6,282 apply to 22 science high schools nationwide, up 12.1%
New Bucheon, Bundang Jungang schools draw 811 applicants
Seoul area up 10.9%; Greater Seoul applicants rise 26.4%
Jongno Academy: 'Top students still prefer science, engineering'
The number of applicants to science high schools nationwide for the 2027 school year topped 6,200, the highest in 11 years. The surge is attributed largely to the opening of two new science high schools in the Greater Seoul area — Bucheon Science High School and Bundang Jungang Science High School.
According to an analysis released Wednesday by Jongno Academy on application trends for science high schools for the 2027 school year, a total of 6,282 students applied to the country's 22 science high schools. The schools plan to admit 1,858 students, for an average competition rate of 3.38 to 1. That marks an increase of 680 applicants, or 12.1 percent, from 5,602 last year — the highest figure since the 2017 school year.
The opening of new science high schools in Gyeonggi Province played a major role. Bucheon Science High School, which opened this year, received 406 applications for 100 spots, a competition rate of 4.06 to 1, while Bundang Jungang Science High School drew 405 applications for 100 spots, a rate of 4.05 to 1. The two schools alone attracted 811 applicants.
By region, the increase was most pronounced in the Greater Seoul area. The two science high schools in Seoul received 1,337 applications, up 131, or 10.9 percent, from 1,206 last year. The five schools in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon drew 1,877 applications, up 540, or 40.4 percent, from 1,337 last year. Combined, the science high schools in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon received 3,214 applications, an increase of 671, or 26.4 percent, from the previous year.
By contrast, the 15 science high schools outside the Greater Seoul area received 3,068 applications, similar to last year's 3,059. Analysts note that despite the expansion of medical school admission quotas in non-metropolitan areas this year under the regional doctor system, the number of science high school applicants did not decline. This suggests top middle school students still prefer pursuing science and engineering degrees.
By school, Gyeonggi Buk Science High School posted the highest competition rate at 5.30 to 1. It was followed by Hansung Science High School at 4.47 to 1 and Sejong Science High School at 4.44 to 1. Bucheon Science High School stood at 4.06 to 1, then Bundang Jungang Science High School at 4.05 to 1 and Daejeon Dongsin Science High School at 3.96 to 1. Gyeonggi Buk Science High School's rate fell from 7.76 to 1 last year but remained the highest among all science high schools nationwide.
Although the overall number of applicants rose sharply, the average competition rate edged down slightly, from 3.41 to 1 last year to 3.38 to 1 this year. The total number of admission slots rose by 216, from 1,642 last year to 1,858 this year, due partly to the opening of Bucheon and Bundang Jungang science high schools.
Applications also rose at gifted-student academies, which draw top science and engineering students alongside science high schools. Seven such academies nationwide that disclosed their application figures received a combined 4,155 applications for the 2027 school year, the highest in six years — up 328 from 3,827 last year. The Korea Science Academy was excluded from the tally, as it did not disclose its application figures.
Science high schools will hold school-by-school interviews from Nov. 13 to Nov. 28. Successful applicants will be announced between Nov. 25 and Dec. 2, depending on each school's schedule.
Lim Sung-ho, head of Jongno Academy, said, "The fact that applications reached an 11-year high, even though students who attend a science high school face disadvantages when applying to medical school, shows that the preference for science and engineering remains strong among top-performing students." He added, "Even though the introduction of the regional doctor system expanded medical school admission quotas in non-metropolitan areas, the number of applicants to non-metropolitan science high schools did not decrease, suggesting the pull toward medical school is not clearly visible at the science high school application stage."
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