Hanyang University semiconductor program harder to get into than medical school

Buoyed by record earnings at Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, admission scores for university semiconductor contract departments have surged.

Jongno Academy released Sunday the cutoff scores for the 2026 academic year regular admissions at five semiconductor contract departments affiliated with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

The cutoffs were calculated using the 70th-percentile average scores — the score of the 70th student out of 100 admitted — across the Korean Language, Mathematics and Inquiry sections of the College Scholastic Ability Test, as disclosed by universities through the Korea University Education Council's college admissions portal "Eodiga."

The analysis found that the average CSAT percentile score for semiconductor contract departments in the 2026 academic year stood at 96.2, surpassing the 95.8 recorded by general natural sciences programs at Seoul National University, excluding medical and pharmaceutical fields.

The contract department system was introduced in 2003 to align university education with industry demand. Under the arrangement, companies and universities sign agreements to incorporate industry needs into curricula and train specialized talent. Because companies cover tuition, students can study at low cost, and most graduates are guaranteed employment upon graduation.

The five Seoul-based universities that have signed agreements with Samsung Electronics or SK Hynix to offer semiconductor contract departments posted a combined average CSAT percentile score of 96.2. While that still falls short of the cutoff for Seoul-area medical schools (98.8), it is comparable to that of regional medical schools (97.2).

By institution, the average scores were: Hanyang University's Department of Semiconductor Engineering at 98 (SK Hynix), Korea University's Department of Semiconductor Engineering at 97 (SK Hynix), Sungkyunkwan University's Department of Semiconductor Systems Engineering at 96 (Samsung Electronics), Sogang University's Department of System Semiconductor Engineering at 95 (SK Hynix), and Yonsei University's Department of System Semiconductor Engineering at 95 (Samsung Electronics).

Im Seong-ho, head of Jongno Academy, said preference for semiconductor contract departments and their admission cutoffs are rising together, as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have posted record earnings and the semiconductor boom appears set to continue for now. "The average percentile score differs by just one point compared with regional medical schools," Im said, adding that a considerable number of applicants who found medicine ill-suited to their interests, or who wanted to attend a Seoul-based university, likely chose a semiconductor contract department over a regional medical school.

Im added that the 2027 academic year will see the introduction of a regional physician system expanding medical school enrollment quotas, which could trigger a reshuffling in which semiconductor contract department cutoffs draw level with those of regional medical schools. "Looking at the current situation, however, the number of applicants who gain admission to both a semiconductor department and Seoul National University's College of Engineering and ultimately choose the semiconductor program is likely to grow," he said.

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