After subject selection for Secondary 4, senior secondary students need to prepare themselves and embark on their study journeys towards higher education. Eligible Hong Kong residents holding results from the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination can apply for Bachelor's degree or certain Higher Diploma programmes through the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS). Recognising the high level of parental interest in JUPAS applications, HKEdCity organised a parents' seminar on 8 May 2026, titled 【Education Navigator】 From Senior Secondary Subjects Selection to JUPAS Tactical Planning. Based on the insights from our esteem speakers, we summarised the following notes for our parents' community.

What is JUPAS?

JUPAS is the main route for local students (holding past and/or current HKDSE results) to apply for:

• Full-time Bachelor's degree programmes offered by the eight UGC-funded universities.
• Full-time Higher Diploma programmes offered by the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK).
• Full-time self-financing Bachelor’s degree programmes offered by Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU).
• First-year Bachelor's degree programmes under the Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors (SSSDP).

Note: Applicants should be aware that most self-financing Associate Degree and Higher Diploma programmes require direct application to the institutions via E-APP (Electronic Advance Application System for Post-secondary Programmes).

Participating Institutions

The 8 UGC-funded Universities:

• The University of Hong Kong (HKU)
• The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)
• The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
• The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)
• City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
• Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU)
• Lingnan University (LU)
• The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK)

Participating SSSDP Institutions:

• Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU)
• Hong Kong Shue Yan University (HKSYU)
• The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK)
• Saint Francis University (SFU)
• Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi)
• Hong Kong Chu Hai College
• Tung Wah College (TWC)
• UOW College Hong Kong (UOWCHK)

Application Fees and Procedures

For the 2026 entry cycle, the standard application fee is HK$460. Late applications submitted between 5 December 2025 (9:00 AM) and 27 May 2026 (5:00 PM) will incur a late fee of HK$810.

Application procedures:

1. Create a JUPAS account
2. Activate the account and submit the application
3. Pay the application fee
4. Submit programme choices
5. Confirm the HKDSE examination year(s)

Required Information:

When creating an account, applicants are required to provide:

• Full name (English and Chinese)
• Gender
• HKID number
• Date of birth
• Local / Non-local Status
• Mailing address in English
• Mobile number
• Residential phone number
• Email address

Important Policy:

According to the JUPAS website and in accordance with the HKSAR Government's policy, ALL non-local applicants, regardless of whether they possess HKDSE Examination results, MUST apply for admission via the non-JUPAS route, and NOT via JUPAS.

Programme Choices and Priority

Applicants may select a minimum of  1  and a maximum of  20  programme choices, categories into the following:

The JUPAS Online Application System is designed to ensure that the actual priority of programme choices submitted by each applicant remains confidential.  This information is not disclosed to the JUPAS participating-institutions and the SSSDP institutions (the Institutions) until after the announcement of the Main Round offer results.

The Institutions are only provided a general indication of how applicants rank their programme choices.  They DO NOT have access to the actual priority. 

Updating of Programme Choices

1. Before release the HKDSE Examination results

Applicants may update their programme choices from 5 December 2025 (9:00 am) to 27 May 2026 (5:00 pm), prior to the release of the HKDSE Examination results. Applicants may make changes in any of the following options: 

• ADD / REPLACE new programmes to the original programme choice lists (provided that the total number of programme choices does not exceed 20)

• REARRANGE the order of the programme choices

• DELETE programmes from the programme choice

An amendment fee of HK$100 is required for each submission

2.After the release of HKDSE results

Applicants who wish to modify their programme choices may do so WITHIN THEIR ALLOCATED TIME SLOTS during the period 16 July – 18 July 2026.  Applicants should note that the JUPAS Online Application System will be unavailable daily from 3:00 am to 6:00 am for system maintenance. Within their allocated time slots, applicants may modify their programme choices ONCE only, free of charge, in any of the following options: 

• ADD and / or REPLACE a maximum of 5 new programmes to the original programme choice lists (provided that the total number of programme choices does not exceed 20)

• REARRANGE the order of the programme choices

• DELETE programmes from the programme choice

Applicants should carefully review their programme choices.  If applicants include programmes they do not wish to pursue, they will still be considered for admission to those programmes. All requests for resubmission MUST be completed by 18 July 2026 (1:15 pm). 

A one-time only resubmission fee of HK$250 will be charged.  After this one-time only resubmission, no further change of programme choices will be allowed. 

Academic Requirements and Admission Criteria

Experts said that LU, EdUHK, and HKMU may consider students with only two elective subjects, some competitive disciplines of other six UGC-funded universities would prefer applicants with the third elective (i.e. 3X). All students must take the four core subjects: Chinese, English, Mathematics, and Citizenship and Social Development. Having only two elective subjects may limit student options in university applications.

Admission Selection Criteria:

Institutions assessment would be based on:

1. Programme Choice Band
2. HKDSE Results
3. Interview and/or assessment performance
4. Other Experiences and Achievements in Competitions/Activities (OEA)
5. School Reference Report (SRR)
6. Student Learning Profile (SLP)
7. School Principal's Nominations (SPN)

As per JUPAS website, total no. of applicants in 2025 was 43,269 and number of applicants with Main Round offers was 15,808 (36.53%) in 2025, a lowest record since 2016 and on a decreasing trend since 2021.

Trend Analysis

According to JUPAS statistics, the number of applications has risen annually since 2022. This suggests that competition is intensifying, and students may need to achieve higher scores compared with previous years to secure a place in their preferred programmes.