After deciding to study abroad in Korea, the next step is to determine the school you want to attend. Choosing a school is not simple because it depends on your family's financial condition, academic ability, resume, major you want to study and many other factors. It's not just about which school you want to study at, you can definitely get into that school with 100%. Join Kimsedu to learn about the criteria for choosing a school when studying abroad in Korea!
Currently, Korea has about 229 different universities, of which 50 are national universities, the rest are private universities (not counting the number of colleges). Korean universities are evenly distributed across provinces and cities. In the capital Seoul, there are 43 schools and the Gyeonggi-do area (located adjacent to Seoul) with 36 universities.
Area | Quantity | Private university | National University |
---|---|---|---|
Seoul | 43 | 38 | 5 |
Busan | 15 | 11 | 4 |
Daegu | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Incheon | 6 | 4 | 2 |
Gwangju | 11 | 8 | 3 |
Daejeon/ Sejong | 14 | 12 | 2 |
Ulsan | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Gyeonggi | 36 | 34 | 2 |
Gangwon | 14 | 9 | 5 |
Chungcheongbuk | 12 | 8 | 4 |
Chungcheongnam | 18 | 16 | 2 |
Gyeongsangbuk | 20 | 14 | 6 |
Jeollabuk | 11 | 8 | 3 |
Jeollanam | 11 | 7 | 4 |
Gyeongsangnam | 11 | 7 | 4 |
Jeju | 2 | 1 | 1 |
TOTAL | 229 | 179 | 50 |
Should I Choose a National School or a Private School?
Choosing to study at a national university or a private university is not too important in Korea. However, anyone who comes to study abroad in Korea wants to choose to enroll in national universities with lower tuition fees than private universities. It is best to consider choosing a school that suits the existing costs. However, sometimes it happens that one's own conditions and academic abilities do not match the school's admission conditions, leading to the application being returned. So please carefully consider many factors when choosing a school, don't just rely on tuition! Because each school supports tuition scholarships for foreign students, don't worry, just choose the school that's right for you!
Category | National University | Private University |
---|---|---|
Quantity | 50 | 179 |
Quality of education | Good | Good |
Established unit | Established by the State and Government | Established by organizations and individuals |
Infrastructure | Not as invested as private schools | Modern and complete |
Tuition (Language lessons) | About 4,800,000 - 7,000,000 KRW (About 90,324,000 - 131,722,000 VND) | About 4,800,000 - 7,200,000 KRW (About 90,324,000 - 135,485,000 VND) |
Tuition (Specialization) | Approximately from 3,000,000 KRW/ 1 Period (Approximately from 60,000,000 VND/1 period) | Approximately from 4,000,000 KRW/ 1 Period (Approximately from 80,000,000 VND/1 period) |
Should I Choose a School in Seoul or Another Province?
When studying abroad, what you often worry about is choosing a place to study and live that best suits your personal conditions. Below, Kimsedu will analyze the pros and cons of the central Seoul area and other provinces so that you can grasp the information and make the right and appropriate decision!
Category | Seoul Area School | Other Provincial Regional Schools |
---|---|---|
Quality of education | The educational quality of all universities in Korea is evaluated and meets high standards. So you don't need to worry about the quality of education between schools in central Seoul or other provinces, because no matter which school you study at, your degree will still be recognized around the world. | |
Tuition | 10,000 – 12,000 USD/year (242,240,000 - 290,688,000 VND/year) | 8,000 - 10,000 USD/year (193,792,000 - 242,240,000 VND/year) |
Environment | The environment is bustling and crowded even at night | The environment is quieter and deserted in the evening |
Voice | The Seoul accent is easy to listen to and has standard pronunciation according to the curriculum | Depending on the region, the local accent is difficult or easy to hear. According to people, the Jeju dialect is the most difficult dialect, and even Koreans may not be able to understand it. |
Advantage | - Dynamic environment - Many entertainment activities, festivals, amusement parks - Standard voice, easy to hear | - Tuition and living expenses are cheaper than Seoul - Quiet environment, not too crowded - Big cities like Busan also organize entertainment festivals - Finding a part-time job is easy even if you're not good at English |
Defect | - High tuition and living expenses - Find a highly competitive part-time job because it requires a high level of Korean language proficiency | - Excessive exposure to local accents can lead to poor pronunciation later on - Because in a quiet environment, it is sometimes easy to be passive and lack energy |
1. About the quality of education
Anyone who studies abroad, not only in Korea but also in other countries, is always wondering about choosing a school that suits their academic ability and favorite profession. Therefore, it is extremely important to learn clearly about the universities in the country you study abroad in.
Below is information about popular majors in Korea and some suggested schools for your reference. Study in the field you love!
