Regional Universities Make Strides... Seoul-Regional Admissions Competition Gap Smallest in 5 Years

Daegu, Gyeongbuk, and Chungcheong Regions Surpass Seoul in University Competition Rates

In the 2026 regular college admissions, regional universities outside of Seoul have shown remarkable progress, and the gap in competition rates between universities in Seoul and those in other regions has narrowed to its smallest point in the past five years. Analysts suggest that practical factors such as employment prospects and housing conditions have led examinees to adopt a more pragmatic application strategy.

According to Jongro Academy on January 11, the average competition rate for regular admissions at 190 universities nationwide this year was 6.01 to 1 for Seoul-based universities and 5.61 to 1 for regional universities. While Seoul's rate is higher by 0.40, this is the smallest gap since the 2022 admissions cycle. Over the same period, the difference in competition rates between Seoul and regional universities has rapidly decreased from 2.77 to 1, to 2.21 to 1, to 2.10 to 1, to 1.84 to 1, and now to 0.40 to 1.

The upward trend in competition rates for regional universities is also clear. The rate for regional universities jumped from 3.35 to 1 in the 2022 admissions cycle to 5.61 to 1 this year, and notably, the average competition rates in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk and Chungcheong regions surpassed those of Seoul-based universities for the first time in five years.

The number of applicants also increased mainly in regional areas. While the number of applicants in Seoul decreased by 1.0% compared to the previous year, it increased by 5.1% in Gyeonggi Province and by 7.5% in other regions. It appears that examinees are increasingly considering factors such as employment prospects, tuition and living expenses, and local talent recruitment policies, rather than simply whether a university is considered prestigious.

Lim Seongho, CEO of Jongro Academy, stated, "There is a trend of choosing competitive regional universities over lower-ranked Seoul-based universities," and predicted, "Depending on future policies to foster regional universities and expand local recruitment, the value of regional universities could be re-evaluated."

On the morning of the 13th, when the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test was conducted, examinees were preparing for the exam at Yongsan High School in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps