South Korea is a modern nation with a rich cultural heritage set amid tall buildings. Beautifully blending the traditional and the contemporary, this East Asian nation is widely recognized for its excellent quality of education. In the end, many of its schools are among the top around the globe. In this regard, South Korea is perfect for international students looking for the best education available. This article will look at the best institutions within Korea that accept international students.
How satisfied are international students who study in South Korea?
As per the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 86% of international students are pleased with the Korean education system.
Which are the top well-liked study courses across South Korea for international students?
The top three favorite programs for international students include Arts & Literature, Business, and Economics.
What number of foreigners are in South Korean universities?
Over 160,000 international students have enrolled at the University of South Korea.
The most highly regarded school within South Korea?
Seoul National University is the top university in South Korea by several ranking organizations.
The Top 10 Schools in South Korea for International Students
1. Seoul National University
- Students from abroad page
- Students with International Scholarships Students page
- The number of international students 559
- The percentage of international students: 19.96%
Seoul National University (SNU) is a national university in research located in Seoul, the capital. It’s considered the top university in South Korea by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the Shanghai Rankings. It’s also ranked the 10th best in Asia and the 64th-best worldwide.
SNU is home to 15 colleges offering undergraduate programs that include 83. There are also 12 graduate schools, which provide 99 postgraduate degrees.
Being the most prestigious institution in South Korea, admission to SNU can be very challenging. In addition to the standard prerequisites, Fine Arts and Physical Education courses require performance tests.
2. Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU)
- Admissions to International Students Page
- Pages for Scholarships and International Students
- The Scholarships and Grants available to International Graduating Students page
- The number of international students is 3,839
- The percentage of international students: 11.61%
SKKU is a privately-owned institution that has its origins dating to 1398. As the Joseon Dynasty’s top education institution, it provided classes in Confucian canon and Chinese classics. In addition to being the longest-running school in East Asia, it is widely regarded as one of the top institutions in the region.
SKKU offers campuses throughout central Seoul (Humanities and Social Sciences) and Suwon (Natural Sciences).
There are a lot of international students who attend this school, which is why we’ve chosen Sungkyunkwan University as one of the top Korean institutions for students from abroad. Because of its large number of international students, SKKU offers special programs, including International Summer Semester, Winter International Summer Semester, and Winter International Student Experience. The university also offers the Global MBA, the first in the country’s MBA program conducted in English.
3. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
- International Student Admissions Page
- Awards for International Students page
- Student Numbers from International Schools 1,027
- The percentage of international students: 9.77%
KAIST was founded in 1971 as the first research-oriented engineering and science institution. Its academic system was developed in the hands of Frederick Terman (Stanford University) and Chung Geum-mo (Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn). ). The institution is located in Daejeon.
KAIST hosts six colleges specializing in the Natural Sciences, Life Science & Bioengineering, Engineering, Liberal Arts & Convergence Science, and Business.
KAIST is a competitive school that admits students to the overall grade mathematics/science scores, personal statements, recommendation letters, studies plans, and other relevant information. However, foreign applicants have an acceptance rate of 13.2 percent compared to local applicants’ 14.9 %.
4. Yonsei University
- The International Student Admissions page
- Awards for International Students page
- The number of international students is 4108
- Student Percentage: 12.52%
Yonsei University is the Y in South Korea’s most prestigious SKY universities. The institution was officially established in 1957, following the amalgamation with Yonhi College and the Severance Union Medical College. In contrast, its roots go to 1885.
The most prestigious school in Korea with international students has undergraduate courses focusing on Liberal Arts, Commerce, Engineering, business, life science, theology and social science, and law. Music Human Ecology Medicine, Education, Dentistry, Nursing, and pharmacy.
Also, it offers postgraduate qualifications that cover Theology, International Studies, Communication Communication, Social Welfare, Business Administration, Education, Public Administration, Engineering Journalism, Law, and Economics.
Like many of South Korea’s most prestigious universities, the admission rate to Yonsei is more diminutive than 5percent.
