Overview

Founded as the first comprehensive university in 1946 by the merger of ten higher education institutions, Seoul National University (SNU) now has 28,000 students enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Fifteen colleges offer 85 undergraduate academic programs, under which students can also choose to study interdisciplinary or double major programs. At the postgraduate level, the graduate school offers 106 master's programs and 107 doctoral programs across five fields of study. There are twelve professional graduate schools including the Graduate School of Public Health and Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology. SNU has more than 250 university-wide student exchange partners in 45 countries, including the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California system. 

SNU is part of the SKY universities — the Korean equivalent of the Ivy League — comprising Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. Admissions to SNU are extremely competitive; from 1981 to 1987, when an applicant could apply only to one university at a time, more than 80% of the top 0.5% scorers in the annual government-administered scholastic achievement test applied to SNU, and many of them were unsuccessful. 

SNU has a student enrollment of approximately 27,000 — 16,000 at the undergraduate level and 11,000 at the graduate level. About 2,900 full-time faculty members are appointed at SNU, with more than 200 international faculty members. Over 300,000 SNU alumni play a leading role in every sector of South Korean society. 

SNU has four campuses: the main Gwanak campus in southern Seoul — served by its own Seoul Metro Line 2 subway station — the Yeongeon medical campus in the northeast of the city with colleges of medicine, dentistry, and nursing, the Pyeongchang green-bio campus in the host city of the Winter Olympics for agriculture and life sciences research, and the newly operational Siheung campus for industry-academia R&D. The largest university library in Korea owns a collection of more than 5.3 million volumes. 

Among SNU's most notable alumni are Ban Ki-moon — the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations — Hoesung Lee, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); Song Sang-hyun, former president of the International Criminal Court; Lee Jong-wook, sixth Director-General of the World Health Organization; Kwon Oh-hyun, former CEO and Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics; and Bang Si-hyuk, chairman and founder of HYBE Corporation (parent company of BTS). 

Intakes

SNU follows the Korean academic calendar with two main intake periods:

• Spring Intake (March) — Primary intake for most undergraduate and graduate programs
• Fall Intake (September) — Available for most undergraduate and graduate programs; preferred by many international students

Application Deadlines (Indicative for 2026–27):

Note: Application fee: approximately KRW 100,000–130,000. Most undergraduate programs are taught in Korean — TOPIK proficiency is essential. English-taught graduate programs have TOEFL/IELTS requirements. International students need a D-2 Student Visa. Verify at en.snu.ac.kr/admissions.

Top Courses

SNU's sixteen colleges offer 85 undergraduate academic programs. At the postgraduate level, the graduate school offers 106 master's and 107 doctoral programs. Twelve professional graduate schools include the Graduate School of Public Health and the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology. 

Key colleges and flagship programs include:

College of Engineering:

• BSc / MSc / PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Architecture

College of Natural Sciences:

• BSc / MSc / PhD in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Statistics

College of Medicine (Yeongeon Campus — World-class clinical research):

• MD in Medicine (6-year single cycle — highly selective)
• MSc / PhD in Medical Sciences, Biomedical Sciences

College of Business Administration:

• BBA in Business Administration
• MBA (SNU Graduate School of Business — top-ranked in Korea)
• MSc in Finance, MSc in Management

College of Law:

• LLB in Law, LLM (graduate professional school)
• MSc in International Law, International Trade Law

Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS):

• MA in International Studies (English-medium — popular with international students)
• MA in Korean Studies, MA in Public Administration

College of Education:

• BSc / MA in Education (nationally top-ranked)

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences:

• BSc / MSc in Agricultural Sciences, Food Science, Veterinary Medicine, Environmental Sciences

Cost of Studying at Seoul National University

As a national institution, Seoul National University offers the opportunity of receiving the best education at low expense, with the average tuition fee being KRW 6,034,163 (undergraduate, 2024) per year. Tuition fees are normally paid twice a year before each semester begins. 

SNU tuition varies by program. Humanities and Social Sciences cost approximately KRW 3,278,000 per semester (about USD 2,500). Engineering programs cost around KRW 3,997,000 per semester. Medicine (clinical) is the most expensive at KRW 6,131,000 per semester. An admission fee of KRW 169,000 is paid once upon enrollment. 