Majors | Reference School | Area |
---|---|---|
Communications industry | Korea University | Seoul |
Chung Ang University (Seoul) | Seoul | |
Hanyang University | Seoul and Gyeonggi | |
Kookmin University | Seoul | |
Dongguk University | Seoul | |
DongA University | Busan | |
Konkuk University | Seoul | |
Hanyang University | Seoul | |
Information technology industry | Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) | Daejeon |
Sungkyunkwan University | Seoul | |
Korea University | Seoul | |
Seoul National University | Seoul | |
Yonsei University | Seoul | |
Kyung Hee University | Seoul | |
Fashion Design Industry | Kyunghee University | Seoul |
Hanyang University | Seoul | |
Seoul National University | Seoul | |
Ewha Women's University | Seoul | |
Chung Ang University | Chung Ang University | |
Daegu University | Daegu | |
Kookmin University | Seoul | |
Sejong University | Seoul | |
Konkuk University | Seoul | |
Duksung University | Seoul | |
Tourism | Sejong University | Seoul |
Dongguk University | Seoul | |
Kyung Hee University | Seoul | |
Busan National University | Busan | |
Gachon University | Gyeonggi | |
Beauty Industry | Seo Kyeong University | Seoul |
Gyeongju University | Gyeongsangbuk | |
Young-san University | Gyeongsangnam | |
Sungshin Women's University | Seoul | |
Songwon University | Gwangju | |
Masan University | Gyeongsangnam | |
Kyungil University | Gyeongsangbuk | |
Myongji College | Seoul | |
Hansung University | Seoul | |
Art Industry | Korea National University of Arts (KARTS) | Seoul |
Chung Ang University | Seoul | |
Seoul Institute of the Arts (SeoulArts) | Gyeonggi | |
Economics and Business Administration | Seoul National University | Seoul |
Chung Ang University | Seoul | |
Busan National University | Busan | |
Korea University | Seoul | |
Yonsei University | Seoul | |
Engineering | Inha University | Incheon |
Inha Engineering Technology | Incheon | |
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) | Daejeon | |
Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) | Gyeongsangbuk | |
Yonsei University | Seoul | |
Korea University | Seoul | |
Inha Technical College | Incheon |
2. Tuition fees
In general, tuition fees at universities and colleges in central Seoul are higher than those in the provinces. That's why the Korean Government as well as schools always create learning conditions for international students with merit-based scholarships for 1 semester, even 1-2 years. Therefore, most Vietnamese international students who come to Korea try to study hard and win scholarships to partially support their study abroad expenses. In addition, once they have been in Korea for the prescribed time (6 months), international students can register to work part-time, which will provide some support for tuition, living expenses, etc.
See details about scholarships to study abroad in Korea here: https://kims.edu.vn/cac-loai-hoc-bong-du-hoc-han-quoc/
3. Environment
Environment is also one of the important factors in future life studying abroad in Korea. When mentioning Seoul, we can think of our Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam because both are known as the "City that never sleeps". Seoul has countless entertainment activities, dining and entertainment in alleys such as Itaewon, Myeongdong, Dongdaemun, Hongdae, etc. Even at night, these streets are always crowded with young people and tourists coming to visit. mandarin. That's why it's no exaggeration to say Seoul is "The City That Never Sleeps".
In contrast to Seoul, cities and provinces in other areas are quieter and more peaceful. In these provinces and cities, there will often be many middle-aged and older people living. There are not many entertainment and entertainment areas, mainly concentrated in universities with many students. Therefore, at around 9 pm, the residential areas outside were deserted and quieter than Seoul.
4. Part-time job
Seoul is a gathering place for many foreign tourists, so owners of restaurants, eateries, and amusement parks serving tourists require part-time employees to be good at foreign languages (at least fluent in English). Weld and can communicate in English). Therefore, finding a suitable job for each international student will be a bit difficult because it requires an average language level. In contrast to Seoul, in the provinces there are not many tourists so they usually do not require staff who are too fluent in English. In addition to serving tables and having to communicate directly with guests, there are also many places that hire kitchen assistants, so most Vietnamese people will work in this position. Don't worry too much about not being able to find a job! You can find jobs on Vietnamese groups in Korea posted by you. Furthermore, when you come to Kimsedu, we always have a team of staff in Korea to help you find a suitable part-time job for you!
Should we only focus on choosing TOP 1% schools?
When you hear about TOP 1 universities, you immediately think that these are the best elite Korean universities, or when you hear about TOP 3 schools, you think that these are not good schools, right? But in reality it is not like that. Next, join Kims Edu to learn about the concept of each type of school and list the schools of each type!
Every year, the Department of Justice will rely on the school's admission applications submitted to the department to review applications and classify schools, so this list will be updated annually. It was announced in February and will apply starting from the June, September, December and March flight periods of next year. The Department has a lot of spending decisions to make on this arrangement, but it will be based on two main factors
- Percentage of illegal international students
- Ability to manage and care for international students
Therefore, elite schools, also known as Korean Universities TOP 1% (TOP 1) means schools with illegal international students under 1%. This means that school classification does not affect the quality of training and reputation of the school.
For example: Seoul National University is always the leading school in terms of training quality and reputation in Korea. However, in terms of the Department of Justice's List, the school is almost always in the TOP 2.
The following is a list of schools classified according to TOP 1%:
UNIVERSITY | |
---|---|
1. Seokyeong University | 6. Konkuk University |
2. Hongik University | 7. Seoul Sirip University |
3. Sungshin Women's University | 8. Ulsan National University of Science and Technology |
4. Kookmin University | 9. Korea University |
5. Hanyang University |
POST-GRADUATE SYSTEM | |
---|---|
1. Kepco International Nuclear Graduate School | 3. NCC GCSP Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy |
2. Korea University of Science and Technology UST | 4. KDI Korean School of Management and Public Policy |