"Number of Students Decreasing but Repeaters Increasing" ... Survival Crisis Accelerates for Regional Universities

From the 2021 Academic Year College Entrance, the Number of Examinees Surpasses Admission Quotas
Concentration in Top-tier Universities and Popular Majors Intensifies Undermatching in Less Preferred Universities

On December 5th last year, examinees and parents attending the 'Jongno Academy, 2020 Regular Admission Strategy Briefing' held at Jangchung Gymnasium in Jung-gu, Seoul, are listening to an explanation about the regular admission strategy. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Amid concerns that the number of students entering universities will fall short of admission quotas due to a decline in the school-age population, the number of students choosing to retake the college entrance exam once or twice to get into their desired universities is increasing. The concentration towards so-called top-tier 'In-Seoul' universities, medical schools, pharmacy schools, and teacher training colleges is intensifying, and as a result, the under-enrollment phenomenon at less popular universities is expected to worsen.

According to the education sector on the 23rd, starting from the 2021 college entrance exam taken by high school seniors this year, the 'reversal phenomenon' where the total number of examinees nationwide is less than the total university freshman admission quota will become full-fledged. The admission quotas of 193 four-year universities and 135 junior colleges amount to about 550,000, maintaining the level of this year (2020 academic year), while the number of high school seniors hoping to enter university is expected to decrease by about 50,000 from 450,000 to 400,000.

Jongro Academy Haneul Education predicted that the number of students retaking the college entrance exam, which was about 142,000 last year (2020 academic year) based on applicants for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), will remain at least around 130,000 this year as well. Accordingly, they presented specific figures showing that the number of students hoping to enter universities nationwide will be about 533,000, while the university admission quota is 550,659, indicating a shortage of at least 16,000 students.

On the other hand, despite the decrease in the number of students, the number of repeat test-takers has not easily declined. In 2010, the proportion of repeat test-takers among entrants to four-year universities nationwide was only 16.3%, but it increased to 21.5% in 2019. The proportion of repeat test-takers at universities in the Seoul area also rose from 28.4% to 31.0% during the same period.

In the 2020 academic year CSAT, although the actual number of test-takers decreased by nearly 50,000 compared to the previous year, the number of repeat test-takers increased by about 6,500. Furthermore, with the government proposing college entrance reforms focusing on expanding the proportion of regular admissions, it is expected that the proportion of students retaking the exam or those who enter university but take the exam again (ban-su students) will increase.

According to a survey conducted by the admissions site Uway.com in December last year, before the start of regular admissions, 59% of examinees answered their application plans as appropriate, and 27.3% as upward (applying to higher-tier universities), but after the regular admissions began, responses shifted to 51.6% appropriate and 34.6% upward. Although the 2015 revised curriculum will be reflected in the CSAT from this year, changing some test scopes, the expectation of expanded regular admissions seems to reduce examinees' burden about retaking the exam.

Senior Researcher Shin So-young of Education Concern Free World said, "Usually, in years when the CSAT test scope changes, the number of repeat test-takers tends to decrease due to the burden of adaptation. However, despite the CSAT being conducted under the revised curriculum this year, it appears that many students had already considered retaking the exam and applied upward early on."

In the private education sector, despite the overall decrease in the number of students, this increase in repeat test-takers is expected to intensify competition for entrance into prestigious universities, Seoul and metropolitan area universities, medical and pharmacy schools, teacher training colleges, and other popular departments.

Oh Jong-woon, Evaluation Director at Jongro Academy Haneul Education, said, "Recently, many students who retake the exam do so because they failed to enter their desired university, and most of them are in the mid-to-upper range with CSAT grades between 2nd and 5th grade. Realistically, about half of high school students reside in the metropolitan area, and considering the locations of highly preferred major universities and their commuting zones in metropolitan cities, the under-enrollment phenomenon at universities located in provincial areas will be even more severe in the 2021 college entrance exam."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.