Note: SNU is a national university — tuition is extremely affordable compared to equivalent-ranking institutions globally. Seoul has a moderate-to-high cost of living by Asian standards. Fees are paid per semester. MEXT/GKS scholarships can reduce costs to zero. Verify at en.snu.ac.kr/academics/resources/registration.

Scholarships

SNU provides generous funding including the SNU Global Scholarship covering full tuition and KRW 500,000–1,000,000/month stipend plus airfare, the GKS (Korean Government Scholarship Program — fully funded), the Graduate Scholarship for Foreign Students (GSFS), and the SNU President Fellowship (PhD only). Over 500 international students receive scholarships annually. 

SNU offers the Graduate Scholarship for Excellent Foreign Students (GSFS) covering full tuition for up to 4 semesters plus a living stipend. The SNU President Fellowship Program (SPF) for doctoral students from developing countries provides full tuition, a monthly stipend of KRW 1.5–2 million, round-trip airfare, and health insurance. 

Key scholarships for international students:

Admissions

SNU's acceptance rate stands at approximately 15–20%, making it the most selective national university in South Korea. For Korean-taught programs, TOPIK Level 3 or higher for UG and Level 4 or higher for most graduate programs is required. For English-taught programs, TOEFL iBT 80+ or IELTS Academic 6.0+ is required.

For Undergraduate Programs:

• Completion of 12 years of secondary education (CBSE/ISC Class 12 or equivalent)
• Strong academic record — typically top 5% of class
• Korean-taught programs: TOPIK Level 3 minimum (Level 4–5 recommended)
• English-taught programs: TOEFL iBT 80+ / IELTS 6.0+
• SAT/ACT scores (recommended for strengthening application)
• Both applicant and parents must be non-Korean citizens (international student category)
• Application fee: KRW 100,000

For Graduate Programs (MSc / PhD):

• Bachelor's degree with strong academic record (GPA 3.0+/4.0 for MSc; 3.5+ for PhD)
• TOPIK Level 3+ (Korean programs) or TOEFL iBT 80+ / IELTS 6.0+ (English programs)
• Research proposal and supervisor contact (strongly recommended for PhD)
• CV, Statement of Purpose, 2 Letters of Recommendation
• Application fee: KRW 130,000

Placements

Around 90% of SNU graduates secure jobs or move into further study within six months. Top companies recruiting from SNU include Samsung, LG, Hyundai, and SK Group. SNU graduates are in extremely high demand across South Korea's public sector, top corporations, and international organisations.

SNU is ranked 10th in the world in terms of the number of alumni holding CEO positions in Fortune 500 companies — more than any other Asian university. SNU's alumni network of over 300,000 dominates every sector of Korean society, from government and judiciary to tech, finance, and media. 

Seoul — South Korea's capital and Asia's leading tech and cultural hub — provides SNU graduates with direct access to Samsung, Hyundai, LG, SK Hynix, NAVER, Kakao, and hundreds of global companies with major Korean operations.

Key career sectors for SNU graduates:

• Technology & Semiconductors — Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, LG Electronics, NAVER, Kakao, Hyundai Motor
• Finance & Consulting — Korea Development Bank, Shinhan Financial, KB Financial, McKinsey Seoul, BCG Seoul
• Government & International Organisations — UN, WHO, IPCC, WTO, Korean Government Ministries
• Medicine & Life Sciences — SNU Hospital, Samsung Medical Centre, Yonsei Severance Hospital
• Law — Korean Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, major Korean law firms
• Research & Academia — KAIST, POSTECH, Korean research institutes, global universities

Jobs After Graduating from Seoul National University

Note: Salary figures are indicative annual gross values in KRW. International graduates can apply for a D-10 job-seeker visa or convert to an E-7 skilled worker visa after graduation. Actual salaries vary significantly by employer, industry, and experience. Seoul has a moderate cost of living relative to salaries.

For personalised guidance on Seoul National University admissions, scholarships, and the Korean student visa process, connect with the experts at Polygon Campus today.