383 Medical School Dropouts... 80% from Regional Institutions

301 Dropouts at Regional Medical Schools:
67 in Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam, 66 in Chungcheong

Expanded Regional Talent Admissions
Likely Driving Renewed Attempts at Metropolitan Medical Schools

Last year, a total of 383 students dropped out from medical schools nationwide in South Korea. Of these, 80% were students from regional medical schools. Experts analyze that this is due to an increasing number of students attempting to re-enter metropolitan area medical schools after initially enrolling in regional ones.

[Photo by Seoul National University] Seoul National University

On September 6, according to an analysis by Jongro Academy of dropout statistics disclosed on the University Information website, the number of students who dropped out mid-course from 39 medical schools nationwide in 2025 stood at 383.

This is similar to the 386 dropouts recorded in 2024, when medical school admission quotas were significantly expanded.

Compared to 2022, prior to the quota expansion, when the number was 178, this marks an increase of 205 students, or 115.2%.

In particular, dropouts were concentrated in regional medical schools. Last year, regional medical schools accounted for 301 dropouts, representing 78.6% of the total. Meanwhile, Seoul accounted for 48 dropouts (12.5%) and the Gyeongin area for 34 (8.9%).

By region, Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam had the highest number with 67, followed by the Chungcheong region with 66, Daegu-Gyeongbuk with 56, Gangwon with 51, Honam with 49, and Jeju with 12.

Many regions saw a significant increase in dropouts compared to before the expansion of admission quotas. In the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam area, the number rose from 27 in 2022 to 67 last year, an approximately 2.5-fold increase. During the same period, the Chungcheong region increased from 28 to 66, and Daegu-Gyeongbuk from 19 to 56.

By university, Kangwon National University recorded the highest number of dropouts at 22, followed by Wonkwang University with 18, Gyeongsang National University and Dankook University Cheonan campus with 17 each, and Hanyang University with 16. Among the top five universities with the most dropouts, four were located in regional areas. By contrast, Seoul National University, Korea University, Ewha Womans University, and Konyang University each saw only two dropouts, the lowest number.

Industry experts point to attempts to re-enter metropolitan area medical schools from regional ones as one of the main reasons for the increase in dropouts from regional medical schools.

With an increase in admissions for regional talent initiatives, more local students have the opportunity to enter regional medical schools. However, after enrollment, there is a trend of students retaking the college entrance exam to transfer to more preferred medical schools in metropolitan areas such as Seoul.

The introduction of a regional physician system, which will begin in the 2027 academic year, is expected to become another variable. Jongro Academy stated, "With the regional physician system, opportunities for admission to medical schools among regional students will further expand, and considering the current trend, these entrants are also likely to increasingly move from regional medical schools to top-ranked medical schools."

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