At Korean universities, higher tuition doesn't always translate to higher spending on students

When choosing a university, students weigh a range of factors, from rankings and reputation to the programs they offer. But for many, tuition is often one of the most immediate and practical considerations.

Does paying more, however, necessarily mean international students will receive a better education at a Korean university?

To examine how much students pay and universities spend on their education, the Korea JoongAng Daily analyzed data from the Ministry of Education and individual universities.

The most expensive universities

The average annual tuition at four-year universities in Korea reached 7.27 million won ($5,400) this year, according to data from Academy Info, a service operated by the Education Ministry.

Private universities charged an average of 8.23 million won, compared to 4.25 million won at national universities.

Tuition also varied significantly depending on the mix of academic programs, with schools offering a larger share of medical, engineering and arts programs generally charging higher price.

The Daejeon campus of Eulji University, which only houses a medical school, recorded the highest average annual tuition per student at 11.28 million won, according to Education Ministry data released in April.

It was followed by the Catholic University of Korea's College of Medicine at 9.99 million won and Yonsei University at 9.95 million won. Chugye University for the Arts, Myongji University, Shinhan University, Tech University of Korea, Chung-Ang University's Da Vinci Campus, Ewha Womans University and Hanyang University rounded out the top 10.

The majors that students choose also make a difference. Medicine had the highest average tuition at 10.32 million won, followed by arts and sports at 8.33 million won, engineering at 7.67 million won and natural sciences at 7.32 million won. This was directly reflected on the top 10 list, with institutions specialized in medicine or arts making the top list.

However, a higher tuition bill does not necessarily mean a university spends more on each student.

How much do schools spend per student?

The rankings change when universities are compared by educational spending per student.

Science and technology institutes dominated the top of the list. The Korea Institute of Energy Technology ranked first, spending 149.1 million won per student, followed by Pohang University of Science and Technology (Postech), Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (Unist).

Education spending per student is calculated by dividing a university's total educational expenditure by its enrolled student population, according to Academy Info. The figure includes spending on educational programs, scholarships, operations and campus facilities.

Seoul National University ranked seventh, followed by Korea University of Technology and Education. Yonsei University ranked 11th at 41.61 million won per student, followed by Korea University at 34.69 million won and Sungkyunkwan University at 33.2 million won.

The higher spending at science and technology institutes is partly attributed to government financial support and backing from foundations.

The figures show a clear difference from the tuition rankings. What a university charges students and what it spends per student do not necessarily move in tandem.

What international students actually pay

For international students, however, comparing tuition and education spending requires another layer of context.

The Education Ministry's figures on tuition and education spending are based on students within the universities' admission quotas, whilst international students admitted through a separate international admission track are generally outside those quotas.

Under Article 29 of the Enforcement Decree of the Higher Education Act, foreign students are treated as being admitted separately from the enrollment quota set under Education Ministry standards.

When looking strictly at international students enrolled in degree programs, the 10 universities with the largest international student populations this year were Gachon University, Korea University, Daeshin University, Kyung Hee University, Sungkyunkwan University, Chung-Ang University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), Hanyang University's Erica Campus, Hanyang University's main campus in Seoul and Konkuk University, according to Education Ministry data.

To see how much these institutions charge international students, the Korea JoongAng Daily reviewed the 2027 admissions guidelines of each university and calculated the average first-semester tuition across their offered programs. An average was calculated because tuition fees differ by department.

For instance, in the case of Gachon University, the average tuition fee per semester was calculated by averaging tuition across all categories, which came out to 5.3 million won.

Among these universities, Korea University had the highest calculated average first semester tuition for incoming international students at 7.3 million won, followed by Sungkyunkwan University, Chung-Ang University and the two Hanyang University campuses.

The calculations cover tuition across all majors open to international students, including medicine, which generally charges higher fees than other fields. The first semester average can also be higher than tuition in subsequent semesters because students may have to pay additional admission and miscellaneous fees.

Annual tuition for Korean students averaged around 7.3 million won this year. As Korea University charges incoming international students the same amount per semester, their first semester tuition alone is roughly double the average annual tuition paid by Korean students.

Why do international students pay more?

Typically, international students in Seoul pay from at least some 700,000 won to over a million won more per semester.

At Yonsei University, first semester tuition this year was 4.77 million won for international students in the College of Liberal Arts, compared to 4 million won for Korean students this year. For engineering majors, international students paid 6.22 million won, compared to 5.22 million won for domestic peers — a 1 million won difference.

At Hanyang University, first semester tuition for international students in social sciences was 5.28 million won this year. Korean students paid 3.98 million won, which is over 1.3 million won less.

University officials state that higher fees for international students help cover specialized education and administrative support, such as visa handling.

Despite these higher prices, international tuition rates continue to climb. Earlier this year, some international students boycotted their universities after institutions announced tuition increases that exceeded those for domestic students.

Sogang University, for example, said it raised tuition for international students by 7 percent while increasing it by 2.5 percent for Korean students. Yonsei University and Sungkyunkwan University each raised international tuition by 6 percent. Meanwhile, Hanyang University, Chung-Ang University and Kyung Hee University raised theirs by 5 percent, and Ewha Womans University increased international tuition by 7 percent compared to 2.95 percent for domestic students.

The difference is partly because universities face a legal ceiling on tuition increases for domestic undergraduate students. Under the Higher Education Act, undergraduate tuition can be raised by up to one-and-a-half times the average consumer price inflation rate over the preceding three years. However, no statutory ceiling exists for international student tuition, giving universities greater flexibility in setting those fees.

Charging international students higher rates is common practice globally. In fact, the financial discrepancy is often much wider in countries like the United States and Britain.

In the United States, for instance, out-of-state tuition at public four-year colleges averaged $31,880 for the 2025-26 academic year, while in-state tuition averaged $11,950 — making out-of-state costs roughly two to three times higher.

In Britain, domestic students pay up to 9,790 pounds ($12,950) per year under a legal cap, whereas international students can pay anywhere from 30,000 pounds to over 70,000 pounds annually, according to the Council of British International Schools.

Similarly, in Hong Kong, tuition for international students is five to six times higher than for local students.

Scholarships can make a difference

A higher published tuition fee, however, does not necessarily mean an international student will pay the full amount.

One of the biggest sources of financial support is the Global Korea Scholarship, which covers full tuition and provides a monthly stipend to eligible students during their stay in Korea. Both undergraduate and graduate students can apply.

Universities also offer their own scholarships, which can significantly reduce tuition, particularly in the first semester.

Some admission scholarships are based on Korean or English language proficiency, including scores on the Test of Proficiency in Korean (Topik) and standardized English tests.

Hanyang University, for example, offers a 30 percent first semester tuition reduction to international students with a minimum Toefl iBT score of 90 or an Ielts score of 6.5. Students with Topik Level 6 receive a full first-semester tuition exemption, while those with Level 5 receive a 50 percent reduction.

Gachon University offers first-semester scholarships based on language proficiency. Students admitted to its Korean-language track with Topik Level 6 receive a 90 percent tuition reduction, while students without a Topik score can still receive a 30 percent reduction.

Education Ministry data show significant differences in the amount of scholarship support provided by universities to international students. The universities that provided the most scholarships were Kyungdong University, Gachon University, Soongsil University, Woosong University and Keimyung University.

For prospective international students, the published tuition figure is therefore only part of the calculation. Educational spending per student can provide another point of comparison, while scholarships can substantially reduce the amount students actually pay.

Checking a university's tuition, education spending and scholarship eligibility together can give students a clearer picture of the real cost of studying in Korea.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]