Address: 11 Yuk Choi Road, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Engineering, Design, Fashion and Textiles, Hotel and Tourism, Business, Health, Construction
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has its roots in the Government Trade School, founded in 1937 on Wood Road in Wan Chai as the first publicly funded post-secondary technical institution in Hong Kong. It became the Hong Kong Technical College in 1947 and moved to the Hung Hom campus, which opened in 1957. The Hong Kong Polytechnic was established on 24 March 1972 under an ordinance of the Legislative Council. It obtained full university status on 25 November 1994 and took its present name.
The campus is at 11 Yuk Choi Road in Hung Hom, Kowloon. The university has around 33,900 students and 7,900 full-time staff as of 2026, of whom 909 hold the rank of assistant professor or above. Times Higher Education named PolyU the third most international university in the world in 2025.
Seven faculties teach business, computer and mathematical sciences, construction and environment, engineering, health and social sciences, humanities, and science. Four schools complete the structure: the School of Design, the School of Fashion and Textiles, the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, and the Graduate School. The College of Undergraduate Studies was established in 2025.
The university has long had a professional and applied profile, with strong links to industry, and its design, fashion and hospitality schools are known well beyond Hong Kong. Teaching is mainly in English.
Alumni include Li Qiang, premier of China, Leung Chun-ying, former Chief Executive of Hong Kong, the film directors Wong Kar-wai and Raman Hui, the fashion designer Vivienne Tam and the singer Gigi Leung. Lam Tai-fai, council chairman and former legislator, and the explorer Rebecca Lee also studied there. Fees differ for local and non-local students. Check the current tariff.
The Hung Hom site has served technical education since the Hong Kong Technical College moved there in 1957, so the campus has been a place of professional training for nearly seven decades. The enrolment of about 33,900 students covers undergraduates, taught postgraduates and research students, and the 7,900 full-time staff include teachers, researchers and administrators.
Domains taught:
Civil Engineering, Data Analytics, Engineering, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Logistics, Materials, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Seven faculties and four schools, and links with industry and universities worldwide.
Research:
Engineering, computing, construction and environment, health and social sciences, design, fashion and textiles, and hotel and tourism management.
Famous Alumnis:
Li Qiang, Leung Chun-ying, Wong Kar-wai, Raman Hui, Vivienne Tam, Gigi Leung
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
7900
Current students***:
33900
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Applied and professional focus, strong design, engineering and hospitality schools, English as language of instruction, central Hung Hom campus.
Cons
Compact urban campus, competitive admission, high cost of housing in Hong Kong.
Best For
Students who want an applied, professionally oriented university in Hong Kong, strong in engineering, design, hospitality and health.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
For students who like the life sciences, data analytics and engineering focus of this university but want another option nearby, University of Hong Kong fits well: it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
Another national school that puts life sciences, data analytics and software engineering at the centre is Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers finance and chemistry as well.
In terms of fields, Chinese University of Hong Kong is the nearest neighbour, with life sciences, data analytics and engineering again at the core; it covers finance and chemistry as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 21,110 students against roughly 33,900 here.
In terms of fields, City University of Hong Kong is the nearest neighbour, with materials, life sciences and data analytics again at the core; it is also a public institution and does not run the mba programmes found here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
For a study option in Australia with a comparable spread of industrial design, civil engineering and life sciences, University of Technology Sydney is the reference point: it is also a public institution and also offers graduate certificate and graduate diploma programmes.
Looking internationally, National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan is where industrial design, civil engineering and materials get a comparable treatment; it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers electrical and electronics as well.
Abroad, Queensland University of Technology (Australia) covers industrial design, civil engineering and life sciences in a comparable way, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers finance and robotics as well.
Indiana University Indianapolis in the United States shares the life sciences, data analytics and software engineering orientation of this institution, and it is slightly smaller, at about 29,390 students against roughly 33,900 here, and is also a public institution.
Looking internationally, George Mason University in the United States is where life sciences, data analytics and software engineering get a comparable treatment; it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers finance and statistics as well.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is PolyU?
At 11 Yuk Choi Road in Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
When was it founded?
Its roots lie in the Government Trade School of 1937, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic was established on 24 March 1972.
When did it become a university?
On 25 November 1994.
When did the Hung Hom campus open?
In 1957.
How many students does it have?
Around 33,900.
How many faculties does it have?
Seven, from Business to Science, plus four schools.
Which schools does it have?
The School of Design, the School of Fashion and Textiles, the School of Hotel and Tourism Management and the Graduate School.
What is the College of Undergraduate Studies?
A college established in 2025.
Which well-known people studied there?
Li Qiang, Leung Chun-ying, Wong Kar-wai and Vivienne Tam, among others.
What does it cost?
Fees differ for local and non-local students. Check the current tariff.
Architecture, Design Thinking, Engineering, Innovation, Research and Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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