HKU champions whole-person education and continues to attract high-achieving high school graduates, top athletes, and innovative minds across diverse disciplines and backgrounds. This year, the University successfully admitted a dynamic cohort of exceptional students with outstanding academic achievements and multifaceted backgrounds. Notably, HKU has once again swept the board in local tertiary admissions, admitting more than half of Hong Kong’s top 1% of talents in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) examination for the new academic year. HKDSE candidates admitted to HKU this year continue to have the highest average scores among institutions, calculated based on the results of the three core subjects – Chinese Language, English Language, and Mathematics – or the total grade points for the best five or six subjects.
“Our newly admitted students have achieved remarkable results in the HKDSE. We attracted students with the highest overall results in six subjects in the past 10 years, setting a new record,” said Professor Bennett Yim, Director of Undergraduate Admissions and International Student Exchange. “HKU will continue to adopt a holistic and comprehensive student evaluation approach. We actively seek out and admit talented individuals through a wide range of admission schemes, offering them various opportunities to realise their potential. We are dedicated to providing a diverse learning environment and ample resources to support their pursuit of excellence.”
HKU’s traditional programmes in medicine, law, and business continue to draw top-tier talent. The University welcomed 12 HKDSE top-scorers (seven securing 5** in seven subjects and five securing 5** in six subjects), including one admitted via the School Nominations Direct Admission Scheme. Top-scorers chose coveted tracks, including the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (Distinguished MedScholar), Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, Bachelor of Social Sciences (Government and Laws) and Bachelor of Laws, and Bachelor of Business Administration (Law) and Bachelor of Laws.
HKU grants the title of ‘President’s Scholars’ to candidates with the best HKDSE results from each Faculty. This year, 37 exceptional students were named President’s Scholars, achieving an impressive average score of 48.6 in their best six subjects. Each student will receive a scholarship of HK$100,000 or more.
With global industries pivoting towards emerging technologies, HKU’s newly introduced tech-focussed curricula saw an explosion in popularity. More than 60% of Hong Kong’s top 10% students in technology and AI fields selected HKU as their institution of choice. Over 300 students were admitted to AI and technology-related programmes, maintaining an average score of 6.2 or higher across their best six subjects, with the Bachelor of Engineering Elite Programme securing the spot as the highest-scoring engineering programme. Fresh offerings such as Computing and Data Science (Delta+) and the Bachelor of Science in Innovation and Technology also saw a steep rise in applications.
Beyond traditional academic metrics, HKU expanded its outreach to students with specialised talents, non-Chinese backgrounds, and unique educational needs through direct admission schemes.
In addition to the four elite athletes – golfer Arianna Lau, swimmer James Lau Kin-hei, fencer Luk Chun-lok and sailor Emily Grace Polson (See full story) – admitted via the Top Athletes Direct Admission Scheme, alongside 12 elite sports scholars, the University also welcomed 115 versatile, high-performing students via the School Nominations Direct Admission Scheme, enrolled in various programmes related to humanities, business, education, medicine and health, and science.
HKU admitted 33 local non-Chinese-speaking students, the highest among all eight government-funded universities in Hong Kong, enrolling across nursing, business, architectural studies, and education. Seven academically outstanding students with special educational needs were admitted, and HKU is committed to ensuring tailored support to assist their university transition.
