Students flock to larger high schools following the introduction of the five-tier internal grading system. [Generated with AI]
Students flock to larger high schools following the introduction of the five-tier internal grading system. [Generated with AI]

Since the five-tier internal grading system took effect, a clear trend has emerged: more students are enrolling at larger high schools. Analysts say parents believe bigger schools make it easier for their children to secure higher grade rankings.

Jongno Academy analyzed first-year enrollment figures for 1,700 general high schools nationwide using data published on the School Information Disclosure system, according to Yonhap News Agency. The analysis found that 107,080 students enrolled this year at general high schools with 300 or more students — up 30.6%, or 25,063 students, from 82,017 last year.

By contrast, enrollment at general high schools with 200 or fewer students fell from 250,154 last year to 244,455 this year, a drop of 5,699 students, or 2.3%.

The number of general high schools with 300 or more students also grew, rising from 236 last year to 306 this year, an increase of 70 schools. Among the largest schools, those with 500 or more students were found in two locations — one each in Gijang-gun, Busan, and Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province.

Schools with enrollments in the 400s numbered 35, accounting for 2.1% of all schools, while those in the 300s totaled 269 (15.8%), those in the 200s 606 (35.6%), those in the 100s 531 (31.2%), and schools with fewer than 100 students 257 (15.1%).

Gyeonggi Province had the most schools with 300 or more students, with 153. Seoul (40 schools), Incheon (23) and South Chungcheong Province (21) followed.

Within Seoul, Gangnam-gu led with eight such schools, followed by Yangcheon-gu and Songpa-gu with five each, and Seocho-gu with four.

"As preference for larger high schools grows, more top-ranked students in terms of internal grades will inevitably come from areas with higher student populations," said Im Seong-ho, head of Jongno Academy. "With college admissions heavily weighted toward rolling admissions, those areas are also likely to post stronger university placement results."


20ki@heraldcorp.com