Study in South Korea for International Students

Studying in South Korea for International Students is a great opportunity with Fully Funded Scholarships. South Korea, officially known as the Republic of Korea, is most famous due to its unique culture, interesting history, fascinating nature, and well-established cities. The best cities in South Korea are Seoul, Busan, and Daejeon. Korea has world-ranked institutes and well-recognized degrees worldwide. It offers master's, bachelor's, and doctoral programs. Courses to study in South Korea are economics, hospitality, engineering, philosophy, humanities, political science, natural sciences, business administration, medicine, and languages. 

The exams accepted by the institutes in Korea are PTE, IELTS, TOEFL, and C1 advanced. IELTS is required with a band score of 5.5 to 6.5. The government provides merit-based fully funded scholarships. The teaching languages in South Korea are English and Korean. The average tuition fee in public universities is 1700 to 17800 USD per semester for bachelors and 1800 to 21800 USD semester-wise for masters. The average living cost is approximately 900 to 1400 USD per month.

South Korea allows part-time jobs of 20 to 25 hours weekly. The success visa ratio is about 85% in South Korea. For international students, a bank statement is required, about 15k-20k USD. 

Reasons to Study in South Korea

There are a lot of reasons that attract international students to study in South Korea. Some of them are described below:

Affordability: One of Korea's most appealing features is its equal treatment of native and foreign students in terms of tuition fees. The average cost for undergraduate and postgraduate programs is about 1500-21000 USD per semester, with higher fees for humanities, medicine, and engineering. This affordability ensures that students can focus on their studies without financial stress.

Education System: South Korea has some of the most prestigious and world-ranked universities, such as Korea University, KAIST University, and Seoul National University. These universities' main goal is to provide advanced and excellent curriculums and the best courses. Courses offered by Korean universities are finance, social science, humanities, management, technology, and engineering.

Technology and Innovation Center: This is the leading nation manufacturing smart phones, cars, ships, automobiles, chemicals and electronics. It has the biggest companies like LG, Hyundai, and Samsung.

Earn during studies: South Korea allows part-time work for more than than 20 hours per week and during the holidays to manage your study or other expenses.

Attractive destination: It is an attractive place for foreign students due to its unique culture, adventure, festivals, and historical scenes, such as Everland, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Jeju island, and Bukchon Hanok village.

High-quality life: For foreign candidates, South Korea is not just a welcoming nation, but also a safe and comfortable one. Its excellent healthcare, rapid economic progress, and low crime rate make it an attractive and reassuring destination. 

This high quality of life ensures that students can fully focus on their studies and personal growth.

Learn Korean language: The Korean language is not just a requirement for many universities, but also a gateway to personal growth and cultural immersion. Learning and speaking Korean allows students to understand and appreciate the unique norms, roles, and values of Korean society, enhancing their study experience.

Scholarships to Study in South Korea

Various scholarship programs are offered by the Korean government to international students, covering tuition, travel expenses, and more. They offer almost 2000 scholarships to foreign candidates each year. To apply, students need to submit their academic records, a statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation. Various foundations, universities, and the government offer scholarships to encourage students' study experiences.

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Some of the best scholarships are described below:

1. Global Korea Scholarship
2. SNU scholarship
3. Yonsei university scholarships
4. Pusan National University scholarships
5. UST scholarship
6. Korean foundation for advanced studies scholarship
7. KAIST undergraduate scholarship
8. POSTECH graduate scholarship
9. GIST university scholarship
10. KOICA scholarship

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1. Global Korea Scholarship

This scholarship is offered to undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral candidates. It covers tuition costs, health insurance, air ticket costs, living allowances,, and language course expenses course expenses. Those candidates who exhibit brilliant Korean language proficiency will be granted an additional award of 80 USD. For selection, students must be under 25 years of age for bachelor's degrees and 40 years for graduates. Previous educational results must be 80%.

2. SNU scholarship

This scholarship is offered by Seoul National University to graduate and PhD students. It is a fully funded scholarship that covers students' study expenses.

3. KAIST Undergraduate Scholarship

This is a fully funded scholarship. It is offered to bachelor's, postgraduate, and doctoral students in engineering and science.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Monthly living cost of around 265 USD
• Explore the culture of Korea
• Full tuition fee coverage
• Give a chance to study and stay in Korea

4. GIST University Scholarship

This is the fully funded scholarships that is given to the masters and doctoral students.

Benefits

• 100 percent tuition cost coverage
• Monthly allowance of 106 USD to masters' students
• Monthly allowance of 223 USD to PhD students
• One way flight
• Health insurance
• Explore the Korea culture
• Career opportunities

5. UST Scholarship

The university of science and technology scholarship offered to the masters and doctoral programs. It covers the tuition fee and living cost. UST provides 300 scholarships to the doctoral and postgraduate programs. Additionally, this institute gives a global research internship to the foreign candidates.

