Hong Kong SAR leads as China rises while India and Singapore face pressure
LONDON, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- International higher education experts QS Quacquarelli Symonds has released the 2027 edition of the QS World University Rankings: Asia.
The University of Hong Kong stays first, ahead of Peking University. Tsinghua University rises to third. National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) fall to sixth and eighth, while City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) enter the top-five.
Hong Kong is the most represented system in the top-10 with five entrants. No institutions enter the top-10, but two reach the top-20: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia to a record-high 20th, alongside University of Science and Technology of China, up from 21st.
| Top-10 |
| 2027 | 2026 |
|
|
| 1 | 1 | HKU | Hong Kong SAR |
| 2 | 2 | Peking University | China (Mainland) |
| 3 | 9 | Tsinghua University |
| 4 | 7 | CityUHK | Hong Kong SAR |
| 5 | 7 | CUHK |
| 6 | 5 | Fudan University | China (Mainland) |
| 6 | 3 | NUS | Singapore |
| 8 | 3 | NTU |
| 9 | 10 | PolyU | Hong Kong SAR |
| 9 | 6 | HKUST |
The rankings feature 1,722 universities across 26 systems, including 195 new entrants. Mainland China remains the largest and fastest-growing, with 448 universities(+53), ahead of India(325) and Japan(153).
Six systems improve overall: Macao SAR, Tajikistan, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, Uzbekistan and Mainland China. The Maldives debuts.
QS Senior VP Ben Sowter said: "This year's rankings are more competitive than ever, providing an important benchmarking tool for a region shaping global higher education. Research excellence, international engagement and reputation remain the foundations for success in an ever-advancing university ecosystem."
Highlights
- China leads for top-20 representation and new entrants, supported by reputation and research.
- India leads research output and doctoral-qualified staff. IIT Delhi drops to 66th.
- Japan excels in teaching resources and reputation. The University of Tokyo ranks 27th.
- South Korea's leading universities rise. Only China has more top-20 entries. Yonsei University comes 11th.
- Hong Kong SAR records the strongest improvement(+55%) and has the most top-10 universities.
- Singapore's leaders fall from the top five, two universities enter the top 100.
- Indonesia's Gadjah Mada University(53rd) is crowned national leader for the first time since 2021.
- Malaysia's internationalisation performance sees 16 universities reach record ranks. Universiti Malaya ranks 17th.
- Central Asia's expansion continues. Kazakhstan leads while Uzbek representation grows.
- Thailand enjoys strong student mobility and academic reputation. Chulalongkorn University remains top, placing 52nd.
- Vietnam National University, Hanoi (159th) leads in Vietnam. Ten Vietnamese universities now place in the top 500.
Read the full report:Regional_V.1.0_D.1.2_-_Asia_2027
