List of subject rankings of Hong Kong tertiary institutions explained

This page lists various subject rankings, including QS University Subject Rankings, U.S. News & World Report, Times Higher Education World University Subjects Rankings and Academic Ranking of World Universities, of universities and colleges in Hong Kong. They adopt different ranking methodologies.

Abbreviation

HKU: The University of Hong Kong

CUHK: The Chinese University of Hong Kong

HKUST: The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

CityU: City University of Hong Kong

PolyU: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

HKBU: Hong Kong Baptist University

LU: Lingnan University

EdU HK: The Education University of Hong Kong

QS World University Rankings by Faculty

	2016		2017^[1]		2018^[2]		2019^[3]
Discipline	Rank	Institute	Rank	Institute	Rank	Institute	Rank	Institute
Arts & Humanities	19 30 65 97 135 181 235	HKU CUHK CityU PolyU HKUST HKBU LU	1331 54 106 127	HKUCUHK CityU PolyU HKUST	1829 82 115	HKUCUHK CityU PolyU	1631 89 95	HKUCUHK PolyU CityU
Engineering & Technology	14 26 41 44 60 371	HKUST HKU CUHK PolyU CityU HKBU	1527 50 51 76	HKUSTHKU CUHK PolyU CityU	1730 41 56	HKUSTHKU CUHK PolyU	1835 57 70 79	HKUSTHKU CUHK PolyU CityU
Life Sciences & Medicine	36 76 266 341	HKU CUHK HKUST PolyU	3465 287	HKUCUHK HKUST	4074 330	HKUCUHK HKUST	4484 351	HKUCUHK HKUST
Natural Sciences	15 29 101 103 108 307	HKU HKUST CUHK PolyU CityU HKBU	2142 111	HKUHKUST CUHK	2648 118	HKUHKUST CUHK	3142 100	HKUHKUST CUHK
Social Sciences & Management	14 26 27 48 49 247	HKU HKUST CUHK CityU PolyU HKBU	1126 27 54	HKUCUHK HKUST PolyU	1024 25 43 48	HKUHKUST CUHK CityU PolyU	1826 30 59 69	HKUHKUST CUHK CityU PolyU

QS World University Rankings by Subjects (top 200)

