CityUHK achieves a historic 4th place in QS Asia University Rankings 2027, debuts in Asia's top five; tops Asia in three indicators and Hong Kong in eight

HONG KONG, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) reached a historic milestone in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asia University Rankings 2027, rising to 4th place in Asia among 1,725 participating institutions and placing 2nd in Hong Kong. CityUHK entered Asia's top five for the first time, reflecting its steady progress and dedication to academic research, pedagogical excellence and internationalisation.

Hong Kong's higher education sector also achieved a significant milestone this year, with three universities placing among Asia's top five for the first time ever, further reinforcing the city's position as an international education hub. CityUHK rose three places from last year to rank 4th in Asia and 2nd in Hong Kong.

QS Asia University Rankings 2027: Hong Kong institutions

CityUHK excelled across major evaluation metrics, ranking 1st in Asia in three indicators and 1st in Hong Kong in eight indicators. The University achieved the top position in Asia for "Staff with PhD", "International Faculty" and "Outbound Exchange Students", demonstrating its leadership in academic talent, internationalisation and global mobility opportunities.

In scholarly research, CityUHK maintained its strong academic performance, ranking 1st in Hong Kong for "Staff with PhD", "Citations per Paper" and "Papers per Faculty". These accomplishments reflect the University's success in attracting outstanding researchers and generating high-impact research with global influence.

The University also maintained its leadership in internationalisation, ranking 1st in Hong Kong for the fourth consecutive year (2024-2027) across all four internationalisation indicators: "International Faculty", "International Students", "Inbound Exchange Students" and "Outbound Exchange Students". In addition, CityUHK ranked 1st locally in the "Faculty Student Ratio" indicator.

Furthermore, CityUHK recorded notable improvements in both the "Academic Reputation" and "Employer Reputation" indicators, reflecting growing recognition from the global academic community and employers for the University's research excellence, teaching quality and graduates' competitiveness.

Professor Chun-Sing Lee, Acting President of CityUHK, welcomed the announcement, stating, "CityUHK's rise to 4th in Asia, entering the top five for the first time, and ranking 2nd locally, is an encouraging achievement. This progress reflects the collective efforts of our academic community to pursue excellence in research and create an inspiring learning environment. It also demonstrates the success of our strategic commitment to recruiting global academic talent and nurturing future leaders."

"As a globally engaged institution rooted in Hong Kong, CityUHK will continue to advance interdisciplinary collaboration, broaden international scholarly exchange, and welcome outstanding students and scholars from around the world," added Professor Lee. "We remain committed to supporting the HKSAR Government's 'Study in Hong Kong' initiative, contributing to Hong Kong's development as an international education hub."

CityUHK also received two major QS honours: the "Research and Discovery Champions" award, which commends distinction in academic reputation, citation impact and publication output, and the "Learning Experience Champions" award, which recognises institutions that provide high-quality learning environments supported by favourable faculty-student ratios and highly qualified staff.

CityUHK's institutional progress is consistently reflected in other global benchmarks. Alongside being recognised by Times Higher Education (THE) as the Most International University in the World for three consecutive years, CityUHK is the second university in Hong Kong to achieve top-100 standing across all four major world university rankings: QS, THE, US News and ShanghaiRanking. Moving forward, CityUHK will continue to deepen research synergies with leading institutions worldwide, translating research findings into practical solutions for society.