Key facts
- Hong Kong public universities will increase undergraduate tuition for non-local students by up to 26% in the 2027-28 academic year.
- The University of Hong Kong's medicine and dentistry programs will see fees rise 137% to HK$590,000 annually.
- The non-local student cap for self-financing taught programs at UGC-funded universities will rise to 50% from 40% starting in the 2026/27 academic year.
- The cap for research postgraduate programs will increase to 120% from 100% from the 2026/27 academic year.
- Local student tuition fees on UGC-funded programs remain frozen at HK$42,100 for the 26th consecutive year.
Hong Kong public universities are set to significantly increase undergraduate tuition fees for non-local students, with hikes of up to 26% planned for the 2027-28 academic year. This adjustment comes as institutions prepare for an expanded quota for non-local students. The University of Hong Kong (HKU) will implement the steepest rise, increasing annual tuition for its medicine and dentistry programs by 137% to HK$590,000 (US$75,187) to cover high clinical training costs.
These fee increases follow a trend of rising costs for international students in Hong Kong. For the 2025/26 academic year, HKU, CUHK, and HKUST had already raised non-local fees, with some postgraduate programs nearing HK$400,000 annually. The number of entry permits granted to non-local students increased by 34% in 2024 compared to 2020, indicating sustained demand.
In parallel, the Hong Kong government is adjusting non-local student caps. From the 2026/27 academic year, the limit for non-local students in self-financing taught programs at UGC-funded universities will rise from 40% to 50%. The cap for research postgraduate programs will also increase from 100% to 120%. These changes are explicitly stated not to reduce funded places for local students, whose tuition fees have remained frozen at HK$42,100 for 26 consecutive years.