		2011^[4]		2012^[5]		2013^[6]		2014^[7]		2015^[8]		2016^[9]
Discipline	Subject	Rank	Institute	Rank	Institute	Rank	Institute	Rank	Institute	Rank	Institute	Rank	Institute
Arts &<br>Humanities	valign=middle	Philosophy	49	CUHK	21	CUHK	30 43 151-200	HKU CUHK HKBU	41 101-150 101-150	HKU HKBU LU	51-100 101-150 101-150	CUHK LU HKU	51-100 51-100 101-150	CUHK HKU LU
valign=middle	Modern Languages	28 35 101-150 151-200 151-200	HKU CUHK HKUST PolyU CityU	15 42 51-100 51-100 51-100	HKU CUHK CityU PolyU HKUST	18 34 51-100 151-200	HKU CUHK CityU HKUST	11 17 41 51-100 51-100 151-200 151-200	CUHK HKU HKUST CityU PolyU HKBU LU	15 30 51-100 101-150 151-200	HKU CUHK CityU PolyU LU	15 42 101-150 101-150 151-200 151-200	HKU CUHK CityU PolyU LU HKBU
valign=middle	Geography &<br>Area Studies	20 34 151-200	HKU CUHK PolyU	33 151-200	CUHK PolyU	33 101-150 101-150 101-150	CUHK HKBU PolyU HKUST	25 51-100 101-150	HKU CUHK HKUST	19 46 101-150 101-150 101-150	HKU CUHK HKBU PolyU HKUST	13 49 51-100 101-150 101-150	HKU CUHK PolyU HKBU HKUST
valign=middle	History	-	-	-	-	-	-	38 101-150	HKU HKUST	40 45 101-150	HKU CUHK HKUST	51-100 101-150 151-200	HKU CUHK HKUST
valign=middle	Linguistics	27 47	CUHK CityU	40 51-100	CityU CUHK	22 35 45	CityU CUHK PolyU	18 23 24 48	HKU PolyU CityU CUHK	9 18 21 35 101-150	HKU CityU CUHK PolyU HKUST	10 25 29 41 101-150	HKU CUHK CityU PolyU EdUHK
valign=middle	English Language &<br>Literature	21 47 51-100 101-150 151-200	HKU CUHK CityU HKUST PolyU	34 35 43 101-150 151-200	HKU CityU CUHK HKUST PolyU	26 38 42 101-150 151-200 151-200	HKU CUHK CityU PolyU HKUST LU	-	-	24 51-100 51-100 101-150	HKU CityU CUHK PolyU	24 51-100 51-100 101-150	HKU CityU CUHK PolyU
Engineering &<br>Technology	valign=middle	Computer Science &<br>Information Systems	26 41 51-100 51-100 101-150	HKUST HKU CityU CUHK PolyU	13 22 42 51-100 51-100	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU PolyU	10 12 19 49 51-100	HKU HKUST CUHK PolyU CityU	11 14 18 50 51-100	HKUST HKU CUHK PolyU CityU	8 12 18 51-100 51-100 251-300	HKUST HKU CUHK PolyU CityU HKBU	1419 22 49 49	HKUSTHKU CUHK CityU PolyU
valign=middle	Chemical Engineering	51-100 51-100 101-150	HKUST HKU CUHK	20 51-100 101-150 151-200	HKUST HKU CUHK PolyU	22 51-100 101-150 101-150	HKUST HKU CUHK PolyU	26 51-100 51-100 101-150	HKUST CUHK HKU PolyU	27 51-100 51-100 101-150	HKUST CUHK HKU PolyU
valign=middle	Civil &<br>Structural Engineering	25 42 51-100 51-100	HKU HKUST CityU PolyU	14 28 50 51-100	HKU HKUST PolyU CityU	8 16 17 51-100	HKU PolyU HKUST CityU	10 12 15 31	HKU HKUST PolyU CityU	9 11 17 35	HKU HKUST PolyU CityU
valign=middle	Electrical &<br>Electronic Engineering	21 28 51-100 51-100 151-200	HKU HKUST CUHK CityU PolyU	17 20 51-100 51-100 101-150	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU PolyU	14 19 22 44 51-100	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU PolyU	11 27 38 51-100 51-100	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU PolyU	19 22 25 37 51-100	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU PolyU	2022 25 51-100 51-100	CUHKHKU HKUST CityU PolyU
valign=middle	Mechanical Aeronautical &<br>Manufacturing Engineering	44 51-100 151-200	HKUST CityU PolyU	19 30 51-100 101-150 101-150	HKUST HKU PolyU CUHK CityU	27 35 51-100 51-100 51-100	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU PolyU	20 34 43 51-100 51-100	HKUST HKU PolyU CityU CUHK	31 46 51-100 51-100 101-150	HKUST HKU PolyU CUHKCityU	3944 51-100 51-100 51-100	HKUSTHKU CityU CUHK PolyU
Medicine	valign=middle	Medicine	45 101-150	HKU CUHK	28 51-100	HKU CUHK	24 51-100	HKU CUHK	24 49	HKU CUHK	28 51-100	HKU CUHK	30 51-100 301-400	HKU CUHK CityU
	valign=middle	Biological Sciences	46 51-100 101-150	HKU HKUST CUHK	42 101-150 151-200	HKU HKUST CUHK	51-100 101-150 101-150	HKU CUHK HKUST	42 51-100 51-100	HKU CUHK HKUST	51-100 101-150 101-150 301-400 301-400	HKU CUHK HKUST CityU PolyU	49 101-150 101-150 301-400 301-400	HKU CUHK HKUST CityU PolyU
	valign=middle	Psychology	30 51-100 151-200	HKU CUHK CityU	22 37 51-100	HKU CUHK CityU	18 29 101-150	HKU CUHK CityU	25 41	HKU CUHK	34 43 101-150	HKU CUHK CityU	41 51-100 101-150	HKU CUHK CityU
	valign=middle	Pharmacy &<br>Pharmacology	-	-	34 51-100	HKU CUHK	51-100 51-100	CUHK HKU	37 101-150	HKU CUHK	34 46	HKU CUHK	37 46	CUHK HKU
	valign=middle	Dentistry	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	HKU	1	HKU
