School leavers, who are unable to pursue the traditional higher education route, are turning to associate degrees and top-up degrees.
As the government pushes to make higher education more accessible, institutions are turning their attention to this growing market to meet the needs of students who are proving that higher education need not be the preserve of the elite.
'Continuing education providers are no longer only providing programmes for working adults. They are also offering programmes for secondary school leavers as this market is growing much more quickly,' says Dr Simon Wong, dean of Baptist University's School of Continuing Education.
Baptist University, the first tertiary institution to offer associate degree programmes in Hong Kong, has seen enrolment numbers in this area surge tenfold to 3,000 students, from just 300 in 1999.
Modelled on the North American community college system, Baptist University's associate degree is a two-year programme focusing on general education.
Graduates can then automatically move on to one of 26 partnering institutions in the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada to obtain a full bachelor's degree on completion of a further two years of study.
Business, accountancy, marketing, communication, psychology and physical education are some of the more popular subjects for associate degrees.