Lingnan University
嶺南大學
Hong Kong's small liberal arts university, with roots in 1888 Guangzhou and ten residential hostels on one Tuen Mun campus.
- Students
- 7,549
- 3,868 undergraduates
- International
- 61%
- of students
- Tuition
- HK$175K
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1888
About Lingnan
Lingnan University traces its heritage to a college founded in Guangzhou in 1888. After the mainland institution closed, alumni re-established it in Hong Kong in 1967 as Lingnan College; it moved to its present campus in Tuen Mun in 1995, gained self-accrediting status in 1998 and became Lingnan University in 1999. It describes itself as a research-intensive liberal arts university, and with about 7,500 students it is one of the smallest public universities in Hong Kong.
Teaching is organised into the Faculties of Arts, Business and Social Sciences, the School of Data Science, the Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies and the School of Graduate Studies. Undergraduate degrees range from philosophy, translation, cultural studies and film to economics, psychology, finance and data science, and all first-year students take a compulsory generative AI course. The business faculty has been AACSB-accredited since 2011.
Lingnan's campus is fully residential in spirit: ten hostels house about 2,600 students and residential life is part of the education. Non-local applicants apply directly (not through JUPAS) with IB, A-levels, SAT and other international qualifications, and are automatically considered for scholarships of up to full tuition, hostel and living expenses. It suits students who want small classes, a close campus community and a broad arts and sciences education in English.
作育英才，服務社會
“Education for Service” — university motto
Why students choose Lingnan
Non-local applicants to UGC-funded first-year programmes are automatically considered for scholarships up to a full award covering tuition, hostel and partial living expenses.
Ten on-campus hostels with about 2,600 places put residential life at the centre of the Lingnan experience.
Lingnan ranked 1st in the world for Quality Education (SDG 4) in the THE Impact Rankings 2025 and kept the top spot in THE's 2026 Sustainability Impact Ratings.
Unusual degrees such as Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence, Social Data Science and Global Development and Sustainability sit alongside classic liberal arts majors.
Admissions
2027 entry (non-JUPAS admission for overseas and Mainland applicants with international qualifications)
Selectivity
Lingnan does not publish an admit rate for non-local applicants.
Typical entry requirements
| International qualifications | IB Diploma, GCE A-level/IAL, HKDSE or selected national curricula meeting Lingnan's minimum requirements; programme-specific requirements may apply |
|---|---|
| English | One of IELTS, TOEFL, IB English, GCE/GCSE/IGCSE English and others, e.g. IELTS Academic overall 6.0 (One Skill Retake accepted) |
| English language | IELTS 6 IELTS Academic overall 6.0 is the example minimum given; TOEFL, IB English and GCE/GCSE/IGCSE English are also accepted. |
Deadlines
- Early Round Non-binding Next deadline · In 55 days30 November 2026
Applications open 8 October 2026.
- Main Round Non-binding In ~5 months28 February 2027
- Final Round (non-local applicants) Non-binding In ~9 months30 June 2027
Final deadline for non-local applicants.
Dates are from Lingnan's page for overseas, Mainland and transfer applicants holding international qualifications (2027 entry). Mainland Gaokao applicants and elite athletes have separate schemes.
How to apply
Apply online through Lingnan's Online Admission System from 8 October 2026 (HK$200 per programme choice). Upload transcripts and a reference letter (or have the referee email it), and ask the IB, College Board or ACT to send scores directly. Applicants must complete the process themselves: Lingnan has not authorised any agents for undergraduate admissions.
What admissions looks for
- Results in a recognised qualification such as the IB, A-levels or a national curriculum.
- English proficiency at or above the stated minimum (for example IELTS 6.0).
- A reference letter or confidential report supporting the application.
- For scholarships, outstanding academic results, which are considered automatically.
Tips for applying to Lingnan
- 1 Apply in the Early Round by 30 November 2026 if you can, since places and scholarships are awarded across rounds.
- 2 Ask your IB, SAT, AP or ACT board to send scores to Lingnan directly; uploaded copies are not enough for those exams.
- 3 You don't need a separate scholarship application: non-local applicants to UGC-funded first-year programmes are considered automatically.
- 4 Use Lingnan's own online system and do the application yourself: the university has not authorised any third party to handle undergraduate admissions.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in HKD
Non-local applicants to UGC-funded first-year programmes are automatically considered for Lingnan University Non-local Student Scholarships: a full scholarship (tuition, hostel and partial living expenses), a full-tuition scholarship or a half-tuition scholarship, renewable for the normal length of study. Many departments, including Data Science, Business, Philosophy and Psychology, offer their own entrance scholarships.
- Full (tuition, hostel, partial living costs), full-tuition or half-tuition; renewable
- Non-local Student Scholarships
- About HK$12,100 to HK$16,360 per year
- Hostel fee, UGC-funded undergraduates (2025-26)
- HK$700
- Student visa fee (non-local)
Academics
Academic calendar: Two terms per academic year (tuition paid in two instalments)
Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence (BA)
Pairs Lingnan's respected philosophy department (moral philosophy, logic, philosophy of science) with AI.
