The 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by Subject were announced today (Jan. 21), with multiple institutions in Hong Kong delivering remarkable performances. Among the 11 subject categories, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) continues to lead locally, securing the top position in Hong Kong for nine subjects. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) each claim the top spot in one subject locally, while Lingnan University (LU) makes its debut on the list.
The University of Hong Kong leads in nine subjects locally. Education remains HKU's highest-ranked discipline, placing 7th globally and 1st in Hong Kong. Notably, HKU's Engineering subject ranks first in Hong Kong for the first time this year, joining Education, Clinical & Health, Law, Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Arts & Humanities, and Psychology as the top-ranked subjects in the city.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) sees all 11 of its ranked subjects placed within the global top 100. Four of these subjects enter the global top 50: Education, Clinical & Health, Computer Science, and Business & Economics. Six subjects have improved their rankings compared to last year, with Arts & Humanities showing the most significant progress.
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has maintained its position as Hong Kong's leader in Computer Science for ten consecutive years. Both Computer Science and Business & Economics rank within the global top 30, while Engineering remains steadily within the global top 50.
City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has seven subjects ranked within the global top 100, including Business & Economics, Computer Science, Engineering, Law, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences. Its Law program ranks 41st globally and 7th in Asia, while Business & Economics has risen to 36th globally and 10th in Asia.
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) achieves top-100 global rankings in six subjects. Its most notable performance is in Business & Economics, which ranks 25th globally and 1st in Hong Kong. Social Sciences follows, ranking 52nd globally and 2nd in Hong Kong. Additionally, its Engineering program (43rd globally), Arts & Humanities (77th globally), and Clinical & Health rank 3rd in Hong Kong. Other subjects within the global top 100 include Computer Science (70th globally) and Physical Sciences (99th globally).
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) is ranked in eight subject categories, with six showing improvement and two maintaining last year's positions. Notably, HKBU has doubled its number of subjects within the global top 200—from three last year to six this year. The university welcomes the latest results and states that it will use them as a reference to further enhance its teaching and research standards.
Lingnan University (LU) enters the THE World University Rankings by Subject for the first time this year, with multiple subjects appearing on the list, covering areas such as Arts & Humanities, Business & Economics, Psychology, and Social Sciences. LU reaffirms its commitment to developing as a "research-intensive liberal arts university integrating arts and sciences," aiming to promote high-quality teaching and research, nurture future leaders with critical thinking and innovative vision, and contribute to Hong Kong's role as an international education hub.
THE World University Rankings by Subject cover 11 major disciplines and are based on 18 performance indicators across five key areas: Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, International Outlook, and Industry. This framework provides a comprehensive assessment of global higher education institutions' academic and research performance across various subjects.
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