Students from Seoul make up 29.9% of entrants to Seoul-based universities — a six-year low

[Financial News] In the 2026 academic year, students from Seoul accounted for 29.9% of those admitted to four-year universities in Seoul, the lowest level in six years. Although total enrollment at Seoul-based universities increased, the number of entrants from Seoul fell compared with the 2021 academic year.
An analysis of disclosures from the University Information Disclosure System by Jongro Academy on the 8th found that of the 91,985 students admitted to 43 four-year universities in Seoul in the 2026 academic year, 27,463 were graduates of high schools in Seoul, accounting for 29.9%. This was the lowest share since the 2021 academic year, when regional enrollment data first became available.
The total number of entrants at Seoul-based universities rose by 6,819, from 85,166 in the 2021 academic year to 91,985 in the 2026 academic year. By contrast, the number of entrants from Seoul fell by 580 over the same period, from 28,043 to 27,463. Although the number of entrants from Seoul fluctuated from year to year, their share of total enrollment fell for six consecutive years, from 32.9% in the 2021 academic year to 32.5% in 2022, 31.8% in 2023, 31.2% in 2024, 30.4% in 2025 and 29.9% in 2026.
The share of entrants from Seoul also declined at Seoul National University, Yonsei University and Korea University. In the 2026 academic year, 4,275 entrants from Seoul accounted for 31.4% of the total at the three SKY universities. That was down from 33.1% in the 2022 academic year and was the lowest in five years. By university, the shares were 35.7% at Seoul National University, 31.4% at Yonsei University and 28.4% at Korea University.
The shares of entrants from Seoul at other major universities were 30.8% at Hanyang University, 29.9% at Ewha Womans University, 28.3% at Sungkyunkwan University, 25.6% at Chung-Ang University, 25.5% at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, 23.5% at Sogang University and 22.9% at Kyung Hee University. The figures for Kyung Hee University and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies include their campuses.
Students from Seoul also enrolled at universities in the Gyeonggi-Incheon region and other regions, as well as in Seoul. Students from Seoul accounted for 20.8% of all entrants at universities in the Gyeonggi-Incheon region and 6.8% at universities in other regions. Broken down by region, the shares were highest in Gangwon at 17.5%, followed by Chungcheong at 9.5%, Jeju at 6.6%, Daegu-North Gyeongsang at 4.9%, Honam at 4.7% and Busan-Ulsan-South Gyeongsang at 2.4%.
Jongro Academy said that in the 2025 academic year, the rate at which high school seniors in Seoul went on to four-year universities was 46.2% among general high schools, the lowest among the country’s 17 metropolitan cities and provinces.
Lim Seong Ho, head of Jongro Academy, said the decline was the result of multiple factors, including students nationwide preferring universities in Seoul and a drop in the number of students in Seoul due to new-town development in the Seoul metropolitan area. He added that if this trend continues, students in Seoul may find it harder to attend universities near where they live, potentially leading them to retake the entrance exam. 

[email protected] Kim Man-gi Reporter