- KAIST receives 8,394 applications, up 20.1% from last year, at 9.70-to-1 ratio

- UNIST tops 10,000 applicants for first time, up 41.6%; semiconductor engineering program draws 112.57-to-1 ratio

- DGIST also sets record with 9,208 applicants despite adding 100 seats, averaging 28.6-to-1

- Student interest in science and technology universities focused on AI and semiconductors continues to grow

UNIST researchers discuss semiconductor research and development. [Provided by UNIST]
UNIST researchers discuss semiconductor research and development. [Provided by UNIST]

Even as a frenzy to enter medical school has swept South Korea, top students are flocking to KAIST and the country's other three science and technology institutes. Total early-admissions applications to the four institutes for the 2027 academic year reached a record 33,349 — a sharp jump from about 24,000 last year.

The surge runs counter to widespread concern that an expansion of medical school enrollment quotas would deepen a flight from science and engineering, compounded by a shrinking school-age population. Student interest in science and technology universities has been rising, particularly in cutting-edge fields such as AI and semiconductors.

According to KAIST, 8,394 students applied for roughly 865 undergraduate spots in the 2027 academic year admissions cycle, yielding a competition ratio of 9.70-to-1.

Applications grew at an even faster pace than the expansion of available seats. KAIST's undergraduate intake rose from 815 in the 2025 academic year to 825 in 2026 and roughly 865 in 2027, yet the overall competition ratio climbed consistently — from 8.0-to-1 to 8.5-to-1 and now to 9.70-to-1.

In the semiconductor systems talent track, 185 students applied for 40 seats, producing a ratio of 4.63-to-1.

"What stands out in this admissions cycle is not simply that competition has intensified, but that more students are applying to KAIST who refuse to confine their potential to a single field and instead want to pursue science and technology in all its dimensions — without limits," said Kim Yong-hyun, KAIST's dean of admissions.

Students talk on the KAIST campus. [Provided by KAIST]
Students talk on the KAIST campus. [Provided by KAIST]

UNIST drew 11,211 applicants for 565 early-admissions undergraduate seats in the 2027 academic year, a ratio of 19.84-to-1. Applications surged 41.6 percent from 7,919 last year, marking the first time the university has exceeded 10,000 applicants since its founding. Compared with 5,359 applicants in the 2022 academic year, the figure has more than doubled in five years.

The semiconductor engineering program — a contract department operated in partnership with Samsung Electronics — drew the most intense competition. Some 3,940 students applied for just 35 seats, producing a ratio of 112.57-to-1, a sharp jump from 70.51-to-1 last year.

"In the age of AI, universities must become places that help students develop the strength to ask their own questions, endure failure, and find answers," UNIST President Park Jong-rae said. "We will nurture future talent equipped with creative insight and the ability to connect across disciplines."

DGIST also set a new application record. A total of 9,208 students applied for 322 seats, yielding a ratio of 28.60-to-1.

The result is particularly striking given that DGIST expanded its intake by 100 seats — from 222 last year to 322 this year — yet the competition ratio still edged up from 27.85-to-1 to 28.60-to-1. The number of applicants rose by 3,026, or about 49 percent, from 6,182 last year.

Students attend a class at DGIST. [Provided by DGIST]
Students attend a class at DGIST. [Provided by DGIST]

The AI College, which admitted its first undergraduate class this year, also attracted strong demand. Some 1,521 students applied for 100 seats, a ratio of 15.21-to-1.

"We will continue to strengthen our education and research capabilities in future science and technology fields, including AI and semiconductors," said Cho Yong-cheol, DGIST's dean of admissions and student affairs.

GIST received 4,536 applications for 315 early-admissions undergraduate seats in the 2027 academic year, an average ratio of 14.40-to-1.

Last year, 3,331 students applied for 215 seats, producing a ratio of 15.49-to-1.

The semiconductor engineering contract program posted the sharpest gain. Some 289 students applied for 25 seats, a ratio of 11.56-to-1 — up roughly 80.6 percent from 6.4-to-1 last year.

GIST also expanded the weight of interviews to 50 percent in its major admissions tracks starting this year.

"Our policy is to conduct interviews with all document-screened applicants before the College Scholastic Ability Test, assessing each candidate's competencies and fit with the university's vision for talent," said Lee Su-jeong, GIST's dean of admissions and student affairs.


nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com