In the regular admissions for the 2025 academic year, the final competition rates of major universities were similar to last year.
According to Jinheungsa on the 3rd, in the regular admissions applications that ended that day, 94,650 people applied to recruit 17,666 students at 11 major universities in Seoul (Kyunghee University, Korea University Seoul Campus, Sogang University, Seoul National University, Seoul Metropolitan University, Sungkyunkwan University, Yonsei University Seoul Campus, Ewha Womans University, Chung-Ang University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, and Hanyang University Seoul Campus), recording an average competition rate of 5.36 to 1, showing a level similar to last year (5.30 to 1).
Chung-Ang University had the highest competition rate of 7.62 to 1, followed by Sogang University (6.89 to 1), Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (6.16 to 1), Hanyang University Seoul Campus (6.15 to 1), and Sungkyunkwan University (6 to 1).
Seoul National University fell to 3.73 to 1 and Yonsei University Seoul Campus to 4.21 to 1, both down from last year (4.44 to 1, 4.62 to 1), while Korea University rose to 4.78 to 1 from last year (4.19 to 1).
Seoul National University especially saw a noticeable decrease in applicants for natural science fields. This is analyzed to be due to top-tier students in the natural science fields applying en masse to medical schools at other universities following the expansion of medical schools.
It is interpreted that the overall competition rate at Korea University rose as top-tier students flocked to the newly established undergraduate college in the ‘D’ category.
Korea University's general admission for the undergraduate college in the 'D' category attracted 1,252 applicants for 18 slots, resulting in a high competition rate of 69.56 to 1.
In the 'D' category, along with Korea University, Sogang University, Hanyang University, and Ewha Womans University also established undergraduate programs, and all these universities saw a significant increase in competition rates from the previous year.
Sogang University's Interdisciplinary Program in Humanities had a competition rate of 21.85 to 1, while the AI-based Interdisciplinary Program had a rate of 22.64 to 1.
The competition rate for regular admissions to medical schools fell slightly compared to last year.
According to Uway, as of 8 p.m. that day, the total number of applicants for medical sciences (general and regional talent tracks) was 9,705, an increase of 1,859 from last year.
However, with the increase in medical school recruitment, the competition rate decreased from 6.67 to 1 last year to 6.24 to 1.
Looking at the competition rates for medical schools by region, universities in the capital area rose, while those in provincial areas showed a decline.
Based on general admissions, the competition rate for Seoul National University's medical school rose from 3 to 1 last year to 3.55 to 1, Yonsei University (Seoul) from 3.43 to 1 to 3.53 to 1, and Korea University (Seoul) from 3.26 to 1 to 3.32 to 1, showing slight increases.
On the other hand, the competition rate for Kyungpook National University fell from 5.78 to 1 to 5.51 to 1, Jeonbuk National University from 4.98 to 1 to 4.51 to 1, and Chungnam National University from 4.96 to 1 to 4.88 to 1, indicating a slight decrease for provincial medical schools.
The competition rate for the elementary education department at education universities, which briefly rose last year, has turned downward.
This appears to be due to declining preference for education universities amid factors such as infringement of teaching rights and reduction of teaching staff.
Many education universities saw a drop in competition rates, with Chuncheon National University of Education falling from 3.65 to 1 to 2.51 to 1, Seoul National University of Education dropping from 3.23 to 1 to 2.3 to 1, and Busan National University of Education declining from 3.13 to 1 to 2.3 to 1.