렛미톡광장

Universities to Decrease Enrollment
작성자  : 관리자
The population of Korea is continuing to decline annually. This downward trend can be seen in the nation’s higher education.

A large number of four-year universities and junior colleges in Korea recently announced that they would accept a fewer number of students by 2025. This announcement was made by 96 out of Korea’s 407 institutions of higher education. They include Korea University, Kookmin University, the University of Seoul, and Hongik University.

The decision seems to be related to the decline in the school-age population in recent years. According to a report, over 648,000 students in 2012 took the suneung, which is the nation’s university entrance exam. That number has dropped to around 484,000 in 2020, which was the lowest in history.

Due to the smaller number of applicants, some universities have had difficulty meeting their admissions quota. In other words, there are now more spots available at universities and colleges than there are incoming students in total.

In 2021, the total number of possible admissions stood at 474,000, but only around 430,000 students enrolled. What’s more, this gap could continue to increase in the coming years.

In response to this trend, the Ministry of Education* recommended that universities and colleges adjust their admissions quota. In return, the ministry plans to provide financial subsidies to universities that reduce their number of admissions.

After the reduction, the 96 participating institutions are expected to have a total of 16,197 fewer spots available for incoming students.

Some students worry about this move to shrink the overall admissions quota. They say the decrease could make it harder to be accepted into their school of choice.

Others, however, have taken the “glass half full” perspective. They say that after the decrease, universities and colleges could become more competitive, and as a result, the quality of education could improve.

* Ministry of Education 교육부