Study abroad
South Korea
Two hours away, two years to find a job afterwards — and a national university costs less than a year in Hong Kong.
Figures are for 2027 entryLast checked
At a glance
Who it suitsStudents who want a short flight home, a cheap national university, and the longest job-hunting window in Asia.
- Tuition, national and public
- About ₩4,265,842 a year on average; ₩7,625,336 at private universities [1]
- Tuition by subject
- ₩6,003,000 a year for humanities and social sciences, ₩7,277,200 for engineering, ₩9,843,400 for medicine [1]
- Living costs
- ₩750,000 to ₩1,000,000 a month, of which ₩500,000 to ₩700,000 is housing [3]
- The deposit nobody mentions
- Renting off campus means a key-money deposit: two students interviewed by Seoul National paid ₩3,000,000 and ₩5,000,000 up front [9]
- Work during study
- 30 hours a week for undergraduates, and unrestricted at weekends and in the holidays [6]
- Stay and work after
- The D-10 job-seeking stay extends in 6-month steps to a maximum of 2 years [7]
- Who else is there
- 253,434 international students in Korea, of whom 30.2% are from China [10]
Which qualification leads where
-
A-LevelGood route
Named by Yonsei UIC among the standardised results it accepts. [5]
-
IB DiplomaGood route
Accepted by name, and UIC gives transfer credit for IB DP subjects. [5]
-
AP and a US high-school diplomaGood route
Accepted by name, and UIC gives transfer credit for AP examinations. [5]
-
GaokaoGood route
Listed by name at UIC. Korea is one of the few destinations here that says so outright. [5]
-
Chinese high-school diploma onlyPossible
A high-school diploma or an equivalency certificate is the baseline — but a GED, homeschooling or cyber-schooling certificate does not satisfy UIC's eligibility. [5]
English you need
- IELTS
- 6.0 [8] Prepare for IELTS →
- TOEFL iBT
- 4.0 [8] Prepare for TOEFL →
Seoul National asks for IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 80 — or, if you are studying in Korean, TOPIK level 3.
Universities to look at
-
Yonsei University, Underwood International College Seoul
Accepts ⚠️ UIC charges international students more than Korean students: ₩8,202,000 against ₩7,398,000 a semester. Applications for the March 2027 intake close on 22 September 2026.
Tuition a year ₩8,202,000 a semester for the international track, about ₩16,400,000 a year
-
Seoul National University Seoul
Accepts TOPIK level 3, or IELTS 6.0 / TOEFL iBT 80. Its International Admissions II route requires that all of your schooling, primary and secondary, was outside Korea.
Tuition a year About ₩6,034,163 a year on average, varying by major and credits taken
-
Korea University Seoul
Tuition a year About ₩5,800,000 a semester for humanities and social sciences and ₩7,700,000 for engineering — roughly ₩11,600,000 to ₩15,600,000 a year
-
KAIST Daejeon
Accepts Its international scholarship is effectively a full ride: tuition exempted for 8 semesters, ₩350,000 a month and health insurance, as long as you keep a GPA above 2.7 out of 4.3 after the first year.
Your checklist
0 / 10 done My plan →Your ticks are saved in this browser, and to your account when you are signed in.
Choose the language and the route
Apply
Visa
Money and arrival
Timeline
-
Mar 2027 12 months before
Decide the language route and book the test you need.
-
Apr 2027 11 months before
Apply for the Global Korea Scholarship if you want it — the 2026 embassy round opened in early October. [4]
-
Sep 2027 6 months before
Send applications — Yonsei UIC's March intake closes on 22 September. [5]
-
Dec 2027 3 months before
Accept an offer, then apply for the D-2 at a Korean diplomatic mission. [16]
-
Feb 2028 1 month before
Arrange housing, and set aside the deposit if you are renting. [9]
-
Mar 2028 At the start
Arrive, register, and apply for work permission if you want a part-time job. [6]
- A year
- ¥64,000 – ¥140,000
- Whole degree
- ¥260,000 – ¥550,000 over 4 years
Converted to RMB at two significant figures — the rate moves and the ranges are wide. Rate: European Central Bank: euro foreign exchange reference rates, 18 September 2026, checked .
- Tuition, national and public
- About ₩4,265,842 a year on average [1]
- Tuition, private
- About ₩7,625,336 a year on average; Yonsei UIC is ₩16,400,000 [1]
- Living costs
- ₩750,000 to ₩1,000,000 a month [3]
- Key-money deposit
- ₩3,000,000 to ₩5,000,000 up front for an off-campus room, returned at the end of the lease [9]
- Money you must show
- No published sum: the D-2 asks for proof of financial ability, and each embassy sets what that means [16]
Scholarships and funding
-
Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) [15]
Airfare, one year of Korean language training, tuition and a monthly allowance. An undergraduate award runs 5 to 7 years — one language year plus 4 to 6 years of the degree.
Two routes: the embassy track, applied for through the Korean embassy, and the university track, applied for directly to a GKS-designated university. Each country has its own quota. ⚠️ The monthly allowance is published only in the NIIED guidelines document — read it before you budget on a figure you saw elsewhere.
-
KAIST international scholarship [13]
Tuition exempted for 8 semesters, ₩350,000 a month and health insurance.
Awarded with admission; you must keep a GPA above 2.7 out of 4.3 after your first year.
Visa
- The D-2 student visa is issued for up to 2 years at a time, and a bachelor's stay can run to 6 or 7 years with extensions. [16]
- You apply at a Korean diplomatic mission with a standard admission letter issued by the university and proof of financial ability. [16]
- ⚠️ The D-2 is single-entry and valid for 3 months. It gets you into Korea once; your residence card is what keeps you there. [17]
Work during and after studies
- Undergraduates may work 30 hours a week in term, and graduate students 35, once the local immigration office has granted part-time employment permission. [6]
- There are no restrictions at weekends or during vacations. [6]
- The hours allowed depend on your Korean level, and manufacturing or construction work needs TOPIK level 4 or higher. [6]
- After graduating, the D-10 job-seeking stay extends in 6-month steps to a maximum of 2 years — twice what Japan allows. [7]
When you arrive
Common mistakes
- The key-money deposit catches families out. Renting off campus means ₩3,000,000 to ₩5,000,000 handed over before you move in — it is returned, but you need it first. [9]
- Yonsei UIC charges international students more than Korean students for the same seat. Read the fee table for the track you are applying to, not the headline figure. [2]
- Deadlines run about six months ahead of the term. A March start is decided the previous September. [5]
- Claims about what share of classes are in English are not published by anyone official. Ask the department how many of its courses your cohort will actually take in English. [5]
Sources
- Study in Korea: tuition and expenses checked
- Yonsei Underwood International College: tuition checked
- Study in Korea: living expenses checked
- Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs: GKS undergraduate notice checked
- Yonsei Underwood International College: admissions checked
- Study in Korea: part-time work for students checked
- Study in Korea: the D-10 job-seeking visa checked
- Seoul National University: admissions FAQ checked
- Seoul National University: international students on the cost of living checked
- Study in Korea: international student statistics checked
- Seoul National University: registration and tuition checked
- Korea University: tuition, 2026 checked
- KAIST: international undergraduate scholarships checked
- Study in Korea: TOPIK and Korean study checked
- Study in Korea: the Global Korea Scholarship checked
- Study in Korea: visa and stay checked
- Korean Embassy: student visa requirements checked
Rules and fees change. Everything here was checked against the official pages on the date shown. Confirm on those pages before you apply or pay.