A report has revealed surging demand for Hong Kong education among Chinese mainland students, driven by policy incentives including increased quota for non-local undergraduates and favorable work visa terms, while revealing intensified competition across all levels from kindergarten to doctoral programs.

The report, released by Beijing-based education consultancy New Oriental on Friday, highlights a sharp rise in early planning for K-12 education, driven by Hong Kong's diverse language environment, the global recognition of Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) results, and the 15-year free education policy.

Niu Qiujiao, senior expert at New Oriental's Eurasia Education, said applications through the agency for Hong Kong undergraduate and master's programs grew 10 percent year-on-year in 2025 and 21 percent year-on-year in 2026.

At the undergraduate level, while the expanded quota offers more opportunities, competition has intensified. In response, universities have adopted holistic assessments: gaokao applicants are required to have excellent scores and strong interviews, and nearly 70 percent of international-curriculum admittees need competition or research experience, the report said.

For master's programs, non-local enrollments surged 207 percent in the 2023/24 academic year compared to the previous three years. An IELTS score of 7.0 has become an implicit threshold for popular fields, and multiple internships or research papers are now essential, the report said. PhD applications are expected to exceed 40,000 in 2025, up over 60 percent from 2020, with first-author SCI journal papers proving critical, the report added.

Business, STEM and media and law remain the top choices. Hong Kong's Immigration Arrangement for Non-local Graduates (IANG) visa allows non-local graduates to stay for two years, with the possibility of permanent residency after seven years. While the city as a finance, trade and tech hub offers broad opportunities, job market competition is fierce. Employers increasingly value internship experience and professional skills over degrees alone, with graduates enjoying starting salaries of HK $20,000–$40,000, ($2,555-$5110), the report said.