Employment Rate Gap Between Seoul and Regional Universities Hits Six-Year Low... Humanities-Natural Sciences Divide Also Narrows

Employment Rate for Seoul-Based University Graduates at 65.1%
Sogang University Leads Humanities, Sungkyunkwan University Tops Natural Sciences
Regional Universities at 59.9%... 5.2 Percentage Point Gap with Seoul-Based Institutions

Last year, the employment rate gap between universities in Seoul and those in regional areas narrowed to the 5 percentage point range, marking the lowest level in the past six years. While a preference for natural sciences remains, the employment rate gap between humanities and natural sciences also reached its smallest level in a decade.

According to an analysis by Jongro Academy of data published on the University Information Disclosure website on the 25th, the average employment rate for graduates of Seoul-based universities last year was 65.1%, compared to 59.9% for regional universities. The gap between the two was 5.2 percentage points, the smallest since 2020, when it was 6.4 percentage points.

Job seekers visiting the '2025 Public Institution Job Fair' held on the 14th at the aT Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, are reviewing job postings. Photo by Yonhap News

The employment rate gap between Seoul and regional universities peaked at 7.5 percentage points in 2021, then decreased to 7.2 percentage points in 2022, 6.1 percentage points in 2023, and 5.9 percentage points in 2024, showing a steady downward trend each year. This is attributed to the relatively greater decline in employment rates at Seoul-based universities, rather than significant improvements in employment conditions at regional universities.

Lim Sung-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy, explained, "The employment rate at Seoul-based universities dropped from 65.9% in 2020 to 65.1% last year, while during the same period, the rate at regional universities rose slightly from 59.5% to 59.9%." He added, "If recruitment by local public institutions and companies expands in the future, the gap may narrow even further."

The employment rate gap by academic field also decreased. Last year, the employment rate for natural sciences was 63.3%, while for humanities it was 59.9%. The gap of 3.4 percentage points was the smallest in the past ten years.

CEO Lim analyzed, "With the rise of double majors and the growing demand for convergent talent in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), the previous preference for natural sciences may change."

Even among the top ten universities in Seoul, employment rates by academic field varied. Among these universities, there were eight humanities departments and five natural sciences departments with employment rates below 70%.

For humanities, the highest employment rates were at Sogang University (73.4%), Seoul National University (70.3%), and Korea University (69.4%). For natural sciences, the top rates were at Sungkyunkwan University (74.0%), Sogang University (72.5%), and Korea University and Hanyang University (72.1%).

By region, universities in the Chungcheong area recorded the highest employment rate among regional universities at 62.6%, followed by Gangwon (60.6%), Jeju (59.5%), Honam (58.8%), and the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam area (58.3%).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.