Some private universities also post gains

Students study independently at a hagwon in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on Aug. 11, 100 days before the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test. This photo is not directly related to the article. (Yoon Chang-bin)
Students study independently at a hagwon in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on Aug. 11, 100 days before the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test. This photo is not directly related to the article. (Yoon Chang-bin)

All three national universities in the Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province area saw their application rates rise in the 2027 academic year early admissions round — the first such round held since the government announced plans to fully cover tuition at regional national universities.

Some private universities in the region, which had feared losing prospective students to the "zero tuition" national universities, also posted higher application rates than last year.

According to individual universities Saturday, Chungnam National University in Daejeon drew 32,137 applicants for 3,354 spots in the early admissions round, posting an average competition ratio of 9.58 to 1. That is up from last year's 8.82 to 1, when 29,596 applicants competed for 3,357 seats.

By program, the psychology department under the general school-record track drew the highest ratio at 53.20 to 1, with 266 applicants vying for 5 spots. The journalism and information studies department came in second at 43.57 to 1, with 305 applicants for 7 seats.

A regional physician selection track introduced for the first time this year attracted 259 applicants for 27 spots, a ratio of 9.59 to 1.

Other national universities in the Daejeon and South Chungcheong area also improved on last year's figures.

Gongju National University recorded a ratio of 9.28 to 1, with 27,727 applicants for 2,988 spots, up from 8.38 to 1 last year. Hanbat National University posted 8.36 to 1, with 17,169 applicants for 2,053 spots, compared with 7.89 to 1 last year.

Some private universities in the region, which had braced for a difficult admissions season after the government unveiled its free-tuition policy ahead of the early admissions period, also managed to improve their competition ratios year on year.

Mokwon University drew 12,450 applicants for 1,879 spots, posting a ratio of 6.63 to 1, up from 6.04 to 1 last year. Pai Chai University attracted 11,641 applicants for 1,895 spots at 6.14 to 1, extending its streak of consecutive annual gains to four years. Daejeon University also recorded a ratio of 6.90 to 1, an improvement over last year.

Hannam University held steady at 5.06 to 1, with 13,043 applicants for 2,580 spots, matching its ratio from last year.

However, Woosong University, at 8.92 to 1, and Konyang University, at 6.05 to 1, both saw their ratios fall compared with last year.


dandy@heraldcorp.com