The education system in Hong Kong: choosing your level and field

Understanding how education is structured in Hong Kong before you pick a school stops you applying to the wrong level or the wrong type of programme.

What you need to know

• Eight universities are funded by the University Grants Committee (UGC); HKU is the oldest.
• Teaching is mainly in English and bachelor's degrees typically run four years.
• International applicants use the non-JUPAS route, separate from the local JUPAS system.

Language of instruction and the tests that go with it

• IELTS or TOEFL is the usual requirement; some institutions accept equivalent A-Level or IB results.
• Cantonese is not required for international programmes but helps with daily life.

The order to work through

1. Settle the level and field first — they determine everything else in the application.
2. Check the language requirement of the exact programme, not the institution's general statement.
3. Compare deadlines school by school; they differ between intakes.
4. Prepare the financial and immigration paperwork alongside the academic file, not after it.

Check against official sources

Fees and residence conditions in Hong Kong change year to year and school to school. This article describes the mechanism; check current figures against the official sources below, or ask VNIS to verify them for your chosen programme.

• Study in Hong Kong
• Immigration Department

Next steps

• Study in Hong Kong — overview
• The same topic across every destination
• School directory