2% of admits at top 10 universities are GED holders — highest in a decade

The number of GED holders admitted to 10 major South Korean universities — including Seoul National University, Yonsei University and Korea University — has hit its highest level in a decade.

An analysis of university disclosure data by Jongno Hagwon, released Sunday, found that 824 GED holders were admitted to the 10 universities — Kyung Hee University, Korea University, Sogang University, Seoul National University, Sungkyunkwan University, Yonsei University, Ewha Womans University, Chung-Ang University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and Hanyang University — for the 2026 academic year, the highest figure in the past decade.

Kyung Hee University recorded the most GED admits at 142, followed by Yonsei University (113), Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (93) and Hanyang University (78). Korea University and Chung-Ang University each admitted 77.

Sungkyunkwan University admitted 76, Ewha Womans University 67, Seoul National University 55 and Sogang University 46.

GED holders accounted for 2.0 percent of all incoming students at these universities, also the highest share in a decade, up from 1.9 percent the previous year.

Yonsei University had the highest share at 2.5 percent, followed by Kyung Hee University and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies at 2.3 percent, Sogang University at 2.2 percent and Hanyang University at 2.1 percent. Chung-Ang University and Ewha Womans University each came in at 1.8 percent, while Sungkyunkwan University recorded 1.6 percent.

Seoul National University and Korea University tied for the lowest share at 1.4 percent, yet Seoul National University's 55 GED admits this year was still its highest count in a decade — nearly triple the 19 recorded in the 2017 academic year.

The number of GED holders sitting the College Scholastic Ability Test has also been rising.

Some 22,355 GED holders registered for the 2026 CSAT, making up 4.0 percent of all registrants — likewise the highest figure in a decade.

Im Seong-ho, head of Jongno Hagwon, said the trend likely reflects a growing pool of high-scoring GED candidates on the CSAT. "As more GED students take the CSAT, it stands to reason that the number placing in the top tier is also increasing," he said. "Because GED students have no school record, they would generally have mapped out a university admissions path through the CSAT regular admissions track."

He added that the landscape could shift after the 2028 academic year as several policy changes converge. "With the five-tier internal grading system, the high school credit system and a greater emphasis on school records in university admissions all coming together, the pattern of GED holders gaining admission to major universities may look quite different from what we see today," he said.