23% of Repeat Test-Takers Come from High-Income Households
"74.6% Say Parents Covered 90% of Private Education Expenses"
It has been found that one out of four repeat test-takers (students who have graduated from high school and are retaking the college entrance exam) who entered university last year comes from a household with an average monthly income of at least 8 million won.
According to a report titled "Development of a Survey Model for Private Education Expenses of Repeat Test-Takers," submitted by the Ministry of Education to the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Moonsoo, a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee, the largest group among the surveyed repeat test-takers was those whose households had an average monthly income of at least 8 million won. The report surveyed 1,753 first-year students entering 17 general universities for the 2024 academic year.
The proportion of students from households with an average monthly income of at least 8 million won was 23.4%. This was followed by 8.6% from households earning between 5 million and 6 million won, 7.6% from those earning between 3 million and 4 million won, and 7.1% from those earning between 4 million and 5 million won. Meanwhile, 35.3% of respondents said they were unsure of their household income.
The research team noted, "Considering that the nominal average monthly wage of wage earners in Korea is 3.64 million won as of 2024, it is clear that the household income of students choosing to retake the college entrance exam is significantly high."
Regarding private education expenses, 74.6% of respondents said that their guardians covered more than 90% of the costs. Among those who paid for their own private education, 78.5% said they covered less than 10% of the expenses. This indicates that the financial capacity of guardians is a major factor determining whether repeat test-takers receive private education.
When asked about their perception of the burden of private education expenses, about 46% said the burden was considerable. Specifically, 32.3% answered that the burden was "quite large," while 13.7% said it was "very large." Meanwhile, 32.9% responded that the burden was "average."
The most common type of private education experienced by repeat test-takers was online lectures. Excluding EBS, 70.5% of repeat test-takers used online lectures, 35.6% attended comprehensive college entrance academies, and 34.1% attended subject-specific academies.
Even after retaking the exam and entering university last year, a significant proportion of students reported that they were unable to enroll in their desired university or major. Specifically, 68.1% said they did not get into their preferred university, and 47.9% said they were not admitted to their desired major.
Assemblyman Kim stated, "Although the number of repeat test-takers is increasing significantly, there is virtually no understanding of their current situation or the reality of their private education. While there are challenges regarding the subjects and methods of such surveys, it is necessary to consistently pursue research to examine the types and scale of private education expenses for repeat test-takers, the impact of government education policies, and how to view the increase in repeat test-takers."
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