Seoul high school graduates fall below 30 percent at capital universities

The share of freshmen from Seoul high schools entering four-year universities in the capital fell below 30 percent for the first time this year, as nationwide demand for Seoul schools grows and the city’s student population declines

For the 2026 academic year, 29.9 percent of the 91,985 freshmen, or 27,463 students, enrolled at 43 four-year universities in Seoul graduated from high schools in the capital, according to analysis of university enrollment data published on the Academy Information website by Jongro Academy

The figure was the lowest in six years, continuing a steady decline from 32.9 percent in 2021 to 32.5 percent in 2022, 31.8 percent in 2023, 31.2 percent in 2024 and 30.4 percent in 2025

Over the same period, the total number of freshmen entering universities in Seoul rose by 6,819, or 8 percent, from 85,166 to 91,985, while freshmen from Seoul high schools fell by 580, or 2.1 percent, from 28,043 to 27,463

The proportion of freshmen from Seoul high schools also declined at the country’s three most prestigious universities — Seoul National University, Yonsei University and Korea University — and reached its lowest level in five years

Of the 13,609 freshmen admitted to the three universities this year, 4,275, or 31.4 percent, graduated from high schools in Seoul. The figure was down 0.8 percentage points from 32.2 percent last year and was the lowest since 2022, when it stood at 33.1 percent

Among 10 major universities in Seoul, Seoul National University had the highest proportion of freshmen from Seoul high schools at 35.7 percent, followed by Yonsei University at 31.4 percent and Hanyang University at 30.8 percent

The remaining seven universities all recorded proportions below 30 percent. In descending order, they were Ewha Womans University, Korea University, Sungkyunkwan University, Chung-Ang University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Sogang University and Kyung Hee University

College admissions experts attributed the trend to nationwide preference for Seoul universities, coupled with a decline in the number of students in the capital. The number of freshmen entering general high schools in Seoul fell by approximately 8 percent over five years, from 50,248 in 2020 to 45,846 in 2025

“As universities in Seoul become increasingly popular among students nationwide, more students from outside the capital with strong academic records are entering these universities, which makes it increasingly difficult for students in Seoul to attend universities close to home,” said Lim Sung-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy

“If the concentration of students at universities in Seoul continues, the burden on Seoul students seeking university admission could grow even heavier.”

Source: www.koreajoongangdaily.com