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Hong Kong DSE exam cohort faces limited public university places
About 43,347 day-school candidates are taking the DSE this year, but subsidised spots at the city’s eight public universities total roughly 12,000.
Hong Kong is set to graduate its 2026 Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) cohort into a tighter university placement market, with only around 12,000 subsidised undergraduate places available across the city’s eight public universities for this year’s exam takers. According to the South China Morning Post, 43,347 day-school candidates are sitting the DSE this year.
The outlet notes that a survey by education authorities found 85% of Form Six students in the 2024-25 cohort chose local tertiary education, including bachelor’s degrees, sub-degrees and diploma courses. For the students who do not secure public university places, the paper highlights additional pathways.
One option is bachelor’s programmes at self-financing tertiary institutions supported through the government’s Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions, covering 10 disciplines with strong manpower demand. SCMP Economy reports these institutions offer about 3,425 first-year degree places across 47 programmes at eight self-financing institutions.
The South China Morning Post says annual subsidies for the coming academic year range from HK$46,780 to HK$81,450, depending on programme type and whether it is laboratory based. The listed disciplines include computer science, financial technology, insurance, and tourism and hospitality, among others.