Spending on private education of high school students South Korea 2012-2023

In 2023, a South Korean high school student spent an average of 461 thousand South Korean won per month on private education, up from about 460 thousand South Korean won in the previous year. Average private education spending by high school students has steadily increased in recent years.

South Korea's competitive education system

Going to a good university in South Korea is conventionally believed to guarantee a high social standing. Therefore, Korean students start competing with other students to get a better grade at all the school subjects such as mathematics, English, music, and even sports. Especially from high school, they start preparing for the Korean SAT called Su-neung in Korean. High school students stay at school late for self-study time scheduled by the school and then go for additional private tutoring afterward.

Education in South Korea

South Korea's compulsory education includes six years of primary education and three years of secondary education. The majority of citizens continue to study in secondary schools and pursue higher education degrees. The university enrollment rate was about 71.5 percent in 2021, making it one of the highest among OECD countries.