The Power of the Semiconductor Boom: "Samsung-SK hynix" Contract Departments Surpass Seoul National University's College of Natural Sciences in Admissions Cutoff

Some Semiconductor Departments Surpass Regional Medical School Admission Scores

The average score for regular admissions to semiconductor contract departments, which guarantee employment at Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, has surpassed that of the College of Natural Sciences at Seoul National University and is now approaching the level required for medical schools. This shift in admissions preferences among university applicants is being interpreted as a response to the continued demand for key talent at Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, as well as frequent reports of performance bonuses reaching hundreds of millions of won, despite the ongoing job market difficulties.

According to Jongro Academy on June 21, the average score in Korean, mathematics, and science for successful applicants to the semiconductor departments at Seoul-based universities—including Yonsei University, Korea University, Hanyang University, Sungkyunkwan University, and Sogang University—for the 2026 regular admissions cycle was 96.2 points. This slightly surpassed the average score for successful applicants to the College of Natural Sciences at Seoul National University, which was 95.8 points.

By university, Hanyang University's Department of Semiconductor Engineering had the highest average score at 98.0 points, followed by Korea University (97.0 points), Sungkyunkwan University (96.0 points), and Sogang University and Yonsei University (each with 95.0 points).

By company, the average score for the semiconductor contract departments at Korea University, Sogang University, and Hanyang University—which have recruitment agreements with SK hynix—was 96.7 points. This was 1.2 points higher than the average score at Yonsei University and Sungkyunkwan University, which have agreements with Samsung Electronics (95.5 points).

The semiconductor contract departments are now aiming to match the admission cutoffs for the most competitive science tracks, such as medical schools. For the 2026 admissions cycle, the average regular admission score for regional medical schools was 97.2 points, which is lower than that of Hanyang University's semiconductor engineering program and about the same as Korea University's semiconductor engineering program. The gap is also small compared to the average admission scores for medical schools in the greater Seoul area (99.0 points) and Seoul proper (98.8 points).

Industry observers note that, with the introduction of the regional physician quota system and the resulting increase in medical school seats for the 2027 admissions cycle, it is possible that the average acceptance score for semiconductor contract departments may surpass that of medical schools.

Im Seong-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy, stated, "If a student is accepted to both a semiconductor contract department and a medical school, it will be interesting to see which they choose. Depending on this choice, there could be significant changes in the admission cutoffs for both contract departments and medical schools." He added, "Given the current situation, if a student were to be admitted to both a contract department and the College of Engineering at Seoul National University, there may be an increasing number of students choosing the contract department."

Yonhap News Agency

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