Final Competition Rates Also Rise at Major Universities
This year, the competition rate for education universities in the regular admission process for college entrance exams reached the highest level in the past five years. The final competition rates for regular admissions at major universities also increased overall compared to the previous year.
On the afternoon of the 14th of last month, a student attending the JinHakSa regular admission strategy briefing held at Jamsil Student Gymnasium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, is patting a friend's back. [Photo by Yonhap News]
According to Uway on the 6th, the average competition rate for 10 education universities nationwide in the 2024 academic year regular admission application, which closed on the same day, was confirmed to be 3.14 to 1. This is a significant increase compared to last year's 1.87 to 1.
The nationwide average competition rate for education universities was around 2 to 1 since the 2020 academic year, recording 1.9 to 1 in 2020, 2.11 to 1 in 2021, and 2.21 to 1 in 2022.
The competition rate for the general admission track in the elementary education departments of three general universities also recorded an average of 4.24 to 1, higher than last year's 3.72 to 1.
By school, Gyeongin National University of Education had the largest increase in competition rate, rising to 3.71 to 1 from 1.39 to 1 the previous year.
Among the elementary education departments of general universities, Korea National University of Education's elementary education department had the highest competition rate in the entire elementary education field at 5.76 to 1.
Uway explained, “The rise in competition rates for regular admissions seems not because of increased preference for teaching careers, but because various issues reported in the media led to expectations that the admission scores for education universities would decline. Whether the competition rate reflects actual preference for education universities can be seen by how many dropouts occur due to supplementary admissions.”
In the 2024 academic year regular admission process, the final competition rates at major universities increased compared to the previous year. This is interpreted as a result of the college scholastic ability test being more difficult than expected, which increased differentiation, and expectations related to the expansion of medical school quotas in 2025, leading to a trend of confident and upward applications among top-tier students.
According to the admissions industry including Jongro Academy and JinHakSa, in the regular admission application process that closed on the same day, 10 major universities in the Seoul area (based on quota inside and outside the regular admission) recruited 14,209 students and received 75,617 applications, recording an average competition rate of 5.32 to 1. This is an increase compared to last year's 4.75 to 1.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
