Medical Schools Accepting Grade 2, Yonsei and Korea University Science Departments Accepting Grade 3: Changing Admissions Landscape

Impact of Increased Medical School Quotas
Admission Cutoff Scores Drop at 14 Medical Schools

Due to the significant increase in medical school quotas last year, a large number of top-performing students flocked to medical schools. As a result, the admission cutoff scores for science and engineering departments at Yonsei University and Korea University, both considered prestigious traditional private universities, dropped considerably. However, this year, as the medical school quotas are set to decrease again, the admissions landscape is expected to unfold differently compared to last year.

Due to the significant increase in medical school quotas last year, the admission cutoff scores for science and engineering departments at Yonsei University and Korea University have dropped considerably. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

According to an analysis released by Jongro Academy on the 25th, a comparison of the regular admission cutoff scores for 17 medical schools and the science and engineering departments at Yonsei University and Korea University?departments for which year-on-year comparison is possible?showed that the cutoff scores dropped at 14 out of the 17 medical schools for the 2024 academic year.

Among five major medical schools in the Seoul metropolitan area, three saw a decline in scores. The cutoff score at Catholic University fell by 0.13 points to 99.20 points from 99.33 points the previous year. Kyung Hee University dropped by 0.17 points to 98.50 points, and Ajou University dropped by 0.50 points to 98.33 points. In contrast, Korea University remained unchanged at 99.0 points, while Yonsei University actually saw an increase of 0.25 points, reaching 99.25 points.

Jongro Academy stated, "In the case of medical schools, there were universities where the regular admission cutoff score dropped to an average of grade 2 in Korean, Math, and Science subjects."

The admission cutoff scores for general science and engineering departments at Korea University and Yonsei University, excluding medical and pharmaceutical programs, also fell compared to the previous year. At Yonsei University, 13 out of 19 departments saw a decrease, and at Korea University, 21 out of 29 departments experienced a drop. Jongro Academy reported, "For some science and engineering departments at Korea University and Yonsei University, the cutoff scores were set as low as grade 3 in the College Scholastic Ability Test."

This phenomenon is analyzed as a result of the government's policy to expand medical school quotas. Last year, the government increased the number of medical school seats by about 2,000, from 3,058 to 5,058, leading a large number of top students to apply to medical schools. Consequently, the cutoff scores at top universities, including Yonsei University and Korea University, also dropped.

However, starting from the 2026 academic year, medical school quotas are scheduled to decrease again, making it difficult for this year's applicants to rely solely on last year's admissions results. Jongro Academy explained, "The number of seats for medical school admissions will decrease, while the proportion of regional talent selection is expected to increase. Additionally, the number of third-year high school students has increased by about 47,000 compared to last year, making it difficult to predict the top-tier admissions landscape."

The academy further added, "Such admissions variables will affect even universities below the mid-tier, making overall admissions confusion inevitable."