	valign=middle	Agriculture &<br>Forestry	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Natural Sciences	valign=middle	Physics &<br>Astronomy	51-100 51-100 51-100 151-200	HKU CUHK HKUST CityU	51-100 51-100 101-150 151-200	HKU HKUST CUHK CityU	51-100 51-100 151-200 151-200	HKU HKUST CUHK CityU	51-100 101-150	HKUST HKU	51-100 101-150 151-200 201-250 201-250	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU PolyU	51-100 51-100 151-200 201-250 201-250	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU PolyU
valign=middle	Mathematics	50 50 51-100 51-100 101-150	HKUST CUHK CityU HKU PolyU	19 23 25 51-100 51-100 101-150	CityU CUHK HKU PolyU HKUST HKBU	25 32 40 44 51-100	CUHK CityU HKUST HKU PolyU	26 40 45 45 101-150	CUHK CityU HKUST HKU PolyU	20 29 33 42 101-150 201-250	HKU CityU HKUST CUHK PolyU HKBU	2739 44 50 51-100	CUHKCityU HKU HKUST PolyU
valign=middle	Environmental Sciences	33 50	HKU HKUST	32 37	HKUST HKU	41 49	HKU HKUST	25 51-100	HKUST HKU	51-100 51-100 250-300	HKUST HKU HKBU
valign=middle	Earth &<br>Marine Sciences	101-150 101-150 151-200	HKU HKUST CUHK	19 51-100 151-200	HKU HKUST CUHK	51-100 151-200 151-200	HKU HKUST PolyU	34 101-150 151-200	HKU HKUST PolyU	26 151-200 151-200	HKU PolyU HKUST
valign=middle	Chemistry	43 47 101-150	HKUST HKU CUHK	9 11 51-100 151-200	HKU HKUST CUHK CityU	20 24 101-150 151-200	HKU HKUST CUHK PolyU	19 35 151-200 151-200	HKUST HKU CUHK PolyU	23 25 101-150 101-150 151-200 201-250	HKU HKUST CUHK PolyU CityU HKBU
valign=middle	Materials Sciences	35 47 51-100	HKUST HKU CityU	36 51-100 51-100 101-150	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU	23 51-100 51-100 101-150	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU	29 51-100 51-100 151-200	HKUST CUHK HKU CityU	44 51-100 51-100 51-100	HKUST CityU HKU CUHK
valign=middle	Geography	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	19 46 101-150 101-150 101-150	HKU CUHK HKBU PolyU HKUST	1349 51-100	HKUCUHK PolyU
Social Sciences	valign=middle	Statistics &<br>Operational Research	26 30 40 47 51-100	HKU HKUST CUHK CityU PolyU	14 16 39 51-100 51-100	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU PolyU	7 15 21 25 43	HKUST HKU CUHK PolyU CityU	15 19 39 43 51-100	HKUST HKU PolyU CUHK CityU	15 19 39 43 51-100	HKUST HKU PolyU CUHK CityU	23 24 39 46 51-100	HKU HKUST CUHK PolyU CityU
valign=middle	Sociology	26 30 40 47 51-100	HKU HKUST CUHK CityU PolyU	19 30 51-100	HKU CUHK CityU	39 40 101-150 151-200	CUHK HKU CityU PolyU	39 41 101-150 101-150	CUHK HKU CityU PolyU	26 37 51-100 151-200	CUHK HKU CityU PolyU	28 39 101-150 151-200	HKU CUHK CityU PolyU
valign=middle	Politics &<br>International Studies	27 51-100	HKU CityU	19 46 51-100	HKU CUHK CityU	12 45 51-100	HKU CityU CUHK	16 38 39	HKU CityU CUHK	26 36 51-100	HKU CUHK CityU	23 51-100 51-100	HKU CUHK CityU
valign=middle	Law	31 51-100	HKU CUHK	16 51-100	HKU CUHK	20 51-100 51-100	HKU CUHK CityU	18 51-100 51-100	HKU CityU CUHK	19 42 51-100	HKU CUHK CityU	18 50 51-100	HKU CUHK CityU
valign=middle	Economics &<br>Econometrics	42 43 51-100 101-150 151-200	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU PolyU	29 35 51-100 101-150 101-150	HKU HKUST CUHK CityU PolyU	30 32 42 101-150 101-150	HKU HKUST CUHK CityU PolyU	28 30 34 51-100 101-150	HKU HKUST CUHK PolyU CityU	30 36 49 51-100 51-100	HKUST HKU CUHK PolyU CityU	25 37 46 51-100 51-100	HKUST HKU CUHK PolyU CityU
valign=middle	Accounting &<br>Finance	30 41 49 51-100 101-150	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU PolyU	22 26 49 51-100 51-100	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU PolyU	16 23 33 51-100 51-100	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU PolyU	18 19 27 51-100 51-100 151-200	HKU HKUST CUHK CityU PolyU LU	17 23 35 51-100 51-100	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU PolyU	19 23 30 51-100 51-100	HKUST HKU CUHK CityU PolyU
valign=middle	Communication &<br>Media Studies	-	-	21 41 51-100	HKU CUHK CityU	29 36 51-100 101-150	CUHK CityU HKU HKBU	19 30 50 101-150	CUHK CityU HKU HKBU	23 51-100 51-100 51-100	CUHK CityU HKU HKBU	26 31 43 51-100	CUHK CityU HKU HKBU
valign=middle	Education	-	-	8 26	HKU CUHK	11 23	HKU CUHK	16 25 51-100	HKU CUHK HKIEd	6 15 20	HKU HKIEd CUHK	6 12 26	HKU EdUHK CUHK
valign=middle	Statistics	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	20 22 45 51-100 51-100 151-200	HKUST HKU PolyU CityU CUHK HKBU	2324 39 46	HKUHKUST CUHK PolyU

