"Shifting from Academic Advancement
to Career Design Based on Individual Aptitude and Talent"
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced on December 24, 2025, that the application rate for new students at specialized high schools and Meister high schools in Seoul for the 2026 academic year reached 126.8%. A total of 13,055 students applied for 10,292 available spots.
Among them, Meister high schools (4 schools) had 863 applicants for 540 available spots, resulting in an application rate of 159.8%. The final number of admitted students was 549, with a fill rate of 101.7%. This marks the third consecutive year, following the 2024 and 2025 academic years, that the fill rate has exceeded 100%.
Specialized high schools (67 schools) had 12,192 applicants for 9,752 available spots. The application rate stood at 125.0%, up 9.1 percentage points from the previous year. The final number of admitted students was 9,280, with a fill rate of 95.2%, which is an increase of 1.4 percentage points compared to the previous year.
This year, the top industrial fields (subject groups) in terms of application rates were ▲Culture, Arts, Design, and Broadcasting (138.5%) ▲Beauty (138.0%) ▲Food and Culinary (133.1%) ▲Tourism and Leisure (132.5%) ▲Information and Communication (118.7%). Analysts noted a clear trend of students applying based on aptitude and talent, as well as considering practical, field-oriented education and specific industry and job sectors.
Over the past three years, the application rates for new students at specialized and Meister high schools have steadily increased, from 116.9% to 118.3% to 126.8%. The overall fill rate also rose from 92.21% to 94.65% to 95.50%. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education explained, "The criteria for students and parents in choosing career paths are shifting away from a simple focus on academic advancement, moving instead toward 'career design-oriented choices' based on individual aptitude and talent."
Going forward, the Office plans to expand the 'employment-first, study-later' pathway and to strengthen the discovery of quality job placements and on-site learning experiences by further operating the 'Matching Day in Seoul' program. In addition, it will continue to promote policy support based on cooperation among schools, local communities, and industries, and will enhance access to information and tailored counseling about specialized and Meister high schools from the early stages of career education, so that students can proactively design their own career paths.
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