On March 12, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a globally renowned higher education institution, released the QS World University Rankings 2025 by Subject. This ranking is regarded as one of the most authoritative lists in the field of global higher education, and is an important reference for students around the world to further their studies.

This year's QS rankings provide a comprehensive assessment of 18,300 academic programs at more than 1,700 universities around the world, ranking them based on a number of key indicators such as academic reputation, employer ratings, and number of citations in papers.

The results show that Hong Kong shines in this year's rankings, with about 68% of the disciplines moving up the rankings, and 6 disciplines even ranked among the top 10 in the world.

Today, Starlet will bring you to know which disciplines in Hong Kong's major institutions are among the world's TOP 50.

01

Hong Kong Universities

TOP50 majors

▶ The University of Hong Kong

In this year's ranking, the University of Hong Kong has achieved outstanding results in various disciplines, with a total of 50 disciplines on the list, of which 39 disciplines are ranked among the world's top 50, and 15 of them are ranked among the world's top 20.

HKU's Global Top 50 Majors:

❍ Arts and Humanities: Linguistics (9), Art History (12), Architecture and Built Environment (13), English Language and Literature (17), Modern Languages (17), History (29)

❍ Engineering and Technology: Civil and Structural (13), Computer Science and Information Systems (21), Information Science and Artificial Intelligence (18), Minerals and Mining (21), Engineering - Electrical and Electronics (38), Engineering - Mechanical (49)

❍ Life Sciences and Medicine: dental disciplines (2), medicine (24), psychology (28), nursing (34), biological sciences (44), anatomy and physiology (50)

❍ Natural Sciences: Geography (10), Chemistry (44), Mathematics (33), Earth and Ocean Sciences (29), Environmental Sciences (27), Geology (46), Geophysics (46)

❍ Social Sciences and Management: Education (3), Social Policy and Administration (11), Law and Legal Studies (15), Marketing (17), Sociology (17), Library and Information Management (19), Statistics and Operations Research (24), Sports Related Subjects (27), Anthropology (25), Accounting and Finance (28), Business and Management Studies (30), Economics and Econometrics (33), Development Studies (44), Communication and Media Studies (46)

▶ The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HKPU) has also set a record, with 26 disciplines ranked among the world's top 100, and seven of them among the world's top 30.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University's Global Top 50 majors:

❍ Arts and Humanities: Architecture and Built Environment (17), Art and Design (22)

❍ Engineering and Technology: Civil Engineering (17), Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (40), Mechanical, Aerospace and Manufacturing Engineering (49)

❍ Life Sciences & Medicine: nursing (16)

❍ Natural Sciences: environmental science (27th), geography (37)

❍ Social Sciences and Management: Hospitality Management (11th), Marketing (22nd), Statistics and Operations Research (31st), Business and Management Studies (46th), Sports Related Disciplines (46th)

▶ The Hong Kong University of Education

The Hong Kong University of Education (HKUE) jumped to 12th place in the education discipline rankings this year, up eight places from last year.

In addition, HKIEd has four other disciplines in the top 350 globally, including Psychology, Linguistics, Sociology and English Language and Literature.

▶ City University of Hong Kong

This year, City University of Hong Kong has a total of 20 disciplines in the global top 100, four of which are even among the world's top 50, and 12 disciplines ranked in the top three in Hong Kong.

City University of Hong Kong Global Top 50 Majors:

❍ Arts and Humanities: Linguistics (38)

❍ Social Sciences and Management: Social Policy and Administration (37)

❍ Engineering and Technology: data science and artificial intelligence (45), media studies (48)

▶ The Chinese University of Hong Kong

In this ranking, The Chinese University of Hong Kong has 8 disciplines ranked as the No. 1 discipline in Hong Kong, and another 32 disciplines ranked in the Global Top 50.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong's Global Top 50 Majors:

❍ Arts and Humanities: Linguistics (10), Modern Languages (24), Philosophy (28), Theology, Theology and Religious Studies (32), Architecture and the Built Environment (35), Classics and Ancient History (40), English Language and Literature (44)

❍ Engineering and Technology: data science and artificial intelligence (19), computer science and information systems (27)

❍ Life Sciences and Medicine: nursing (5), medicine (25), psychology (32), anatomy and physiology (39), pharmacy and pharmacology (42)

❍ Natural Sciences: Geography (19), Mathematics (42)

❍ Social Sciences and Management: media studies (12), sociology (18), education (20), sports-related disciplines (21), anthropology (28), accounting and finance (37), economics and econometrics (37), marketing (41), statistics and operations research (41), business and management studies (46), law (48), life sciences and Medicine (49), Hospitality Management (49)

▶ The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Hong Kong universities also perform very well in the ranking of data science and artificial intelligence disciplines, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is the leader in this field, ranking 17th in the world and first in Hong Kong.

HKUST's Global Top 50 Majors:

❍ Engineering and Technology: Engineering - Chemistry (70), Engineering - Civil and Structural (19), Computer Science and Information Systems (24), Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (17), Engineering - Electrical and Electronics (29), Engineering - Mechanical (42)

❍ Natural Sciences: Chemistry (49), Materials Science (39), Mathematics (43)

❍ Social Sciences and Management: accounting and finance (34), business and management studies (26), economics and econometrics (27), marketing (29), statistics and operations research (26)

02

One person studying abroad

The whole family settles in Hong Kong

In recent years, more and more mainland elites have been going to Hong Kong to pursue master's degrees, not only to enhance their personal capabilities, but also to pave the way for settling down in Hong Kong after graduation through the IANG Scheme (Individual Arrangement for Non-local Graduates to Remain in Hong Kong/Return to Hong Kong for Employment).

Simply put, applicants who travel to Hong Kong to pursue a full-time master's degree program will be eligible to apply for a 2-year IANG visa upon graduation in order to seek employment in Hong Kong. After finding a job, the applicant may apply for extension of stay or conversion to a working visa.

After seven years of residence in Hong Kong, applicants will be eligible to apply for Hong Kong Permanent Resident status and enjoy a wide range of benefits including education, healthcare, business environment and transportation.