Graduates throw their caps in the air at Seoul National University’s 80th summer commencement in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, on Aug. 28.NEWS1
Nearly six in 10 students who got into Seoul National University over the past four years but did not enroll had been admitted to science and engineering programs. Admissions experts see it as a sign that top science students still prefer medical school.
A total of 1,913 admitted students did not register at the university between the 2023 and 2026 academic years, according to data the university submitted to Rep. Suh Bum-soo of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Education Committee.
This year, 501 students did not register, 14.2 percent of the university’s freshman quota of 3,526. The number has topped 500 for three years running, with 508 in 2024 and 515 in 2025. In 2023, 389 admitted students gave up their places.
Science and engineering admits made up 1,115 of the 1,913, or 58.3 percent. The group includes the College of Natural Sciences, the College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Their share of the total rose from 46.3 percent in 2023 to 61.4 percent last year and 60.7 percent this year.
The College of Nursing had the most students who did not register at 115. The pharmacy track followed with 90, then the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering with 87 and the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering with 85. At the School of Transdisciplinary Innovations, launched in 2024, the number has risen every year, from 39 in 2024 to 46 last year and 52 this year.
The colleges classed on the humanities side each accounted for a single-digit share. For the College of Education, 152 admitted students did not register, 7.95 percent of the four-year total, and for the colleges of social sciences and business administration, 124, or 6.48 percent. The figure was 64, or 3.35 percent, for the College of Humanities and three, or 0.16 percent, for the colleges of music and fine arts.
The main entrance of the Seoul National University in Gwanak District, southern SeoulJOONGANG ILBO
“Judging by the distribution, the biggest reason top science and engineering students who can get into Seoul National University don't enroll is that they are also accepted to medical school,” Lim Sung-ho, head of the cram school operator Jongro Academy, said.
The university does not track why admitted students fail to register, or whether they enroll elsewhere.
“When top science and engineering talent chooses another path over the research field, it is a problem for the country’s competitiveness in science and technology,” Suh said. “Before blaming a rush to medical schools, we need to fundamentally review the research environment and career support so that students can choose science and engineering.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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