Ministry of Education Invests in 'Private University Specialization,' Selects 33 Leading Universities for This Year

16 general universities and 17 junior colleges selected
Approximately 600 billion won in support through 2030

Sixteen general universities, including Kyungnam University, Gwangju University and Daejeon University, and 17 junior colleges, including Gumi University and Daegu Health College, have been selected for this year's program to foster specialized leading universities. The universities are set to receive approximately 600 billion won in funding through 2030.

On October 12, the Ministry of Education announced that it had selected a total of 33 institutions for the 2026 Program to Foster Specialized Leading Universities.

This year, the Ministry of Education established a new program to provide specialized development grants (incentives) under its Innovation Support Program for Universities and Junior Colleges. The program is designed to help private universities build sustainable specialization models aligned with their mid- to long-term development plans and national and regional policy and industry needs.

Among general universities outside the Seoul metropolitan area, 16 institutions were selected: Kyungnam University, Kyungwoon University, Kosin University, Gwangju University, Daejeon University, Tongmyong University, Dongshin University, Mokwon University, Pai Chai University, Sun Moon University, Silla University, Woosong University, Chungwoon University, Chodang University, Honam University and Howon University.

Among junior colleges in and outside the Seoul metropolitan area, 17 institutions were selected: Gyeonggi University of Science and Technology, Gumi University, Daekyeung University, Daegu Health College, Dong Seoul University, Baewha Women's University, Suwon Women's University, Suncheon Jeil College, Yonam College, Yeungnam University College, Yeungjin University, Yong-In Arts & Science University, Woosong College, Ulsan College, Chunnam Techno University, Chungbuk Health & Science University and Hyejeon College.

The Ministry of Education plans to provide these institutions with approximately 600 billion won over the next five years. This year, it will provide a total of 119 billion won, including 85 billion won for general universities and 34 billion won for junior colleges. Each general university will receive an average of 5 billion won, while each junior college will receive an average of 2 billion won.

The selected universities will also be designated as specialized local universities under Article 17 of the Act on the Promotion of Local Universities and the Development of Local Talent. They will also be eligible for regulatory exceptions, including authorization for integrated universities (general universities plus junior colleges) to award associate degrees, an exemption from open recruitment requirements for non-tenure-track faculty, and relaxed restrictions on leasing campus land and buildings.

Ministry of Education

The selection process comprehensively evaluated the validity of each university's choice of specialization fields, the innovativeness of the curricula in those fields, and the specificity of its student career and employment support system.

In particular, the evaluation focused on whether plans to adjust departmental roles around areas of comparative advantage and restructure departments had been developed in a substantive way, enabling universities to concentrate their educational capabilities in their chosen fields of specialization. The selected universities developed specialization plans centered on areas of strength, such as semiconductors, physical AI and aviation, as well as fields linked to national policy priorities and regional strategic industries.

Based on their specialization plans, the universities will reduce enrollment quotas by at least 3% by the 2030 academic year and boldly restructure their departments around specialized fields, following a strategy of selective focus. The aim is to strengthen their competitiveness by reallocating limited educational resources to areas where they can excel.

The Ministry of Education will notify the universities of the selection results and then finalize the recipients of support after a period for filing objections. It will conduct annual and interim evaluations and provide different levels of funding based on performance. It will also strictly oversee post-program performance by reviewing implementation results every year for up to five years after the program ends (five years for the program and five years for follow-up management).

Vice Minister of Education Choi Eun-ok said, "This program will give universities an opportunity to improve their structures autonomously, focus their capabilities on specialized fields and provide students with high-quality education. We will support private universities in pursuing specialization and strengthening their competitiveness through financial assistance and regulatory relief."

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