Having split from North Korea in 1948 into a separately governed country, South Korea has diverged considerably from its neighbor, developing into an internationally recognized Asian powerhouse in the fields of technology, education and tourism, to name but a few of its strengths. Embracing both tradition and modernity, this ‘Asian Tiger’ has much to offer international students, and capital city Seoul is currently ranked among the world’s top 10 student cities.
Investment in education and research has been at the heart of the South Korea's growth into the world’s 13th largest economy and the third largest economy within Asia. It’s this investment and growth in innovation and technology that has meant the country is known as one of the four ‘Asian Tiger’ economies, alongside Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.
In 2004 the South Korean government set a target of attracting 100,000 foreign students to its universities by 2012, and by 2011 the country had enrolled over 85,000 international students from 171 different countries. Now the initiative has sets its sights even higher, with an aim of 200,000 international students by 2020.
As part of this ongoing focus on internationalization, several universities in South Korea, including Yonsei University, are opening new international campuses to meet growing demand, while five universities have opened branch campuses at the Incheon Global Campus (IGC), including the State University of New York (SUNY).
Universities in South Korea
Universities in South Korea
Currently there are more than 370 official South Korean higher education providers, including 179 private universities and 43 national universities. The country boasts no less than six top-20 entries and 54 representatives in total in the QS University Rankings: Asia 2016, and 30 ranked institutions overall in the QS World University Rankings 2016-2017®, including four new entries. Read on to find out more about some of the top universities in South Korea.
Seoul National University
The highest ranked university in South Korea, Seoul National University is placed 35th in the QS World University Rankings 2016-2017® and 10th in the QS University Rankings: Asia 2016. Founded in 1946 as South Korea’s first national university, Seoul National University is one of the three prestigious “SKY” universities and provides research-led liberal education to over 30,000 students from undergraduate to PhD level. According to data collected by the Korean Educational Development Institute, Seoul National University spends more on its students per capita than any other Korean university with more than 10,000 students.
The school has two campuses in the city of Seoul – one in Gwanak on the southern side of the city and one within the city center in the district of Jongno, which is also the largest campus in the capital. Seoul National University also has an impressive portfolio of international partnerships; as many as 273 universities in 56 countries collaborate with the school.
KAIST – Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology
Situated in Daejeon, KAIST – Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology is the second-highest ranked Korean institution. A public research university with a current student population of just over 10,000, KAIST was established as the nation’s first research-led science and engineering institution. It ranks joint 46th in the QS World University Rankings and 6th in the QS University Rankings: Asia 2016. It also comes third in the QS Top 50 Under 50, a ranking of the world’s leading universities under 50 years old. The majority of programs at KAIST are within STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields, and the university ranks among the world’s top 100 institutions in 15 subjects.
Just over a two-hour train ride south of the capital, KAIST is part of the technology hub of the city of Daejeon, the fifth largest metropolis in South Korea and among the contenders for the title ‘Asia’s Silicon Valley’.
Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
Another university offering a science and technology-focused curriculum, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) is a private research university ranked 83rd in the world, 12th in the Asia ranking, and fifth in the QS Top 50 Under 50. POSTECH’s vast 378 acre ‘smart campus’, located 20 minutes’ drive from downtown Pohang, includes not only all the usual facilities – student accommodation, cafés and so on – but also a digital library, a sports multiplex, beautiful gardens and water features, a sculpture park and a pub called the Log Cabin, which, true to its name, is built entirely from logs. There are also the renowned “78 stairs of horror”, which must be climbed to get from the dormitories to the lecture rooms – rather a daunting prospect if you’re running late for class.
POSTECH was the first South Korean university to be officially labeled a bilingual campus in 2010, with the majority of events and programs at junior, senior and graduate level taught in both Korean and English.
Korea University
The third private research institution included in the “SKY” trio, ranked joint 98th in the world and 16th in the Asia rankings, Korea University has a long-held rivalry with Yonsei University which is reflected in the many competitive sporting events between the two. Korea University currently has a student body of nearly 37,500, and, of its faculty of 1,500, over 95% hold a PhD or equivalent within their field. The school’s college of law is reputed for offering one of the most prestigious undergraduate law programs in the country. The university, which boasts an Olympic-sized ice rink within its campus, also ranks highly for social policy and administration, modern languages and communication and media studies.
Located in Seoul, Korea University is departmentally divided across the city, with its main Anam campus just minutes away from a popular selection of restaurants, bars, shops and cultural attractions, including a famous Buddhist temple.
