Seoul National and Yonsei University Early Admission Competition Rates Fall... Korea University Sees Slight Increase

Applicants for the Three Universities Decrease by 3.2% Compared to the Previous Year

The competition rate for the early admission process at Seoul National University and Yonsei University for the 2027 academic year has decreased compared to last year. In contrast, Korea University saw a slight increase in competition as the number of applicants grew.

According to Jongro Academy on September 9, the number of applicants for the early admissions at Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University, which closed on this day, reached a total of 103,014, which is a decrease of 3,363 (3.2%) from the previous year's 106,377 applicants. The average competition rate for these three universities fell from 14.93 to 1 last year to 14.40 to 1 this year.

Seoul National University received 16,487 applications, resulting in a competition rate of 7.37 to 1, down from 8.12 to 1 last year. Yonsei University saw 30,652 applicants, with the competition rate dropping from 15.10 to 1 last year to 14.02 to 1 this year. On the other hand, Korea University received 55,875 applications, an increase of 866 from last year. The competition rate also rose slightly from 20.35 to 1 last year to 20.46 to 1 this year.

A parent is reviewing related materials at the 2027 College Entrance Examination Forecast Seminar hosted by a private tutoring company. Photo by Yonhap News

By department, Seoul National University's General Admission for the Department of Sociology recorded a high competition rate of 18.60 to 1. The General Admission for the Department of Social Welfare stood at 16.57 to 1, the Department of Applied Biology and Chemistry at 15.80 to 1, and the Department of Biosystems and Biomaterials Science and Engineering at 14.70 to 1.

At Yonsei University, the Essay-Based Admission for the Department of Business Administration reached a competition rate of 100.20 to 1. The Essay-Based Admission for the Department of Truth and Freedom Studies (Humanities) was 88.50 to 1, for the College of Pharmacy it was 87.00 to 1, and for the Department of Media, Public Relations, and Video Studies it was 85.60 to 1.

For Korea University, the highest competition rate was for the Essay-Based Admission at the School of Business at 198.33 to 1. The Essay-Based Admission for the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies recorded 114.20 to 1, the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering was 110.30 to 1, and the Department of Mechanical Engineering was 91.15 to 1.

Jongro Academy analyzed that the trend toward stable applications among examinees during the early admissions, as well as the regional doctor recruitment at local medical schools dispersing top-ranked students, affected the results. They also noted that, since the 2027 academic year marks the last year under the current admissions system, students may have refrained from making excessive reach applications.

From the 2028 academic year, the college entrance system will undergo major changes, with the removal of subject choices in Korean, Math, and Science from the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) and a complete overhaul of high school academic records to a five-tier grading system.

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