Asia · Heavily subsidised tuition
Study in South Korea
Government and university scholarships routinely cover most of the tuition. Competitive, but the cost base is low even without one.
Intakes: March, SeptemberUniversities
21
Tuition
$4,000 to $9,000
IELTS
5.5
Stay after
2 years
About South Korea
Safe, fast and highly connected, with a government actively trying to attract international students. Seoul has the famous names and the highest rents; regional universities in Busan, Daegu and Daejeon offer bigger tuition waivers and lower living costs, and many students start with a year of Korean before their degree.
- Language
- Korean, English on some courses
- Currency
- KRW (₩)
- Capital
- Seoul
- International students
- 200,000
The education system
- Bachelor's: 4 years
- Master's: 2 years
- Grading: 4.5 GPA scale
Your TOPIK level matters more than it looks. It unlocks larger scholarships and more part-time hours, and some English-taught degrees still require a Korean level before graduation.
Universities we place students in
What our students study here
What living there actually costs
- Accommodation
- ₩300,000 to 700,000
- Food and groceries
- ₩300,000 to 450,000
- Transport
- ₩50,000 to 80,000
- Phone, internet, misc
- ₩80,000 to 150,000
Typical monthly total
₩750,000 to ₩1,400,000 a month
Private one-room flats ask for a key deposit of several million won, so take a dormitory place for the first year if you can. National health insurance is compulsory for international students and billed monthly.
Working part time
During term
Up to 25 hours a week, depending on TOPIK
During holidays
No weekly limit
Typical pay
₩10,320 an hour minimum
What students usually do
- Restaurants and cafes
- Convenience stores
- Translation work
- Campus research assistant
Every job needs part-time work permission from immigration, arranged through your university's international office, before you start. Private tutoring is not allowed on a student visa.
Plan your budget as though you will earn nothing in the first two months. Finding a job takes longer than anyone expects, and a visa officer will not accept part-time income as proof of funds either.
Applying to South Korea
When to start
Work backwards from the intake month. Applications close roughly three months before, and the visa takes another six to twelve weeks after that. For a March intake, the sensible starting point is about six months earlier.
