Health · Healthcare & Policy · 2 hrs ago
South Korea's Foreign Student Dropout Rates Fall as Enrolment Grows
South Korea's foreign student dropout rates fell over two years, even as international student numbers rose quickly.
The country had more than 300,000 foreign students this year.
At general and industrial universities, the dropout rate fell from 6.85% in 2023 to 5.60% in 2025.
At junior colleges, it dropped from 10.02% to 7.23%, though it remained higher than at the other institutions.
A researcher said stronger checks on international education standards and visa penalties for poorly performing universities may have helped bring the rates down.
The trend matters because fewer students are leaving their studies while enrolment is expanding.
The figures cover 2023 to 2025, and no further policy steps were specified.
South Korea’s foreign-student dropout rates fell between 2023 and 2025 even as the number of international students grew rapidly.
At general and industrial universities, the rate declined from 6.85% in 2023 to 5.60% in 2025.
At junior colleges, it fell from 10.02% to 7.23% over the same period.
A report by Korea Educational Development Institute researcher Son Yun-hee said policies monitoring institutions and tightening visa restrictions may have contributed to the decline.
The report said South Korea’s foreign-student population surpassed 300,000 in 2026.
- Who
- Foreign students in South Korea; the report was written by Korea Educational Development Institute researcher Son Yun-hee.
- What
- Foreign-student dropout rates fell at general and industrial universities and at junior colleges from 2023 to 2025.
- When
- The rates cover 2023 to 2025. The report was published on November 1, 2026.
- Where
- South Korea.
- Why
- Son said policies monitoring internationalisation capacity and tightening visa restrictions on underperforming universities may have contributed.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Foreign-student dropout rates were 6.85% at general and industrial universities and 10.02% at junior colleges.
The rates fell to 5.99% at general and industrial universities and 7.53% at junior colleges.
The rates fell to 5.60% at general and industrial universities and 7.23% at junior colleges.
Yonhap reported the findings from a Korea Educational Development Institute report.
- General and industrial universities
- Dropout rate fell from 6.85% in 2023 to 5.60% in 2025
- Junior colleges
- Dropout rate fell from 10.02% in 2023 to 7.23% in 2025
- Two-year change
- General and industrial university rate declined by 1.25 percentage points
- Foreign-student population
- Surpassed 300,000 in 2026
- Report author
- Son Yun-hee, Korea Educational Development Institute researcher
1 source
What people are saying
Given that this was a period when the number of international students was growing rapidly, the decline in the dropout rate is significant.
It appears to be the result of policies that check illegal-stay rates and dropouts through the International Education Quality Assurance System and have strengthened visa restrictions on underperforming universities.