Regulatory Framework

All institutions providing post-secondary programmes are subject to the regulation of relevant ordinances. At present there are 22 local degree awarding institutions, of which 13 are self-financing. 

The self-financing post-secondary education sector primarily consists of the following components -

1. Local degree-awarding self-financing post-secondary institutions including approved post-secondary colleges registered under the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance (Cap. 320)   , Hong Kong Metropolitan University, which is a statutory institution operating on a self-financing basis and the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, Vocational Training Council;

2. Operators of locally-accredited self-financing post-secondary programmes including institutions registered under Education Ordinance (Cap. 279)  and non-local programmes registered or exempted under the Non-Local Higher and Professional Education (Regulation) Ordinance (Cap. 493)  ; and

3. Publicly-funded post-secondary education institutions that offer self-financing post-secondary programmes primarily through their self-financing continuing and professional education arms or member institutions under their aegis.