In this guide, we look at the best universities in South Korea and highlight the top-ranked education institutions for both local Korean students and international students. The list of the best schools in South Korea is topped by Seoul National University and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Yonsei University.
South Korean schools ranked highly on the Times Higher Education and US World Rankings and Reports. Before we reveal the full rankings for Korean universities, let’s look at what attracts students to top universities in South Korea.
What Attracts Students to Universities in South Korea?
South Korea is very welcoming of international students. The Korean government recently announced a drastic decrease in population. This drop effectively means they don’t have enough students to fill their universities.
Many students have chosen a Korean academic institution because of its low tuition fees, high quality, and affordable education. The number of international students in South Korea rose steadily in the past decade. According to Statista, there were about 152,000 international students in 2021, while in 2011 there were only 89,540 international students in the country.
South Korea Schools Ranked: An Overview
| South Korea Rank | World Rank on Times Higher Education | World Rank on US News | Institution |
| 1 | 54 | 130 | Seoul National University |
| 2 | 99 | 280 | Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) |
| 3 | 122 | 230 | Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) |
| 4 | 151 | 317 | Yonsei University (Seoul campus) |
| 5 | 178 | 367 | Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) |
| 6 | 185 | 397 | Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) |
| 7 | 201-250 | 272 | Korea University |
| 8 | 251-300 | 525 | Kyung Hee University |
| 9 | 251-300 | 506 | Sejong University |
| 10 | 351-400 | 488 | Hanyang University |
The Best Universities in South Korea, Explained
The best universities in South Korea offer various fields of study in their academic departments. No matter what stage of education you’re in, you’ll find graduate courses, doctoral programs, and master’s degrees in a wide range of subjects from business administration to medical practices. Student satisfaction is high because of the high quality of education and their support in their host country.
1. Seoul National University
- Campus Location(s): Gwanak-gu, Jongno District, Gangwon-do
- Acceptance Rate: 15%
- Graduation Rate: N/A
- US News Country Rank: 1
Seoul University is one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea with many courses offered in the English language. This institution has about 26,871 students, 11 percent of whom are international students. Seoul National University is known for its agricultural sciences, natural sciences, biotechnology, applied microbiology, oncology, math, and physics programs. With a low admission rate, this university has a reputation for a tough admissions process.
2. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
- Campus Location(s): Deajeon, Seoul
- Acceptance Rate: 20%
- Graduation Rate: N/A
- US News Country Rank: 4
KAIST is located in the country’s regional hub, Daedeok Innopolis. This university has approximately 9,504 students and about 900 international students. It is a science-oriented national research university with an engineering institute.
Some of KAIST’s highly ranked courses are in the field of medicine and tech, including chemistry, computer science, engineering, biotechnology, and applied microbiology. This university stands out because of its flexible admissions requirements, course structure, and time commitments.
3. Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU)
- Campus Location(s): Seoul, Suwon
- Acceptance Rate: 25%
- Graduation Rate: N/A
- US News Country Rank: 2
Formed in 1397, Sungkyunkwan University is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions in Asia. This East Asian school has 23,104 total students, with about 4,313 international students. There is a healthy amount of undergraduate and doctoral degrees awarded, 3,867 and 558 respectively. Consider this university if you are interested in natural sciences, material sciences, oncology, energy, or fuel.
4. Yonsei University (Seoul campus)
- Campus Location(s): Seoul
- Acceptance Rate: 40%
- Graduation Rate: N/A
- US News Country Rank: 5
Yonsei University is a private institution and an excellent private research university. It has a strong Christian foundation, which seeks to educate future leaders in the spirit of Christianity. This is biochemistry, human health medicine, material science, and engineering institutions. The school also boasts excellent art facilities in media art, visual arts, cinema, and communication design.
5. Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
- Campus Location(s): Ulsan
- Acceptance Rate: 24%
- Graduation Rate: N/A
- US News Country Rank: 6
Ulsan National University is in South Korea’s industrial capital, Ulsan. It is one of the four universities dedicated to research in science and technology. This world-class university is renowned for its education in life sciences, engineering, and technology research. Computer science and physical sciences are also popular choices for many undergraduate students.
6. Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
- Campus Location(s): Pohang
- Acceptance Rate: 19%
- Graduation Rate: N/A
- US News Country Rank: 7
This specialized graduate school was founded in 1986, primarily for contributing to the nation and humanity by conducting in-depth research. POSTECH is one of the top research universities known for its basic science and engineering contributions. However, there is high competition over admission, as this elite university only accepts 320 first-year students across its 11 science and engineering departments.
7. Korea University
- Campus Location(s): Seoul
- Acceptance Rate: 25%
- Graduation Rate: 37%
- US News Country Rank: 3
Formerly known as Bosung College, Korea University has undergraduate and graduate schools that offer courses in a wide range of disciplines, including sciences and liberal arts. According to a Times Higher Education article, this school accepts over 4,500 international students.
Most of these international students take short-term courses so they have more time to explore the various regions of South Korea. Korea University also offers Korean language classes to international students who wish to learn a foreign language.
8. Kyung Hee University
- Campus Location(s): Seoul, Suwon
- Acceptance Rate: 50%
- Graduation Rate: N/A
- US News Country Rank: 10
Kyung Hee University is a private university research institution known for its basic and applied sciences research. This institution offers various programs for undergraduate and graduate students. KHU also provides non-degree programs for those looking for short-term programs.
International students will find the support programs useful as they offer language support, Kyung Hee tutoring, and disabled student support. However, private schools will have higher tuition fees and less affordable prices than public institutions, so students may have to seek employment to help pay these fees.
9. Sejong University
- Campus Location(s): Seoul
- Acceptance Rate: 30%
- Graduation Rate: N/A
- US News Country Rank: 9
Sejong University is easily one of South Korea’s most prestigious and distinguished academic institutions. Sejong has a couple of excellent colleges, but it’s renowned for its courses in hotel management, physical education, and animation. It also features a museum that houses over 5,000 artifacts and a large auditorium for about 2,000 people in the academic community.
10. Hanyang University
- Campus Location(s): Seoul, Ansan
- Acceptance Rate: 4%
- Graduation Rate: N/A
- US News Country Rank: 8
This private institution has approximately 23,581 and 11,052 registered students on its Seoul and ERICA campuses. Hanyang University has 25 colleges and 18 graduate schools distributed across these two famous cities.
The school achieved academic excellence in setting up Korea’s first engineering institute, offering an excellent engineering program, and it was the first to offer architecture and civil engineering. Hanyang University also provides high-quality business education in their school of business.
How We Created Our List of the Best Schools in South Korea
In order to create our list, we followed the Times Higher Education 2022 World University Rankings. This ranking was created by evaluating teaching, research, citations, international outlook, and industry outcomes of over 1,600 institutions from around the world. Complementary information was retrieved from the US News Best National University Rankings.
Is a Top University in South Korea Right for You?
A top university in Korea is right for you if you are interested in Korean society, Korean history, and employment prospects in Asian countries. Korean universities offer undergraduate level, graduate level, and postgraduate level programs in math, physics, medicine, engineering, or applied sciences.
The brightest students have graduated from the many courses offered in these prestigious universities. Foreign students look forward to enjoying different cultures and a different learning experiences. Furthermore, Korean citizens welcome international students into their country.
Best Universities in South Korea FAQ
Seoul National University is the number one university in Korea, according to Times Higher Education, US News, and World Report. Other universities topping the list of the best schools in South Korea are Sejong University, Korea University, and Sungkyunkwan University.
Hanyang University is the best university in Korea for international students, according to Times Higher Education. Other South Korean schools that ranked highly on the list for international students include Seoul National University, Kyung Hee University, Sungkyunkwan University, and Sejong University.
Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) is the hardest college to get into, according to Edurank.org. This college only accepts about 320 first-year students. Other colleges with relatively low acceptance rates include Seoul National University and Hanyang University.
The best subjects to study in South Korea include liberal arts, business, engineering, natural sciences, math, microbiology and social sciences. Korean universities also offer highly-rated academic programs in humanities, social studies, and business studies.
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