- Following the 2025 HKDSE results, over 60% of students are exploring alternative pathways, with overseas education seeing a significant rise.
- IDP Education's GO Overseas Expo offers direct access to 110+ global universities, with tailored guidance on admissions, IELTS, and career-focused programs like AI and veterinary medicine.
- AI and veterinary studies abroad are gaining popularity due to flexible entry requirements and global career potential, with IDP achieving a 90% admission success rate to top universities.
The announcement of the 2025 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) results was a turning point for some 55,000 students planning their higher education and career routes. Based on the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority, some 38.5% of candidates have passed the minimum university entrance requirements in Hong Kong. This translates to almost 60% of students will be exploring alternative pathways of which the growing trend of overseas education is particularly noteworthy. In response to increasing demand, IDP Education, the world leader in international student placement services, is organizing its flagship IDP GO Overseas Education Expo on July 16, 19, and 20, providing students and parents with the chance to engage directly with overseas university delegates, gain admission guidance, and explore customized study options.
"Families now are thinking more about international reputation, post-graduation career opportunities, and long-term career progression than purely affordability", said Emily Yip, IDP Hong Kong's Destination Manager for Australia and New Zealand. Our job is to assist students in turning their dreams into possible outcomes by taking them through each stage of the foreign admissions process.The company has achieved a 90% success rate of admissions to highly ranked universities, assisting Hong Kong students in pursuing international opportunities in medicine, law, veterinary medicine, and new areas such as artificial intelligence (AI).
Education in AI, specifically, has experienced explosive expansion in 2025. A 40% increase in AI-related enquiries at IDP captures the clamorous thirst for talent across the spectrums from intelligent healthcare to autonomous systems. "Through our professional assessment, we guided a DSE student who initially failed admission to nutrition and dietetics courses and ultimately transitioned successfully to studying AI. We outlined the sector's rapid growth curve and broad range of career paths, This change has set the student up to succeed in the future. At IDP, we're dedicated to unlocking students' potential through tailored, future-oriented academic planning", Yip said.
There are just two Hong Kong institutions that currently have AI-specific undergraduate degrees, but foreign universities are quickly developing and diversifying their AI programs. Schools such as King's College London, Monash University, Macquarie University, and the University of Technology Sydney are leading the way in interdisciplinary AI studies that combine computer science with business, medicine, and liberal arts. A lot of these foreign programs have more flexible admission requirements than their Hong Kong counterparts, and they are thus becoming more popular among students with modest HKDSE scores.
Veterinary medicine is also gaining increased popularity. With just City University of Hong Kong providing a highly competitive veterinary degree, students are venturing abroad for more affordable options. "Today's programs are more than just clinical skills, with public health and pandemic preparedness included in the curriculum, studying overseas is not just about easier entry it is about preparing future vets with international vision and specialist skill to service new industry needs", Yip stated.Universities like the University of Edinburgh and the University of Sydney provide world-class veterinary degrees with reduced entry points and post-licensure practice eligibility on graduation in Hong Kong.
Fred Leung, IDP Hong Kong Destination Manager UK, Canada and Ireland, asserted the importance of seeking professional advice in dealing with complicated veterinary applications. "IDP education advisers offer full support from checking subject requirements to ensuring program accreditation by the Veterinary Surgeons Board of Hong Kong", he explained.
With international routes now closing the gap for HKDSE students with 20-25 scores, timely assistance comes from the IDP GO Overseas Education Expo. At Cordis Hong Kong, the gathering brings together more than 110 international schools along with one-to-one consultations, professional seminars, in-centre application privileges, and special IELTS support services. "With over 900,000 students counseled worldwide and decades of local knowledge, IDP is delighted to be the partner of choice for students and families to navigate the complicated landscape of international education", Yip added.
