According to the World University Rankings 2026 released by the Britain-based Times Higher Education (THE), Hong Kong universities have continued to hold top spots, with five institutions ranked in the global top 100.

A spokesperson for the Education Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said on October 9 that the encouraging results fully recognized the achievements of Hong Kong's post-secondary education sector in its pursuit of and endeavor for excellence. The results also served as testimony to the HKSAR government's significant progress in developing Hong Kong into an international post-secondary education hub.

According to the rankings, the University of Hong Kong rose two places to 33rd globally; the Chinese University of Hong Kong moved up three places to 41st; the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology jumped eight places to 58th; City University of Hong Kong advanced three places to 75th; and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University climbed one place to 83rd.

In addition, Hong Kong Baptist University rose from the 251-300 band to the 201-250 band. The Education University of Hong Kong and Lingnan University entered the rankings for the first time, ranking 195th and in the 301-350 band, respectively.

Zhang Xiang, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Hong Kong, said that the university 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 the HKSAR and the country.

Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, vice-chancellor and president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said that the ranking reflects the university's continuous progress in teaching, research and internationalization, and the university will remain committed to nurturing globally-minded future leaders with academic excellence and aspirations to contribute back to societies.

President of the Education University of Hong Kong John Lee Chi-Kin said that the university's debut at 195th in the rankings reflects the dedication of the university's faculty and students in advancing education and research with global impact. The university is committed to nurturing future talent with positive values and vision in order to better serve the HKSAR and the country.