Hong Kong has dominated the QS Asia University Rankings 2027, with five of the city’s institutions placing in the top 10.

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) retained the top spot, while City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) rose to fourth and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) climbed to fifth.

CityUHK and CUHK had tied for seventh a year earlier.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) shared ninth place.

The rankings, compiled by international higher education experts at QS, assessed more than 1,700 universities across 26 higher education systems.

Ben Sowter, QS' senior vice-president, said Hong Kong continues to set the benchmark for university performance in Asia.

"The University of Hong Kong leads the region for a second consecutive year, and having five Hong Kong institutions in the top 10, more than any other higher education system, is an exceptional achievement," he said.

"Increasing international engagement and growing recognition among academics and employers reinforce Hong Kong's regional strength, at a time when competition for students, researchers and academic talent is intensifying across Asia."

Xiang Zhang, president and vice-chancellor of HKU, attributed the university’s second straight top ranking in Asia to its community’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence and its recent drive for change.

"We will continue to draw the world’s finest minds to shape an academic ecosystem driven by a spirit of inquiry, propelling Hong Kong’s advancement as an international hub for education, innovation and technology, while supporting the nation's high-quality development through scientific breakthroughs and contributing to solving global challenges," he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, CityUHK acting president Lee Chun-sing described the university’s rise into the top five for the first time as an encouraging achievement.

"This progress reflects the collective efforts of our academic community to pursue excellence in research and create an inspiring learning environment," Lee said in a statement.

"It also demonstrates the success of our strategic commitment to recruiting global academic talent and nurturing future leaders."

The top 10 also included three mainland institutions – among them Peking University and Tsinghua University – and two universities from Singapore.


Edited by Aaron Tam