🇰🇷 How to apply to university in South Korea

There is no central application system: you apply to each institution directly. Programmes usually start: March (spring semester, the start of the Korean academic year) and September (fall).

Checked on 20 October 2026 against the official sources listed below.

The essentials

Application system: None — apply to each institution on its own website.
When programmes start: March (spring semester, the start of the Korean academic year) and September (fall).
International applicants: International students apply directly to each university under its own international-student admission, separate from the national rounds Korean students go through.
Language: A TOPIK score for Korean-taught programmes, or an English test for English-taught ones, at the level each university (or department) sets.

Key dates

Each university publishes its own schedule. At Seoul National University, applications for spring 2027 entry ran 6–9 July 2026 and for fall 2026 entry 3–5 March 2026; its fall 2027 dates are not yet published. Spring-entry applications usually close in the summer or autumn before, fall-entry ones in late winter or spring.

The dates for the next intake haven't been published yet. We add them once the official source does.

Your checklist

The usual steps for an international student applying to a bachelor's in South Korea, in order. Tick them off as you go — your ticks stay in this browser, with no account.

1.Choose universities and programmes, using Study in Korea's university search.
2.Read each university's admission guide for international students: eligibility, documents and schedule.
3.Get the language proof it asks for — a TOPIK score for Korean-taught programmes, an English test for English-taught ones.
4.Prepare your school certificates and transcripts in the certified form the university requires.
5.Apply online or by post to each university by its deadline and pay the application fee.
6.Attend an interview if the department holds one.
7.Receive your admission letter and pay tuition.
8.Apply for a student (D-2) visa at a Korean embassy or consulate with the university's documents.
9.Arrange housing — most universities have dormitories for international students.

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Next steps

Sources

Written by CollegeMatcher in our own words from these official pages, checked on 20 October 2026. Dates change every year.

Study in Korea (Ministry of Education / NIIED) — language proficiency requirements & TOPIK