Top Employment Rate in Honam and Jeju Regions... Double Milestone with Jeonnam Provincial College Merger
President Song Hacheol: "A Model for Leading Regional University Innovation"
National Mokpo University has demonstrated its strong competitiveness as a leading regional university by achieving a freshman enrollment rate close to 100% within its quota for the 2026 academic year, ahead of its upcoming merger with Jeonnam Provincial College.
According to National Mokpo University on February 28, 99.9% of the 1,541 students recruited within the Dorim Campus quota have completed their enrollment this year. Experts attribute this exceptional achievement, despite the ongoing crisis among local universities due to declining school-age populations, to the university's robust educational indicators and distinctive welfare policies.
In fact, Mokpo University is recognized as a well-rounded institution excelling in education, employment, and welfare, having achieved the following: the only “S Grade” in the 2024 Glocal University annual evaluation nationwide; the highest employment rate (67.5%) among comprehensive national universities in the Honam and Jeju regions; and the top ranking for average scholarship per student over the past three years among national and public universities nationwide.
The university also boasts the highest level of student-centered welfare in the country. To ease the financial burden on students and parents, tuition fees have been frozen for 18 consecutive years (with an annual average tuition of 3.87 million won), and two out of every three enrolled students receive either full-tuition scholarships or living expense scholarships.
Notably, bold policies such as the nationally acclaimed “1,000-won Premium Breakfast Buffet,” the operation of more than 100 free commuter buses connecting Gwangju and Jeonnam, and overseas study support for all enrolled students have attracted a significant number of applicants.
Starting with the 2026 academic year, the university will take its first steps as the “New National Mokpo University” following its merger with Jeonnam Provincial College. Under the integrated system, students who earn a two-year associate degree at the Damyang Campus will be able to transfer to the four-year bachelor’s program without an entrance exam, and all transfer students will receive full scholarships in their first year.
Building on this year’s recruitment success, the university plans to focus its resources on nurturing talent in emerging industries such as marine, fisheries, energy, and AI by utilizing the 450 billion won Glocal University budget to be invested through 2028.
In addition, the university aims to accelerate the establishment of an “Integrated National Medical School” in collaboration with National Suncheon University, further solidifying its position as a key hub for medical and educational excellence in the region.
President Song Hacheol stated, “Our commitment to a student-centered educational environment and highly tangible welfare policies has earned the trust of both applicants and their parents. We will continue to lead the way in nurturing glocal talent and innovating regional universities, thereby contributing to national development.”
Meanwhile, the entrance ceremony to mark the new beginning for the 2026 academic year will be held on March 3. The events will take place at 10 a.m. in the Cheonggang Academy Hall at the 70th Anniversary Memorial Hall on the Dorim Campus, and at 2 p.m. in the Art Hall of the Student Culture and Welfare Center on the Damyang Campus.
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