Kyungbok University Sees Increase in 'Return Students' Re-enrolling After College Graduation

[Asia Economy (Namyangju) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] The number of so-called 'returning students' who graduated from university and re-enrolled at Gyeongbok University of Science and Technology has increased again this year.

Gyeongbok University announced on the 30th that, according to an analysis of this year's new students, the number of 'returning students' who enrolled after graduating from four-year universities and junior colleges was 132, a 5.6 percentage point increase compared to last year (125 students).

Among them, the number of students returning from four-year universities was 30, a 20 percentage point increase from 25 last year.

By age group, those in their 20s accounted for the largest portion at 74.2%, followed by those in their 30s (15.9%), 40s (7.6%), and 50s (2.3%).

The departments preferred by returning students showed strong trends in nursing and health-related fields such as Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Clinical Pathology, Physical Therapy, and Occupational Therapy.

Gyeongbok University analyzed that the increase in returning students is due to the high employment rate and the rapid aging of the population, which has expanded the medical and healthcare market, leading to more adult learners seeking a second career through retirement preparation and employment.

It also interpreted this as a result of the growing recognition of junior colleges that offer practical education tailored to society, enabling employment not only domestically but also overseas, rather than focusing on academic background.

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