Hong Kong private secondary schools surge on university appeal
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago1 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong has recorded a marked rise in private secondary schools over the past five years, as families seek alternatives to mainstream curricula and operators move to capture demand linked to the city’s university appeal. Education authorities and school leaders say changing parental preferences, economic conditions and the stronger reputation of Hong Kong universities are all contributing to the expansion
Key Points
- Education Bureau figures show private secondary schools rose from 16 in 2021-22 to 25 in 2025-26, an increase of 56.3 per cent
- Over the same period, private primary schools increased more modestly, from 62 to 65, representing growth of 4.8 per cent
- Private schools offering non-local curricula typically charge HK$100,000 to HK$300,000 a year and receive no government land grants
- Unlike international schools and private independent schools, these operators face no cap on local-to-non-local enrolment ratios
- St Bees (Anchors) Sixth Form College plans to open at Coronation Circle in West Kowloon for the 2027-28 academic year
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong families, the expansion means more curriculum choices outside the traditional system, but often at fee levels that limit access to higher-income households. For the city, operators are betting that Hong Kong’s universities can help sustain demand from local, mainland Chinese and overseas students despite wider geopolitical uncertainty