The Shadow of Declining School-Age Population... 40,000 Fewer Students from General High Schools Entering University

Number of General High School Students Entering University Drops 12.4%
Matches This Year's Nationwide University Enrollment Shortfall
University Entrants Fall Below 300,000 for the First Time Since 2000

University students are studying for exams in a university library. The photo was taken before the outbreak of COVID-19. (The photo is unrelated to the article content)

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The number of general high school students advancing to university in the 2021 academic year decreased by more than 40,000 (12%) due to the decline in the school-age population.

On the 14th, Jongno Academy Haneul Education analyzed the School Information Disclosure and found that the number of general high school students advancing to university in 2021 was 285,487, a decrease of 40,459 (12.4%) compared to the previous year. This is the first time since 2000 that the number has fallen below 300,000.

The decrease in the number of general high school students advancing to university is not significantly different from the 2021 university enrollment shortfall (40,586) announced by the Ministry of Education on the 20th of last month. The decrease in the number of general high school university entrants is directly reflected in the university enrollment shortfall results.

Meanwhile, the university advancement rate for general high schools was 79.2%, an increase of 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous year (78.9%). Despite the larger decline in the school-age population, the decrease in the number of entrants was smaller, resulting in a higher advancement rate. The university advancement rate recorded over 80% until 2010 but decreased to the mid-to-high 70% range after 2011.

University Enrollment Rates by Province (Data Provided by Jongro Academy Haneul Education)

Looking at the university advancement rates by high school type, ▲ Autonomous Private High Schools (Jasago) had 62.0%, ▲ International High Schools had 69.9%, and ▲ Science High Schools (including Gifted Schools) had 87.4%.

By region, Seoul had the lowest university advancement rate at 66.0%, compared to the national average of 79.2%. Regions below the national average included Gyeonggi (74.2%) and Sejong (78.4%), while Gyeongbuk (90.2%) and Ulsan (90.1%) had the highest rates.

Oh Jong-woon, director of Jongno Academy Haneul Education, explained, "The decrease in the number of general high school students advancing to university directly resulted in the enrollment shortfall. High school students apply to universities located in Seoul or major universities they prefer, and if they fail to achieve their goal, they are willing to retake the college entrance exam."

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