"Declining Preference Even Among Middle-Tier Students"
Noticeable Shortfall in Enrollment
For the 2025 academic year, the minimum admission thresholds for teacher training universities have dropped to as low as grade 7 in school records and grade 4 in the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT).
According to an analysis by Jongno Academy on April 27 of the 2025 admissions results for five universities?Seoul National University of Education, Chuncheon National University of Education, Cheongju National University of Education, Gwangju National University of Education, and Korea National University of Education?the average minimum admission threshold for enrolled students across these five universities was 3.61. This is lower than the 2.74 for the 2023 academic year and 3.22 for the 2024 academic year. In particular, there were successful applicants with grade 6 school records in the general early admission track. In some special admissions tracks, such as for national veterans, there were even cases of successful applicants with grade 7 school records.
At Seoul National University of Education, the average school record threshold for general early admission dropped to 2.10, compared to 1.97 the previous year. The comprehensive student record track also fell to 2.45, down from 1.99 the previous year. This university announces results based on the top 80% of enrolled students.
At Chuncheon National University of Education, the general early admission threshold dropped to 6.15, and for the Teacher Aptitude Track (comprehensive student record) which admits 101 students, the threshold fell to 6.35. At Cheongju National University of Education, the regional talent track threshold declined for three consecutive years: 2.31 in 2023, 2.92 in 2024, and 3.44 in 2025. Notably, the 2025 regional talent track threshold was 4.07, a significant drop from 3.08 the previous year. Both universities announce scores based on the lowest grades among enrolled students.
At Korea National University of Education's Department of Elementary Education, the threshold fell from 1.74 in 2023 to 2.25 in 2025. Gwangju National University of Education also saw its threshold drop from 2.85 in 2023 to 3.54 in both 2024 and 2025. The Gwangju National University of Education's Jeonnam Superintendent's Recommendation Track had a threshold of 4.27 for 2025, a significant decrease from 3.15 the previous year. These universities also announce scores based on the lowest grades among enrolled students.
A clear decline in admission thresholds was also observed in the regular admission track. At Seoul National University of Education, the converted score for the general track fell from 627.95 in 2024 to 618.41 in 2025, a decrease of 3.33 points. Chuncheon National University of Education's regular admission average dropped from 3.57 in 2023 to 3.82 in 2025.
The number of teacher training universities unable to fill their freshman quotas has also increased. The number of unfilled spots at the ten teacher training universities nationwide rose from 8 in 2020 to 23 in 2024. This shortfall phenomenon has spread across both the Seoul metropolitan area and regional universities.
Jongno Academy commented, "Even in the 2025 academic year, when the number of admissions has decreased, the drop in admission thresholds for teacher training universities is very pronounced," adding, "This appears to reflect a decline in preference for these universities not only among top students but also among those in the middle tier."
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