U.S. News & World Report – Best Global Universities Rankings by Subjects

	2016		2019^[10]
Discipline	Rank	Institute	Rank	Institute
Arts & Humanities	95	HKU	27103 132	HKUCUHK CityU
Biology & Biochemistry	130	HKU	125	HKU
Chemistry	73126 147 151 191	HKUSTHKU PolyU CUHK CityU	39164 181 185 201	HKUSTHKU CUHK CityU PolyU
Computer Science	1316 32 35 35	HKUSTCityU CUHK PolyU HKU	1117 27 34 76	CityUHKUST CUHK PolyU HKU
Clinical Medicine	94104	HKU CUHK	87118	HKUCUHK
Economics & Business	5757 63 85 96	CityUHKUST CUHK HKU PolyU	3967 68 77	HKUSTCityU CUHK HKU
Engineering	1015 24 43 77	CityUPolyU HKUST HKU CUHK	1516 25 34 83	CityUPolyU HKUST HKU CUHK
Materials Science	4044 75 85 105	HKUSTCityU PolyU HKU CUHK	2231 48 73 86	HKUSTCityU CUHK PolyU HKU
Mathematics	3273 122 137	CUHKCityU PolyU HKBU	3159 74	CUHKCityU PolyU
Pharmacology & Toxicology	5776	CUHKHKU	71102	CUHKHKU
Psychiatry & Psychology	96134	HKUCUHK	86145	HKUCUHK
Social Sciences & Public Health	108143 152 229	HKUCUHK PolyU CityU	6399 131	HKUPolyU CUHK

Times Higher Education World University Subjects Rankings

The institution had ranked the top 50 universities in each of the six categories but was added to 100 in the latest 2013-14 league tables.

	2010-11^[11]		2011-12^[12]		2012-13^[13]		2013-14^[14]
Subject	Rank	Institute	Rank	Institute	Rank	Institute	Rank	Institute
valign=middle	Art & Humanities	-	-	36	HKU	29	HKU	40 65	HKU CUHK
valign=middle	Clinical, Pre-clinical & Health	22	HKU	34	HKU	36	HKU	48 73	HKU CUHK
valign=middle	Engineering & Technology	19 20	HKU HKUST	28 37	HKUST HKU	23 43	HKUST HKU	21 42 80 89	HKUST HKU CityU PolyU
valign=middle	Life Sciences	29 50	HKU HKUST	-	-	-	-	-	-
valign=middle	Physical Sciences	36 43	HKU HKUST	-	-	-	-	86	HKU
valign=middle	Social Sciences	27	HKU	27	HKU	30 50	HKU HKUST	39 45 70	HKU HKUST CUHK

	2018		2019
Subject	Rank	Institute	Rank	Institute
Arts and Humanities^[15] ^[16]	2859 126-150	HKUCUHK PolyU	2964 126-150	HKUCUHK PolyU
Computer Science^[17] ^[18]	2838 55 74	HKUSTCUHK HKU CityU	28 37 46 74 93 176-200	HKUST CUHK HKU PolyU CityU HKBU
Engineering & Technology^[19] ^[20]	1830 59 60	HKUSTHKU CUHK CityU	23 40 61 63 70	HKUST HKU CityU CUHK PolyU
Clinical, Pre-clinical & Health^[21] ^[22]	3163	HKUCUHK	29 49 301-400 401-500	HKU CUHK PolyU HKBU
Physical Sciences^[23] ^[24]	4657 66	HKUCUHK HKUST	49 54 58 98 151-175 251-300	CUHK HKU HKUST CityU PolyU HKBU
Law^[25] ^[26]	1827 52	HKUCUHK CityU	2245 49	HKUCityU CUHK
Education^[27] ^[28]	420	HKUCUHK	418	HKUCUHK
Psychology^[29] ^[30]	4976	HKUCUHK	5473	HKUCUHK
Social Sciences^[31] ^[32]	3041 61	HKUCUHK HKUST	2647 61	HKUCUHK HKUST

Academic Rankings of World Universities by Subjects (top 200)

