Yonsei University, Seoul: country’s most expensive

Tuition fee increases at South Korea’s universities are “unavoidable”, according to academics, despite last-ditch negotiation attempts by a government already grappling with a constitutional crisis.

Deputy prime minister and education minister Lee Ju-ho reportedly sent a letter to all universities end December urging them to freeze tuition fees for the benefit of students, after it emerged that many were planning to hike fees. Representatives from the Ministry of Education then met with both national and public university leaders in January. While national universities rolled back on plans to hike fees ahead of the 2025 academic year after they were promised more funding, private universities seem determined despite similar financial pledges.

A survey by the Korea Private University Presidents Council found that of 90 respondents, 53 percent intended to raise tuition fees. According to the government, 26 private universities already increased their fees last year.

In South Korea, universities are legally permitted to raise fees by a small percentage every year, at a rate that takes inflation into account. Currently, universities would be able to raise fees by a maximum of 5 percent. However, the government has effectively imposed a freeze since 2009 by taking away subsidies from institutions that implement fee increases. Until recently, this had been enough to prevent most from raising their prices. However, attitudes appear to be changing.

“With the pivot to AI and emerging technologies, operational costs — such as running advanced networks and recruiting top-tier faculty trained in these fields — have risen significantly,” says Theodore Jun Yoo, professor of Korean language and literature at Yonsei University. “In addition, students now expect much more from leading universities, making tuition increases inevitable to maintain competitiveness.”

At Yonsei University — one of the most expensive of Korea’s private institutions — undergraduate students can expect to pay about £5,000 (Rs.5.35 lakh) per year in tuition fees. The university is now proposing a 5 percent increase. Even if this goes ahead, Yoo believes it “remains a relative bargain,” particularly when compared with leading institutions in countries like the US.

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