Kyungpook National University to accept applications for 2027 freshman early admissions Sept. 7-11

Kyungpook National University announced Wednesday that it will accept applications for its 2027 academic year early admissions from Sept. 7 to 11.

The university will recruit 1,506 freshmen through the early admissions round this year, down 109 from 1,615 last year. The 1,506 seats represent 98.8 percent of the total enrollment quota of 1,525 — including seats outside the standard quota — making early admissions the dominant pathway into the university.

The largest admissions track is the school record-based academic achievement category, which will recruit 1,120 students, or 74.4 percent of the early admissions total. That breaks down into 880 spots in the general student track, 141 in the regional talent track, 2 in the community consideration track, 18 in the equal opportunity track, 4 for former student athletes, 18 for graduates of specialized vocational high schools, 21 in the social consideration track and 36 for students from rural and fishing communities.

The school record weighting remains unchanged from last year: academic grades account for 80 percent and attendance for 20 percent. Academic grades are drawn from the top 12 subjects across five semesters — all of the first and second years plus the first semester of the third year — with seven subjects from Korean, English and mathematics; two from social studies, science and Korean history; and three elective career-exploration subjects to recognize the diversity of students' academic paths.

The College Scholastic Ability Test minimum score requirement applies only to the nursing department and the mathematics education program within the general student and regional talent tracks. For the nursing department, applicants must score within a combined grade of 9 across two subjects chosen from Korean, mathematics, English and an elective, with only one elective subject counted.

Under the comprehensive school record track, the university will recruit 266 students through the character and talent category and 2 through the track for students with disabilities, with no changes to the selection method from last year. The nursing department uses a two-stage process: the first stage selects four times the number of available seats based solely on school record documents, and the second stage consists of an interview.

All other programs use a single-round evaluation based entirely on school record documents, with no interview required.

The performance and achievement track will recruit 26 students through the performance category and 22 through the athletic talent category. An additional 70 spots are available through a mature-student track designed to expand learning opportunities for adult learners.

The university offers a full tuition scholarship for one year to incoming students whose registered address is in North Gyeongsang Province. In partnership with Andong and Yecheon-gun, it also provides an annual academic encouragement grant of 1 million won ($707) to both new and current students whose registered address falls within those local jurisdictions.

The university has also put in place a structured set of career-planning and employment support programs to help graduates find work after completing their studies. These initiatives go beyond enrollment and graduation, operating as a comprehensive support system that accompanies students throughout the entire process of planning and building their lives.

Kyungpook National University was established in March 2025 as the first merger of public universities in the country, bringing together Andong National University and Gyeongbuk Provincial College. It operates two campuses — in Andong and Yecheon — each with its own specialization strategy.

The Andong campus focuses on the humanities, information and communications technology, and the biotech and vaccine sectors. It aims to develop globally minded humanities talent rooted in Korean culture and to train agricultural technology specialists who combine agri-life sciences with engineering, while also cultivating a workforce linked to North Gyeongsang Province's vaccine industry.

The Yecheon campus specializes in fields with strong local public demand, including livestock science and emergency medical services.

The university was designated a "Glocal University" by the Ministry of Education in 2023, securing 100 billion won in national funding and 115 billion won in local government funding. The money is being invested in building infrastructure for stable higher education services, establishing a research framework to promote Korean humanities on the global stage, and developing talent-cultivation infrastructure to support regional industry.

"As the flagship national university of North Gyeongsang Province, we will do our utmost to fulfill our responsibilities as a public institution — putting students first, building a student-centered management approach, providing tailored education, and fostering mutual growth through collaboration with local communities — and to advance into a world-class university," said Jeong Tae-ju, president of Kyungpook National University.