ARWU Board Subject fields	2013^[33]
Subject	Rank	Institute
valign=middle	Natural Science &<br>Mathematics	101-150	CUHK
valign=middle	Engineering &<br>Computer Sciences	25 34 51-75 76-100 101-150	CityU HKUST CUHK PolyU HKU
valign=middle	Life &<br>Agriculture Sciences	151-200	HKU
valign=middle	Clinical Medicine &<br>Pharmacy	151-200 151-200	HKU CUHK
valign=middle	Social Sciences	51-75 76-100 101-150 101-150 101-150	HKUST PolyU HKU CUHK CityU

ARWU Specific Subjects	2013
Subject	Rank	Institute
valign=middle	Mathematics	40 49 51-75 151-200	CUHK CityU PolyU HKBU
valign=middle	Physics	-	-
valign=middle	Chemistry	76-100 76-100 151-200 151-200	HKU CUHK CityU HKUST
valign=middle	Computer Sciences	24 29 42 51-75 51-75 151-200	HKUST CUHK CityU HKU PolyU HKBU
valign=middle	Economics/Business	51-75 76-100 101-150 101-150 101-150	HKUST CityU HKU CUHK PolyU

References

1. Web site: QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017. Top Universities. en. 2019-09-29.
2. Web site: QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018. Top Universities. en. 2019-09-29.
3. Web site: QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019. Top Universities. en. 2019-09-29.
4. Web site: QS University Subject Rankings 2011.
5. Web site: QS University Subject Rankings 2012.
6. Web site: QS University Subject Rankings 2013.
7. Web site: QS University Subject Rankings 2014.
8. Web site: QS University Subject Rankings 2015.
9. Web site: QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016. Top Universities. 2016-03-24.
10. Web site: Best Global Universities Rankings. U.S. News & World Report.
11. Web site: Times Higher Education World University Subjects Rankings 2010-2011. 13 April 2015.
12. Web site: Times Higher Education World University Subjects Rankings 2011-2012. 13 April 2015.
13. Web site: Times Higher Education World University Subjects Rankings 2012-2013. 13 April 2015.
14. Web site: Times Higher Education World University Subjects Rankings 2013-2014. 13 April 2015.
15. Web site: World University Rankings 2018 by subject: arts and humanities. 2017-09-12. Times Higher Education (THE). en. 2019-09-29.
16. Web site: World University Rankings 2019 by subject: arts and humanities. 2018-10-08. Times Higher Education (THE). en. 2019-09-29.
17. Web site: World University Rankings 2018 by subject: computer science. 2017-09-12. Times Higher Education (THE). en. 2019-09-29.
18. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2019/subject-ranking/computer-science#!/page/0/length/25/locations/HK/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats World University Rankings 2019 by subject: computer science (in Hong Kong)
19. Web site: World University Rankings 2018 by subject: engineering and technology. 2017-09-12. Times Higher Education (THE). en. 2019-09-29.
20. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2019/subject-ranking/engineering-and-IT#!/page/0/length/25/locations/HK/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats World University Rankings 2019 by subject: engineering and technology (in Hong Kong)
21. Web site: World University Rankings 2018 by subject: clinical, pre-clinical and health. 2017-09-14. Times Higher Education (THE). en. 2019-09-29.
22. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2019/subject-ranking/clinical-pre-clinical-health#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats World University Rankings 2019 by subject: clinical, pre-clinical and health (in Hong Kong)
23. Web site: World University Rankings 2018 by subject: physical sciences. 2017-09-12. Times Higher Education (THE). en. 2019-09-29.
24. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2019/subject-ranking/physical-sciences#!/page/0/length/25/locations/HK/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats World University Rankings 2019 by subject: physical sciences (in Hong Kong)
25. Web site: World University Rankings 2018 by subject: law. 2017-09-27. Times Higher Education (THE). en. 2019-09-29.
26. Web site: World University Rankings 2019 by subject: law. 2018-10-08. Times Higher Education (THE). en. 2019-09-29.
27. Web site: World University Rankings 2018 by subject: education. 2017-09-27. Times Higher Education (THE). en. 2019-09-29.
28. Web site: World University Rankings 2019 by subject: education. 2018-10-08. Times Higher Education (THE). en. 2019-09-29.
29. Web site: World University Rankings 2018 by subject: psychology. 2017-09-27. Times Higher Education (THE). en. 2019-09-29.
30. Web site: World University Rankings 2019 by subject: psychology. 2018-10-08. Times Higher Education (THE). en. 2019-09-29.
31. Web site: World University Rankings 2018 by subject: social sciences. 2017-09-12. Times Higher Education (THE). en. 2019-09-29.
32. Web site: World University Rankings 2019 by subject: social sciences. 2018-10-08. Times Higher Education (THE). en. 2019-09-29.
33. Web site: Academic Rankings of World Universities in subjects 2013.