Yonsei indicated that tuition fees for international undergraduates will be between roughly 4.3 million won and 8.7 million won (US$3,000-6,100) each semester in 2025, depending on the academic division.

For Underwood International College, the tuition stands at about 7.9 million won per semester. Graduate tuition typically spans from 5 million to 10 million won per semester, varying by the discipline.

Students at Yonsei University in April 2025. Photo credited to VnExpress/Minh Nga.

Ewha Womans University is imposing a 7% surge across all international programs, from undergraduate to doctoral levels, in contrast to the current fee of 4.7 million won per semester.

Sogang University has similarly announced a 7% increase.

Sungkyunkwan University plans a tuition raise of 6%, while Hanyang University and Kyung Hee University intend to hike fees by 5%.

The highest increase is anticipated at Korea University, where tuition will go up by over 11%. Currently, international students there pay between 5.8 million and 7.8 million won each semester. For master's programs, increases will differ by field, ranging from 2% to 5%.

Local students will also encounter higher tuition rates, but increases are limited to 3.19%, the government-mandated cap associated with the average consumer inflation rate from the last three years.

Previously, only institutions that froze or lowered tuition qualified for specific government funding. As per current legislation, private universities may boost tuition by up to 1.2 times the average consumer price inflation rate over the past three years, placing this year's ceiling at 3.19%, down from 5.49% in 2025, according to the Korea Herald.

Student dissent

Students have protested against the increases, contending that they have yet to receive concrete benefits from prior hikes.

"The institution raised tuition by 5% last year despite unanimous disapproval from the student council," the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies student council mentioned in a statement released on Jan. 13. "It failed to deliver on its promise to allocate most of the additional revenue for student needs."

In a similar declaration made on Thursday, the Korea University student council stated that tuition increases have not led to enhancements in the curriculum. "Students are not the university’s ATM," the statement asserted.

"The university should pursue self-sufficiency by acquiring more government funding and augmenting the financial accountability of its foundation," the Ewha Womans University student council expressed during a mid-January press conference, as reported by the Korea Herald.

Universities justify increases

Universities contend that tuition hikes are indispensable for maintaining financial health.

"There is diminished government support for private universities, yet they are expected to uphold low tuition rates," noted Hwang In-sung, secretary general of the Korean Association of Private University Presidents.

"Private institutions must compete with national universities, but the government effectively restricts their options (through tuition limits)."

Hwang added that the government's increased funding for regional public universities has further hindered private institutions' capacity to enhance their educational offerings.

The landscape began to change last year when over 70% of universities nationwide opted to raise tuition, according to Chosun Biz. Referring to a Ministry of Education report released in April last year, the publication stated that 136 out of 193 four-year universities increased fees, accounting for 70.5% of the total. The remaining 57 institutions held tuition steady, while the average rise across all universities was 4.1%.

South Korea is currently home to more than 300,000 international students, with over one-third hailing from Vietnam.

Annual tuition at the nation's top 10 universities currently ranges from 2.7 million to 19 million won.