Seoul National University
The highest ranked university in South Korea, Seoul National University is placed 35th in the QS World University Rankings 2016-2017® and 10th in the QS University Rankings: Asia 2016. Founded in 1946 as South Korea’s first national university, Seoul National University is one of the three prestigious “SKY” universities and provides research-led liberal education to over 30,000 students from undergraduate to PhD level. According to data collected by the Korean Educational Development Institute, Seoul National University spends more on its students per capita than any other Korean university with more than 10,000 students.
The school has two campuses in the city of Seoul – one in Gwanak on the southern side of the city and one within the city center in the district of Jongno, which is also the largest campus in the capital. Seoul National University also has an impressive portfolio of international partnerships; as many as 273 universities in 56 countries collaborate with the school.
KAIST – Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology
Situated in Daejeon, KAIST – Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology is the second-highest ranked Korean institution. A public research university with a current student population of just over 10,000, KAIST was established as the nation’s first research-led science and engineering institution. It ranks joint 46th in the QS World University Rankings and 6th in the QS University Rankings: Asia 2016. It also comes third in the QS Top 50 Under 50, a ranking of the world’s leading universities under 50 years old. The majority of programs at KAIST are within STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields, and the university ranks among the world’s top 100 institutions in 15 subjects.
Just over a two-hour train ride south of the capital, KAIST is part of the technology hub of the city of Daejeon, the fifth largest metropolis in South Korea and among the contenders for the title ‘Asia’s Silicon Valley’.
Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
Another university offering a science and technology-focused curriculum, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) is a private research university ranked 83rd in the world, 12th in the Asia ranking, and fifth in the QS Top 50 Under 50. POSTECH’s vast 378 acre ‘smart campus’, located 20 minutes’ drive from downtown Pohang, includes not only all the usual facilities – student accommodation, cafés and so on – but also a digital library, a sports multiplex, beautiful gardens and water features, a sculpture park and a pub called the Log Cabin, which, true to its name, is built entirely from logs. There are also the renowned “78 stairs of horror”, which must be climbed to get from the dormitories to the lecture rooms – rather a daunting prospect if you’re running late for class.
POSTECH was the first South Korean university to be officially labeled a bilingual campus in 2010, with the majority of events and programs at junior, senior and graduate level taught in both Korean and English.
Korea University
The third private research institution included in the “SKY” trio, ranked joint 98th in the world and 16th in the Asia rankings, Korea University has a long-held rivalry with Yonsei University which is reflected in the many competitive sporting events between the two. Korea University currently has a student body of nearly 37,500, and, of its faculty of 1,500, over 95% hold a PhD or equivalent within their field. The school’s college of law is reputed for offering one of the most prestigious undergraduate law programs in the country. The university, which boasts an Olympic-sized ice rink within its campus, also ranks highly for social policy and administration, modern languages and communication and media studies.
Located in Seoul, Korea University is departmentally divided across the city, with its main Anam campus just minutes away from a popular selection of restaurants, bars, shops and cultural attractions, including a famous Buddhist temple.
Sungkyunkwan University
Ranked joint 106th (up 12 places) this year in the global rankings and 19th in Asia, Sungkyunkwan University is another private institution which has two main campuses, the Humanities and Social Sciences campus in Seoul and the Natural Sciences campus further south in Suwon. The university has a long history dating back to its founding in 1398 by the Joseon Dynasty, and today has around 34,700 students enrolled. Sungkyunkwan is considered to have one of the best medical schools in the country (ranked 101-150 globally in the subject rankings and second in South Korea), which is affiliated with the world-famous Samsung Medical Center. The university appears among the world’s best for a further 27 subjects, including the top 50 for modern languages and social policy and administration.
Ranked joint 106th (up 12 places) this year in the global rankings and 19th in Asia, Sungkyunkwan University is another private institution which has two main campuses, the Humanities and Social Sciences campus in Seoul and the Natural Sciences campus further south in Suwon. The university has a long history dating back to its founding in 1398 by the Joseon Dynasty, and today has around 34,700 students enrolled. Sungkyunkwan is considered to have one of the best medical schools in the country (ranked 101-150 globally in the subject rankings and second in South Korea), which is affiliated with the world-famous Samsung Medical Center. The university appears among the world’s best for a further 27 subjects, including the top 50 for modern languages and social policy and administration.
Other universities in South Korea
Also placing within the global top 400 are Yonsei University (112th in the world rankings and 18th in the Asia rankings), Sungkyunkwan University (118th in the world; 19th in the Asia rankings), Hanyang University (193rd in the world; 30th in Asia), Kyung Hee University (joint 295th in the world; 37th in Asia), and Ewha Womans University (354th in the world; 46th in Asia). All – with the exception of Kyung Hee University – are located in the capital, proving that Seoul really is a higher education hub.
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