6. Pusan National University Scholarships

It is a great chance for the foreign candidates who wish to studying in Korea. It is a fully and partially funded fellowship. PNU fellowship is available for the bachelor's program. Applicants from all over the world can apply for this scholarship.

7. KOICA Scholarship

This scholarship is offers to the developing nations students that want to purse graduate degree from the South Korea. It is a fully funded scholarship. It covers the living expenditures, health insurance, air ticket and tuition fee.

Benefits

• Living allowance of about 454 USD for masters and 908 for PhD programs
• Full tuition cost
• Extracurricular activities
• Airfare
• Health insurance
• Scholarship completion prize for masters is 227 USD and 454 for doctoral programs

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Top Universities in South Korea

1. Seoul national university
2. Hanyang university
3. Pohang university of science and technology
4. Korea university
5. Sungkyunkwan university
6. KAIST university
7. Yonsei university
8. Kyung Hee university
9. Chonnam National University.

1. Seoul National University

It is the top institute in South Korea, ranked 31 world. It was founded in 1946, and it is the powerhouse of research. SNU offers 99 graduate and 82 bachelor's programs, and more than 100 research institutes. The main courses offered in this university are medicine, engineering, and business administration. Moreover, IELTS is required with a 6.0-band score. The average tuition fee is about 2k-6k USD per semester, with a 10-19% acceptance rate.

2. KAIST University

This university was established in 1905, and its main purpose is technology and science. This university attracts many foreign candidates while 80% of the courses are taught in English. This university is the center of technology and innovation. The top courses offered at this university are electrical engineering, computer science, and industrial design. Furthermore, it is the 53 world-ranked university. IELTS requires a minimum band score of 6.5. The average tuition fee is 7k USD per semester for bachelor's and 22k USD per year for masters, with an acceptance rate of 22%.

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3. Yonsei University

This university was founded in 1885. It is ranked among the 56 universities worldwide. This university offers medicine, business administration, and international studies. It gives a vibrant student environment with a rich heritage, advanced facilities, and cultural festivals. Furthermore, this university has a world ranking of 56 with an acceptance rate of 18% and an IELTS requirement of 6.5. The average tuition cost is around 5600 USD per semester for a bachelor's and 13k-18k USD per year for a master's.

4. Korea University

This university was established in 1905 and is popular due to its employability rate and wide range of programs. The main courses offered by this university are law, political science and economics. Korea Institute publishes more than 3k research proposals every year. Moreover, this university has a world ranking of 67.  IELTS is required with a 5.5 band. The average tuition fee is around 7500 USD per year. The acceptance rate for bachelors is 25% and for graduate is 50%.

5. Pohang University of Science and Technology

This university is a private-sector research institute founded in 1086. It enrolls almost 300 bachelor's applicants every year and is ranked 98th in the world. IELTS requires a band score of 6.0. Additionally, the average tuition fee is about 8300 USD per year. The acceptance rate is 47%.

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Admission requirements and document list

Korean universities' required admission documents are given below:

• Valid passport
• Passport pictures
• Previous educational transcripts
• Recommendation letter
• Statement of purpose
• Application fee
• Motivational letter
• Korean or English language proficiency
• CV
• Work experience
• Health insurance
• A master's thesis is required

Visa requirements and documents list

The success visa ratio is 85% for international students. The basic documents required are as follows:

• Passport
• Passport sized pictures
• Business registration certificate copy
• Recommendation letter
• Acceptance letter
• Id card
• Visa application form
• Financial funds proof
• Visa application fee (70-95 USD)
• Bank statement of 15k-20k USD

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Cost of Living

The average cost of living is 900 to 1400 USD per month, which covers meals, transport, and other fees. However, this cost may differ depending on the living options, city, and lifestyle. To minimize the budget, scholarships and part-time jobs are important.

Part-time working hours and income

South Korea allows part-time jobs for 20-25 hours per week, and the minimum wage is around 6-9 USD per hour. Foreign candidates can work as tutors, in cafes, on campus, or in restaurants.

After study work-permit

After graduation, international students can stay and work for six months to two years to find job opportunities in South Korea. Moreover, many industries offer internships to international students. 

FAQs

Q1) How much does it cost for foreign candidates to study in Korea?

Answer: The average tuition fee in public universities in Korea is 1700 to 17800 USD per semester for bachelors and 1800 to 21800 USD semester-wise for masters.

Q2) Why study in South Korea?

Answer: It is an attractive study destination due to its excellent education system, world-ranked universities, safe environment, and more than 2,000 scholarships.

Q3) How much is a bank balance needed for a South Korean student visa?

Answer: The minimum bank balance required for a Korean student visa is around 15k to 20k USD.

Q4) Which course is best for studying in Korea?

Answer: Best courses to studying in South Korea are engineering, philosophy, history, natural sciences, business administration, finance, Languages, arts and medicine.