Data Science (BSc)
The LEO Dr David P. Chan BSc in Data Science offers entrance scholarships to all eligible Year 1 students, local and non-local.
Bachelor of Business Administration
AACSB-accredited since 2011, with majors from accounting and corporate governance to marketing and social media.
Translation (BA)
Builds on the Faculty of Arts' bilingual Chinese-English strength; a related degree adds cross-cultural studies and corporate communication.
Cultural Studies (BA)
Taught by a department known for work on youth cultures, gender and ethnicity, and Asian cinema.
Global Development and Sustainability (BLA)
An interdisciplinary liberal arts degree from the Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies, with its own named scholarships.
Research
- In 2025 Lingnan became the first higher education institution in Asia to host a United Nations University hub, the UNU Hub on Humanitarian Innovation and Technology, whose plaque was unveiled on 25 October 2025.
- All 14 Lingnan projects at the Silicon Valley International Invention Festival 2026 won medals (8 gold, 6 silver), the most awards and golds of any Hong Kong institution.
- Recent additions include the Lingnan Institute for Advanced Study, the School of Data Science and the Lingnan HPC NexT high-performance computing centre.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Business
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- School of Data Science
- Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies
- School of Graduate Studies
Student life
Lingnan's compact campus at Fu Tei, Tuen Mun, has ten hostels with about 2,600 places, and hostel life is treated as part of the education: each hall is run by a professor with resident tutors, and students study, share rooms, run clubs and organise events together. Rooms are doubles or triples. Beyond Tuen Mun, the university has two satellite venues in Kowloon for teaching and research. Its small size means students can make use of exchange places and campus resources more easily than at larger universities.
- Ten hostel blocks with about 2,600 places, each managed by a professor with senior tutors and mentors.
- Every undergraduate takes a course in Generative Artificial Intelligence, and students get free access to ChatGPT.
- Students admitted to the Samuel C.C. Ting Elite Class get full tuition support and a guaranteed hostel place with fees covered for four years.
- Service learning and community service reflect the motto Education for Service.
Housing. Lingnan's ten hostels offer about 2,600 places in double and triple rooms; the 2025-26 fee for UGC-funded undergraduates was about HK$12,100 to 16,360 a year, with hostel results announced around July or August.
Location
Lingnan is at 8 Castle Peak Road in Tuen Mun, in Hong Kong's north-western New Territories, with green hills around the campus and the MTR at Siu Hong station nearby. It is quieter and more residential than the university districts of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, and the university's two satellite venues in Kowloon give students a base in the urban core.
Nearest airport: Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
Notable alumni
- AC Anna ChennaultSenior adviser to the US government on China policy; BA in Chinese from Lingnan (1944, wartime campus)
- GC Gregory ChowEconomist, Princeton professor of political economy; spent a year at Lingnan in Guangzhou before Cornell
- WC Wing-tsit ChanScholar of Chinese philosophy at Dartmouth College; bachelor's from Lingnan (then Canton Christian College)
- LY Liang Yusheng (Chen Wentong)Wuxia novelist; graduated from Lingnan in Guangzhou in 1948 (international economics)
- DL David LamLieutenant Governor of British Columbia, Canada; Lingnan economics graduate (1947)
- TL Terence LamHong Kong singer-songwriter and producer; BA in Contemporary English Studies (2013)
- BC Benny Chan Ho-manActor and singer; Lingnan social sciences graduate
Frequently asked questions
How do international students apply to Lingnan University?
Directly through Lingnan's Online Admission System, not JUPAS. Applications for 2027 entry open on 8 October 2026, with rounds closing on 30 November 2026, 28 February 2027 and (for non-local applicants) 30 June 2027.
How much is tuition at Lingnan for non-local students?
HK$175,000 a year for UGC-funded programmes in 2026-27. Self-financed programmes cost between HK$100,000 and HK$175,000 a year for non-local students.
What IELTS score does Lingnan require?
The example minimum is an IELTS Academic overall band of 6.0, and One Skill Retake is accepted. TOEFL, IB English and GCE/GCSE/IGCSE English are also recognised.
Does Lingnan offer scholarships to international students?
Yes. Non-local applicants to UGC-funded first-year programmes are automatically considered for full, full-tuition and half-tuition scholarships, renewable for the length of the degree.
Can I live on campus at Lingnan?
Lingnan has ten hostels with about 2,600 places and treats residential life as part of its education. Hostel fees for UGC-funded undergraduates were about HK$12,100 to 16,360 a year in 2025-26.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
- QS World University Rankings 2027 (topuniversities.com)
- THE World University Rankings 2026
- ShanghaiRanking ARWU 2026
- Lingnan University: University Statistics Booklet 2025 (PDF)
- Lingnan University: Overseas, Mainland and transfer applicants holding international qualifications
- Lingnan University: Fees and scholarships
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