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Tuition at Korean universities hits new high, surpassing 11 million won for first time

Published: 01 May. 2026, 15:27 Updated: 04 May. 2026, 17:56

Students at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies post a banner protesting their school's tuition hike of 3.19 percent on the pillar of a campus building in Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul, on Jan. 19. [NEWS1]

Annual tuition at Korean universities is rising, with several of Seoul's top private institutions approaching the 10-million-won ($6,772) mark and one crossing the 11-million-won threshold for the first time, according to newly released government data.

The figures, disclosed in the Ministry of Education’s April 2026 university information report, underscore the steady upward drift in tuition even as authorities try to hold the line at public institutions.

At the top end, Eulji University charged 11.28 million won this year, up 2.8 percent from a year earlier. The school’s tuition is calculated primarily on natural sciences and medical programs, which tend to be more expensive and often place it at the top of such rankings.

Among universities that disclosed tuition across all major academic fields — including humanities, natural sciences, arts, engineering and medicine — Yonsei University posted the highest figure, at 9.96 million won, up about 520,000 won from last year.

Ewha Womans University came in second at 9.31 million won, followed by Hanyang University at 9.29 million won, Sungkyunkwan University at 9.15 million won and Korea University at 9.09 million won.

Public universities remained significantly cheaper, though costs still varied widely.

Seoul National University had the highest tuition among national schools at 6.09 million won, followed by Kyungpook National University at 4.52 million won, Pusan National University at 4.51 million won, Jeonbuk National University at 4.46 million won and Chungnam National University at 4.40 million won.

Among science and engineering-focused institutions, the Korea Institute of Energy Technology topped the list at 9 million won. It was followed by Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology at 7.93 million won and the KAIST at 6.87 million won.

The Education Ministry’s analysis covered 192 four-year universities and teachers colleges, along with 125 junior colleges, excluding online universities and other specialized institutions.

Overall, two-thirds of four-year universities — 130 out of 192, or 67.7 percent — raised tuition this year, while 62 schools froze fees. That marks a slight decline from last year, when 70.5 percent of schools implemented fee hikes.

On average, students now pay 7.27 million won per year in tuition, up 2.1 percent from a year earlier. The burden is significantly higher at private universities, where average tuition reached 8.23 million won, compared to 4.25 million won at public institutions.

Schools in the greater Seoul area charged a higher average of 8.27 million won, compared to 6.62 million won outside the capital region.

Medical programs were the most expensive, with an average tuition of 10.33 million won, followed by arts and physical education, which charged an average of 8.34 million won.

Average fees at engineering programs stood at 7.68 million won, while humanities and social sciences courses cost an average of 6.43 million won.

The Education Ministry has maintained its policy of freezing tuition at most public universities. Of 41 national and public institutions, only three — Korea National University of Education and two regional teachers colleges — raised fees this year.

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.
BY KIM MIN-SANG [[email protected]]