5. Korea University
- Admissions for International Students Page
- Pages for Scholarships and International Students
- The Scholarships and Grants available to International Graduating Students page
- The number of international students is 4,316
- The percentage of international students: 17.08%
Korea University is one of the most highly ranked private universities in Seoul, South Korea. It was established in 1905 and is known as the K of the SKY, which is the acronym that has been used to refer to three of the nation’s top institutions. It was a true pioneer in education and the first to provide journalism, law, economics, and law courses.
Korea University has 17 colleges and schools with a focus on Law and Business, Liberal Arts, Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Political Science & Economics, Science Engineering and Medicine, Education Informatics, Nursing, Health Science, Art & Design, International Studies, Media & Communication, Mechatronics as well as inter-disciplinary Studies.
A highly selective school, the acceptance rate for Korea University is only a just a little over five percent.
6. Pohang University of Science and Technology
- Admissions to International Students Page
- Awards for international Students Pages
- The number of international students is 88.
- The percentage of international students: 2.56%
The next on our list of the top Korean universities that accept international students would be POSTECH, a private research university specializing in technology and science courses. Although it was founded recently (1986), the university is regarded as the best school globally for students under age 50, according to Times Higher Education (2012 to 2014. ).
As with many South Korean universities, admission to POSTECH is highly competitive. The university has increased the number of foreign graduate students through its efforts to recruit by offering full-tuition fellowships. The university also provides a $1,500 one-time settlement grant for all graduate students abroad in their first year.
7. Ulsan National Institute for Science and Technology
- The International Student Admissions page
- Pages for Scholarships and International Students
- The Scholarships and Grants available to International Graduating Students Web Page
- International Student Number 291
- percent of international students: 6.09%
UNIST is among the four universities dedicated to research in science and technology. It was established in 2007 to meet the ever-growing demand for higher educational institutions in Ulsan, South Korea’s industry capital.
Even though it’s only barely a couple of years older, UNIST is considered one of the tops in the nation. The university was already ranked in the range 201-250 in the World University Rankings ten years since its inception. At present, it’s classified as the 20th most promising student-run university globally.
The school has undergraduates specializing in various engineering specialties in life Science, Natural Science, and Business Administration. The university also has graduate programs focused explicitly on Creative Design Engineering, Technology & Innovation Management, and Interdisciplinary Management.
8. Kyung Hee University
- The International Student Admissions page
- Students with International Scholarships Students page
- The number of international students is 4,183
- The percentage of international students: 12.03%
Kyung Hee University is a private institution of higher education established in 1949. It has sprawling campuses located in Seoul and Suwon. The Korean press regards it as one of the most prestigious schools for international students.
The undergraduate colleges of the university focus on the areas of Humanities, Law, Politics management, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, Music, Fine Arts, dance engineering, International Studies, Foreign Languages, Physical Education, and many more.
Sixteen graduate institutions offer masters and doctoral programs.
9. Sejong University
- Admissions for International Students Page
- The Scholarships page for international undergraduate students
- Awards for international graduate Students page
- The number of international students 1700
- Student Percentage: 12.73%
Sejong University is a private education school famous for its dance, tourism, and animation research. In honor of Sejong the Great, it was named one of the Joseon King who established the Hangul alphabet.
International students can enroll in any of the nine colleges. They include those of the Colleges of Liberal Arts, Social Science, Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Natural Science, Life Science, Electronics & Information Engineering, Engineering, and Arts & Physical Education.
The Seoul-based institution also offers graduate-level courses in the areas of Public Policy Education, Tourism industry, and interdisciplinary arts.
10. Hanyang University
- International Student Admissions Page
- Scholarships for International Students Page
- The number of international students is 2,749
- The percentage of international students: 6.81%
The list concludes with the top institutions located in Korea in Korea with Hanyang University. This private institution is named after its former Joseon capital. Established in 1939, it offers campuses situated in Seoul in addition to Ansan (ERICA).
Hanyang specializes in Engineering as well as other disciplines related to it. Beyond that, the Seoul campus also has Humanities, Medicine, Business, Economics, Policy Music, Education, and the performing Arts and Nursing, Music, and International Studies programs.
However, these are ERICA Campus manages Pharmacy, Engineering Language, Science Communication Design, Business and Sport & Arts, and Advertisement programs.
Hanyang also provides a range of international programs, like the Global G2 (Chinese-English) scheme and the “Global 3.0 Project connects the World.