Early-Admissions Applications to Four Science and Technology Institutes Hit Record High, Surpass 33,000

[Financial News] Applications to four institutes of science and technology—Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)—surpassed 30,000 for the first time in the 2027 early-admissions cycle.
According to Jongno Academy on the 5th, the total number of applications this year reached 33,349, up 8,926, or 36.5%, from 24,423 last year. This was the highest figure since the 2016 academic year, when UNIST joined and the four-institute system was established.
The four institutes increased their early-admissions intake from 1,727 students last year to 2,067 this year, an increase of 340 students, or 19.7%. All four institutes introduced AI majors this year. Because applications grew faster than the number of available places, the average competition ratio rose from 14.14 to 1 to 16.13 to 1. By school, DGIST recorded the highest application growth at 48.9%, followed by UNIST at 41.6%, GIST at 36.2%, and KAIST at 20.1%.
Applications also increased for corporate-sponsored semiconductor departments linked to recruitment through agreements with companies. Applications to GIST's Department of Semiconductor Engineering, a Samsung Electronics-sponsored contract department, rose 80.6%, pushing its competition ratio from 6.40 to 1 to 11.56 to 1. Applications to DGIST's Department of Semiconductor Engineering also increased by 53.9%, raising its competition ratio from 9.89 to 1 to 15.22 to 1. KAIST's Department of Semiconductor System Engineering reduced its intake from 100 to 40 students, causing applications to fall by 235. However, its competition ratio rose from 4.20 to 1 to 4.63 to 1.
Unlike regular universities, institutes of science and technology are not subject to the six-application limit for early admissions. Even students who have used all six applications for regular university early admissions can apply to the institutes as well.
Lim Seong Ho, head of Jongno Academy, said, "Applications to the institutes increased substantially even as medical school enrollment expanded due to factors such as the expansion of regional physician program admissions." He added, "The introduction of AI majors and the preference for semiconductor-related departments appear to have played a role." He continued, "The number of students admitted to institutes of science and technology, medical schools, and STEM departments at regular universities could increase," adding, "Their final choices could also affect the admission cutoffs for STEM departments at regular universities and regional medical schools."

[email protected] Kim Man-gi Reporter