University tuition fee increase [Yonhap News Archive photo]

Seven out of ten four-year universities and colleges increased tuition fees this year.

The average annual tuition per person rose by 2.1% to 7.27 million won.

The Ministry of Education and the Korean Council for University Education announced on the 29th that they would release the analysis results of the '2026 April University Information Disclosure' on the 30th.

The analysis対象 for this disclosure included 192 four-year universities and colleges, and 125 junior colleges. Cyber universities, polytechnic colleges, graduate schools, etc., totaling 86 institutions, were excluded.

130 four-year universities and colleges (67.7%) increased tuition fees, while the remaining 62 institutions (32.3%) kept them the same.

Compared to last year, when 70.5% of four-year universities and colleges raised tuition fees, the rate of increase has slightly decreased.

The average annual tuition burden per student was calculated to be 7.2703 million won, an increase of 147,100 won (2.1%) from last year.

By type of establishment, private universities charged an average of 8.2315 million won, and national/public universities charged 4.25 million won. By location, universities in the Seoul metropolitan area charged 8.27 million won, and those outside the metropolitan area charged 6.6196 million won.

The average tuition per person for 154 private institutions increased by 2.8%, and tuition for 38 national/public institutions increased by an average of 0.3%.

By academic field, medicine had the highest tuition at 10.3259 million won, followed by arts and physical education (8.3381 million won), engineering (7.6774 million won), natural sciences (7.3233 million won), and humanities and social sciences (6.4337 million won).

Status of tuition fees for four-year universities and colleges [Provided by the Ministry of Education]

For junior colleges, out of a total of 129 institutions, 102 (81.6%) increased tuition fees, and 23 (18.4%) kept them the same.

The average annual tuition per junior college student increased by 174,400 won (2.7%) to 6.6531 million won compared to last year.

By type of establishment, private junior colleges charged 6.6866 million won, and public junior colleges charged 2.2312 million won.

By academic field, arts and physical education had the highest tuition at 7.2293 million won, followed by engineering (6.7886 million won), natural sciences (6.7187 million won), and humanities and social sciences (5.9242 million won).

The Ministry of Education maintained its policy of freezing tuition fees for national and public universities this year.

The Ministry of Education explained that among the 41 national and public general universities, colleges of education, and junior colleges, only three institutions—Korea National University of Education, Cheongju National University of Education, and Chuncheon National University of Education—increased their tuition fees.