In its pursuit of becoming an international education hub, Hong Kong's universities continue to achieve remarkable results. Today (Oct. 9), the UK-based Times Higher Education (THE) released the 2026 World University Rankings, with eight universities from Hong Kong making the list. Among them, the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) and Lingnan University are newly ranked, while the other six universities have improved their positions, with three achieving their best-ever rankings, making Hong Kong the only region globally where all ranked institutions have progressed.
With five of Hong Kong's universities consistently performing well in the top 100, and the newly ranked EdUHK entering at 195, Hong Kong now has six universities in the global top 200 for the first time, notably with the University of Hong Kong (HKU) ranked highest at 33. THE analysis indicates that Hong Kong is increasing its investment in academic personnel and doctoral research, enhancing teaching reputation and related performance, which are key to the improved rankings.
The 2026 World University Rankings by THE are based on 18 performance indicators across five categories: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry. This year, a record 2,191 universities from 115 countries or regions are included, marking the highest number ever.
Tsinghua University and Peking University continue to hold the top two spots in Asia.
The top ten global universities remain dominated by institutions from the UK and the US. The University of Oxford has maintained the number one position for ten consecutive years, while the Massachusetts Institute of Technology remains second, and Princeton University has risen to third. The top three universities in Asia—Tsinghua University, Peking University, and the National University of Singapore—maintain the same rankings as last year.
Hong Kong has also achieved notable results in the THE World University Rankings. This year, EdUHK and Lingnan University are newly ranked, with the former achieving 195 and the latter positioned between 301 and 350.
Among the remaining six universities in Hong Kong, all have improved their rankings, including the HKU rising two places to 33; The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) climbing three places to 41; the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) rising eight places to 58; City University of Hong Kong (CityU) up three spots to 75; The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) increasing one place to 83; and Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) rising about 50 places to fall within the 201-250 range. Notably, the rankings for CUHK, CityU, and HKBU are all historically best.
This ranking also reflects the trend of "Eastern rise, Western decline." Aside from Hong Kong, universities in the Mainland and East Asian countries like Japan and South Korea also performed well, while Western countries led by the US are facing setbacks.
Transitioning to Research-Oriented Universities
THE notes that Hong Kong's universities have set records in this ranking, with six universities now in the global top 200, making it the only region where all ranked institutions have seen an increase in their standings (with at least three universities ranked). Further analysis by the organization indicates that the rise in Hong Kong's university rankings is primarily due to improvements in teaching reputation, the ratio of awarded doctoral/bachelor degrees, and student-faculty ratios, indicating a gradual shift towards research-oriented university development in Hong Kong, as well as increased investment in academic personnel and doctoral research.
The Mainland is one of the pillars of exceptional university performance in Asia, with 97 institutions ranked this year, an increase of three from last year. With Zhejiang University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University making significant jumps, the number of mainland universities in the global top 40 has risen from three last year to five this year. In total, 35 universities made it into the top 500, surpassing Australia, with 18 achieving their best-ever rankings, the highest number globally.
Macao and Taiwan also showed improvements: the University of Macau rose 35 places to 145, achieving a historic best, while the Macau University of Science and Technology remains in the global top 300. In Taiwan, 47 universities were ranked, with National Taiwan University climbing 32 places to 140, returning to the top 150 for the first time since 2022.
In South Korea, the number of universities in the global top 100 has doubled to four, achieving a historic high, with Seoul National University rising four places to 58. The University of Tokyo in Japan also rose to 26th, marking its best-ever ranking. Although the representation of local universities at the top of the list has slightly declined, their average scores have increased by over 0.5 points, with improvements in all research quality indicators, as well as advancements in research investment and doctoral programs. Additionally, countries like India, Iran, and Bangladesh have also made steady progress in this ranking, increasing their participation.
THE's Chief Global Affairs Officer noted that this year's rankings reveal a dramatic and accelerating trend: the balance of excellence in research and higher education is shifting from traditionally Western universities to emerging Eastern institutions. As universities in the US and many Western European countries face declining rankings, Asian regions led by mainland China continue to ascend strongly. This trend is likely to persist amid ongoing challenges in Western research funding and international talent acquisition.
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