Six Hong Kong institutions have been listed among the world’s top 200 universities, a record for the city, with the British compiler of the table attributing their higher rankings to increased investments in research and staffing.
The University of Hong Kong (HKU), the city’s oldest, rose from 35th to 33rd place, the highest among all the local institutions, while the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) registered the biggest jump, moving from 66th to 58th.
Renowned British publication Times Higher Education (THE), which released the 2026 World University Rankings on Thursday, said that most of Hong Kong’s improvements were driven by teaching reputation, doctorate-to-bachelor’s ratios and staff-to-student ratios.
“This suggests that the universities are becoming more research-intensive and are investing in academic staff and doctoral studies,” it said.
The publication’s chief global affairs officer, Phil Baty, said this year’s rankings highlighted a “dramatic and accelerating trend”, with a shift in the balance of power in research and higher education excellence from the dominant institutions of Western countries to Asian nations.
“The US and much of western Europe have lost significant ground in the World University Rankings while Asian nations, led by China, continue to surge up the rankings. This clear trend is set to persist as research funding and international talent attraction continue to be stymied in the West,” THE said.
It was also the first time that Hong Kong’s eight public universities were listed in the rankings.
Hong Kong occupied a record six spots in the top 200, and was the only place in Asia and worldwide with at least three ranked institutions where all its universities improved over last year.
Apart from HKU and HKUST, the Chinese University of Hong Kong rose three places from 44th to 41st, City University (CityU) moved from 78th to 75th, Polytechnic University (PolyU) jumped one place to 83rd, and the Education University of Hong Kong (EdU) attained the 195th spot for its first appearance in the rankings.
Baptist University moved into the top 250 for the first time, while the newly ranked Lingnan University was placed in the band of 301 to 350.
The rankings cover a record 2,191 institutions from 115 countries and territories, according to THE.
The 18 ranking indicators are grouped into five categories: teaching; research environment; research quality; industry; and international outlook.
They are built on an analysis of almost 19 million research papers and 1.5 million votes in an academic reputation survey.
The University of Oxford in the United Kingdom was the top-ranked institution for the 10th straight year, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States.
The UK’s Cambridge University rose two places to secure third position, sharing this ranking with Princeton University in the US, which moved up from fourth.
Harvard University dropped two places to fifth, the same position as Stanford University.
The US had seven universities in the top 10.
Asia continued to improve in the rankings while the US declined, THE said.
China had five universities in the top 40, up from three last year, and 35 in the top 500, which was more than Australia.
“A total of 18 Chinese institutions achieved their best rank ever, more than any other nation,” it said.
Tsinghua University remained in 12th place for the third consecutive year, continuing to be the top university in Asia, while Peking University retained its 13th position for the second straight year.
The National University of Singapore held steady in 17th position, making it the third-highest university in Asia.
The University of Tokyo in Japan climbed to 26th, its highest position, ranking fourth in Asia.
South Korea had a record four universities in the top 100, including its top institution, Seoul National University, which moved up four places to 58th.
“The rise of East Asia contrasts with the performance of the US, which declined again this year. The number of US universities in the top 500 drops to 102, its lowest-ever figure, and 25 US institutions suffered their worst-ever results, more than in any other nation,” THE said.
A record 929 universities were ranked from 36 Asian territories, it added.
HKU president Xiang Zhang said the achievement reflected the entire university’s relentless dedication.
“HKU remains steadfast in upholding its tradition of excellence, advancing its mission as a world-leading institution through cutting-edge teaching and research and innovative knowledge exchange, thereby strengthening its contributions to the high-quality development of Hong Kong and the nation,” he said.
CUHK president Dennis Lo Yuk-ming said the university had reached a milestone by securing 41st place in the ranking.
“It reflects CUHK’s continuous progress in teaching, research and internationalisation, as well as the joint efforts of our faculty, staff, students and alumni,” he said.
EdU head John Lee Chi-Kin said the university would continue to pursue excellence.
“Our debut at 195th in the THE World University Rankings reflects the dedication of our faculty and students in advancing education and research with global impact,” he said.
A CityU spokesman said the university continued to lead in two key areas, ranking first globally in the industry category and first in Hong Kong in terms of international outlook, underscoring its excellence in industrial collaboration and pursuing global partnerships.
PolyU said the result highlighted its strength and global impact in research, teaching and knowledge transfer, as well as its achievements in fostering an international academic environment. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
