'IN Seoul' Concentration Strengthens... Largest 5-Year Gap in Early Admission Competition Rates Between Seoul and Regional Universities

Early Admission Average Competition Rate in Seoul Area 18.74 to 1
70% of Universities in Provinces Have Enrollment Shortfalls

In the 2025 academic year early admission, the gap in competition rates between universities in Seoul and the Gyeongin area and those in provincial regions widened the most in the past five years. While Seoul and the Gyeongin area recorded the highest competition rates in five years, the proportion of universities in provincial areas with enrollment below capacity reached 70%.

Seoul National University Main Gate, Gwanak-gu, Seoul. (Not directly related to the article content) / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

On the 29th, Jongno Academy analyzed the competition rates of 194 universities nationwide over the past five years (2021?2025 academic years). The average competition rates for early admission in 2025 were 18.74:1 in Seoul, 12.99:1 in the Gyeongin area, and 5.99:1 in provincial regions.

The competition rate for Seoul universities steadily increased from 14.67:1 in 2021, 16.01:1 in 2022, 16.85:1 in 2023, 17.79:1 in 2024, to 18.74:1 in 2025. The Gyeongin area also saw an increase from 10.63:1 to 12.99:1.

In contrast, the competition rate in provincial regions remained around 5.71:1, 6.10:1, 5.80:1, 5.53:1, and 5.99:1. The gap between Seoul and provincial competition rates reached 12.75:1, the largest in the past five years.

Among the 17 cities and provinces nationwide, eight regions had competition rates below 6:1. Since applicants can apply up to six times in early admission, a competition rate of 6:1 or lower is generally considered under-enrollment. These regions included Busan at 5.99:1, Ulsan 5.82:1, Gwangju 5.38:1, Gyeongnam 5.33:1, Gyeongbuk 4.98:1, Jeonbuk 4.91:1, Jeju 4.88:1, and Jeonnam 4.17:1.

Out of 194 universities nationwide, 85 had competition rates below 6:1. Among these, 68 (80.0%) were in provincial areas, 9 (10.6%) in the Gyeongin area, and 8 (9.4%) in Seoul.

Jongno Academy analyzed, "The expansion of medical school enrollment quotas caused a decline in admission scores for top-tier universities," adding, "There was a strong tendency for applicants in the upper and upper-middle tiers to apply to higher-ranked schools in early admission, driven by expectations of falling admission cutoffs." They continued, "Although the increase in repeat test-takers and third-year high school students raised competition rates in provincial areas, it was insufficient compared to the rise in Seoul and the metropolitan area," and predicted, "Considering this as the first year of medical school enrollment expansion, the regional gap may widen further in the long term."

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