Seoul Medical School Rolling Admissions Hit 10-Year Low... "Dispersal to Regional Doctor Tracks and Semiconductor Majors"

In the 2027 academic year rolling admissions, the number of applicants to Seoul-based medical schools has dropped to its lowest point in the past 10 years. This trend is largely attributed to the expansion of regional selection quotas and the dispersal of applicants to other majors such as semiconductor departments.

According to Jongro Academy on September 20, the number of applicants for early admission to eight medical schools in Seoul for the 2027 academic year was 16,181, marking a 1.6% decrease from the previous year's 16,448. This is the lowest figure recorded in the last decade.

Compared to the peak of 23,876 applicants in the 2021 academic year, the number has declined by 32.2%. It also represents a 27.8% drop from the 22,409 applicants in the 2022 academic year.

The number of applicants from the Seoul metropolitan area seeking admission to regional medical schools is also on a downward trend. For the nationwide selection track at regional medical schools, there were 8,627 applicants this year, an 18.3% decrease from 10,555 in the previous year. Compared to the 21,011 applicants in the 2022 academic year, this is a sharp decline of 58.9%.

Applicants to medical schools in the Gyeongin region fell to 12,022, a decrease of 7.1% compared to the previous year.

In total, Seoul and Gyeongin students who are eligible to apply to both Seoul·Gyeongin and nationwide selection tracks at regional medical schools numbered 3,115 fewer (a 7.8% decrease) than the previous year.

This trend is seen as a result of regional medical schools expanding their regional talent selection quotas, thereby reducing the number of seats available for students from the Seoul metropolitan area.

In contrast, application numbers soared for selection tracks open exclusively to students from outside the metropolitan area. The number of applicants to regional talent and local doctor tracks at regional medical schools was 15,775, a 40.3% increase from last year’s 11,247. Compared to the 8,970 applicants in the 2022 academic year, this is an increase of 75.9%. Except for the 2025 academic year—which saw a temporary increase in medical school admissions (19,423 applicants)—this is the highest figure recorded in the last five years.

A spokesperson from Jongro Academy stated, “The significant reduction of admission opportunities for Seoul-area students at regional medical schools has made medical school entrance more difficult than in the past. This has resulted in a decline in medical school applicants, while at the same time, a trend of students choosing specialized majors such as semiconductors instead of medicine is also influencing the situation.”

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