanding international students, broadly falling into two categories. HKUST is a good example: academic scholarships require no separate application—all international-qualifications applicants are automatically considered (covering IB, GCE A-Level and SAT-AP entrance scholarships as well as the Global Learners Scholarship); non-academic awards require a separate submission with their own deadlines (e.g. the Future Leaders Award and the Beyond Academic Admissions Scholarship)HKUST International Qualifications Scholarships^※. University-by-university scholarship amounts and assessment methods are set out in The Five Universities via the Mainland Gaokao · Scholarships Section.

# International Qualifications Application Timeline

The Non-JUPAS timeline differs from both JUPAS and the mainland gaokao route—windows open in the autumn of the preceding year, admission is rolling, and final results are submitted as international exams release. Taking autumn entry as an example (adjustments vary by year):

Note: different international examinations release results at different times (IB in early July, GCE A-Level in mid-August, etc.), and universities schedule their final verification of conditional offers accordingly. The exact deadlines and rounds published on each university's international admissions page for the relevant year are the sole authority—popular programmes may fill up early.