Early Admission Applicants at Four Major Science and Technology Institutes Including KAIST Hit All-Time High: "Driven by AI and Semiconductors"

Over 30,000 Applicants for the First Time in the 2027 Academic Year

For the 2027 academic year, the number of applicants for the early admission programs at four major science and technology institutes nationwide, including the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), has surpassed 30,000 for the first time, setting a new all-time high.

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). KAIST

According to Jongro Academy on October 5, the total number of early admission applicants for the 2027 academic year at the four major science and technology institutes—Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), and Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST)—was tallied at 33,349. This represents an increase of 8,926 applicants (36.5%) compared to the previous year’s 24,423, marking the largest number on record.

The number of applicants to these four institutes has grown 2.5 times in five years, from 13,315 in the 2022 academic year. By university, DGIST posted the highest increase at 48.9%, followed by UNIST at 41.6%, GIST at 36.2%, and KAIST at 20.1%.

The average competition rate among the four institutes also rose, reaching 16.13 to 1 compared with 14.14 to 1 the previous year. The number of available spots increased by 340, from 1,727 in the 2026 academic year to 2,067 in the 2027 academic year (a rise of 19.7%), but the surge in applicants led to an even higher competition rate.

This sharp increase in applications is attributed to the growing popularity of contract-based semiconductor programs and majors in artificial intelligence (AI). In addition, the fact that applicants to these institutes are not subject to the six-application limit in early admission appears to have also contributed to the applicant surge.

Sung Ho Lim, CEO of Jongro Academy, said, “It is notable that, even as medical school intakes have expanded, the number of applicants to science and technology institutes has grown sharply.” He added, “However, if early admission applicants to the science and technology institutes who also apply to medical schools are admitted to both, they may opt for medical school instead.” He further noted, “Their ultimate choices could significantly impact not only admissions thresholds for science and engineering departments at general universities, but also for regional medical schools.”

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