Applications to Korea's 4 science and technology institutes hit record high amid AI, semiconductor boom

Applications to South Korea's four science and technology institutes for the 2027 academic year surpassed 30,000 for the first time, setting an all-time record.

The four institutes — KAIST, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) and Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) — received a combined 33,349 early-admission applications for the 2027 academic year, according to Jongno hagwon. That marks an increase of 8,926 applicants, or 36.5 percent, from 24,423 the previous year.

The total has grown roughly 2.5 times over five years, up from 13,315 in the 2022 academic year. DGIST posted the largest year-on-year increase among the four at 48.9 percent, followed by UNIST at 41.6 percent, GIST at 36.2 percent and KAIST at 20.1 percent.

The average competition ratio across the four institutes rose to 16.13 to 1, up from 14.14 to 1 the previous year. The number of available spots increased by 340, or 19.7 percent, from 1,727 in the 2026 academic year to 2,067 in 2027, but the surge in applicants outpaced that expansion, pushing the ratio higher.

The sharp rise in applications is attributed to growing interest in semiconductor contract programs and AI majors. The fact that applications to the four institutes do not count toward the six-application limit for early-admission rounds is also seen as a contributing factor.

"It is notable that applications to the science and technology institutes rose sharply even as medical school enrollment expanded," said Im Seong-ho, head of Jongno hagwon. "Students who apply to these institutes may also apply to medical schools and, if accepted to both, could choose to enroll in medicine." He added that such enrollment decisions "are expected to have a significant impact on admission cutoffs for science and engineering departments at general universities and regional medical schools."