'Mandatory Quotas for Local Medical Students' Lead to Highest Early Admission Competition Rates in Seoul Metropolitan Area in 5 Years

Competition Rate for Local Medical Schools in Early Admission Hits Record Low
Local Areas Still Higher in Regular Admission
Jongno Academy: "Reversal of Competition Rates Occurs"

To alleviate the concentration of medical school applicants in the Seoul metropolitan area, the '40% Quota for Local Talent Admissions' system was introduced last year, but analysis shows that the gap in competition rates between the metropolitan and provincial areas has widened.

According to analysis data from Jongro Academy on the 31st, the competition rate for medical schools in the metropolitan area for the 2024 academic year early admissions reached 61.33 to 1, the highest in the past five years. The Seoul area recorded 47.47:1, and the Gyeongin area 132.84:1. The metropolitan competition rates were 42.62% in 2020, 52.6% in 2021, 60.66% in 2022, and 60.26% in 2023.

On the other hand, the competition rate for medical schools in the provincial areas was 18.05:1, the lowest. For the first time in five years, the competition rate, which had exceeded 20:1, fell below that threshold. The provincial competition rates were 24.5% in 2020, 22.92% in 2021, 24.62% in 2022, and 22.14 in 2023. Accordingly, the metropolitan competition rate became more than three times higher than that of the provincial areas.

On the 1st, repeat students are taking the June mock exam for the 2024 College Scholastic Ability Test at the Jongno Academy headquarters in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

This change appears to be influenced by the '40% Quota for Local Talent Admissions' applied from the 2023 academic year early admissions. The local talent admission system is a system where only students from the respective region can apply, implemented under Article 15 of the 'Act on the Promotion of Local Universities and Balanced Development of Local Talent (Local University Promotion Act)'. According to the mandatory local talent selection, medical, dental, Korean medicine, and pharmacy schools in non-metropolitan areas must recruit at least 40% of their total quota through the local talent admission track.

In contrast, in the regular admissions where the local talent quota does not apply, the competition rates for medical schools show a reversal between the metropolitan and provincial areas. Based on the 2023 regular admissions competition rates, the metropolitan medical school competition rate was 4.89:1, while the provincial rate was higher at 7.76:1. This suggests that students residing in the metropolitan area are notably applying to provincial universities through the regular admissions track.

Although the system was introduced to prevent the concentration of medical school applicants in the metropolitan area, analysis shows that the gap in competition rates between the metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas has actually widened. Lim Seong-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy, stated, "Students from Seoul and the metropolitan area tend to avoid applying to provincial medical schools in early admissions, while applying to provincial universities in regular admissions, causing a reversal in competition rates between early and regular admissions in the Seoul metropolitan area. It is necessary to comprehensively review whether the 40% mandatory local talent quota is appropriate, considering changes in the regional school-age population and the competition rate dynamics between Seoul metropolitan and provincial areas in early and regular admissions."

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