Number of enrolled university students South Korea 2011-2021

In 2021, about 1.94 million students were enrolled in universities in South Korea, a slight decrease from the previous year. As the number of students enrolled in universities in South Korea has remained relatively constant in recent years, the overall university enrollment rate, at around 70 percent, has also not changed significantly over the past few years.

Education in South Korea

In the course of South Korea's rapid economic development after the Korean War in 1953, education took a very important place and became one of the most important matters for South Koreans. As a result, no other country has as many tertiary educated people as a share of the population as South Korea. As graduating from a top university is seen as crucial for one’s further academic, professional, or even personal development, most elementary and secondary school students in South Korea participate in some form of private education.

Competitiveness and social pressure

The main motivation for good education comes predominantly from outside, namely from the extremely high pressure to perform. According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2020, more than half of respondents admitted to participating in private education due to the peer pressure of others doing the same or to advance more than others.The high number of suicide deaths among young people in South Korea can reflect the high pressure and competitive stress endured during school years.