Pusan National University
부산대학교
Korea's first national university, founded in 1946 with money raised by the people of Busan, now the southeast's flagship.
- Students
- 33,500
- Tuition
- ₩4.1M
- From · 2027
- Founded
- 1946
- QS World Ranking
- #449
- 2027 edition
About PNU
Pusan National University was founded on 15 May 1946 as Korea's first national university. Local residents and businesses in the Gyeongsangnam-do region donated about KRW 10.33 million to fund it, more than the KRW 10 million target. It opened as Pusan National College with two departments, humanities and fisheries, and became a comprehensive national university in 1953. Its first president, In-Ku Yun, set its founding values of Truth, Freedom and Service.
PNU marked its 80th anniversary in 2026 and has more than 280,000 alumni. It says it has about 33,500 students and 1,200 professors. Most colleges are on the main Busan Campus, while medicine-related and some engineering and AI programmes are at Yangsan and life sciences are at Miryang. Undergraduate colleges run from Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences to Engineering, Economics and International Trade, Business, Nursing, Arts and a College of AI.
For international students, most teaching is in Korean and admission depends on TOPIK level: level 3 for some departments, level 4 or 5 for others. The exception is the Department of Global Studies, whose courses are all taught in English and which accepts TOEFL or IELTS instead of TOPIK. PNU suits students who want a large, research-focused public university in Korea's second city at national-university tuition.
진리·자유·봉사
“Truth, Freedom, Service” — university motto
Why students choose PNU
The Department of Global Studies teaches all its courses in English and admits international students on TOEFL iBT 80 or IELTS 5.5 without a TOPIK requirement.
Tuition is national-university level, from about KRW 4.1 million a year in humanities, social sciences and business to about KRW 6.4 million in music.
New international students with TOPIK level 4, 5 or 6 get tuition scholarships in their first semester, up to full tuition for TOPIK 6.
Two intakes a year (March and September) and overseas interviews by phone or Zoom mean you can apply without travelling to Korea.
Admissions
Spring (March) 2027 entry, international undergraduate admission
Selectivity
PNU does not publish an acceptance rate for international undergraduate admission. Admission is by document review of transcripts and other records, plus an interview for some departments.
Typical entry requirements
| High school diploma (12 years, completed in one country) | Graduate or expected graduate; qualification exams, home schooling and distance learning are not accepted |
|---|---|
| Nationality | The applicant and both parents must be foreign nationals; Korean and dual nationals cannot apply |
| TOPIK (Korean-taught departments) | Level 3 (e.g. Natural Sciences, Architecture, Global Open Major), level 4 (most humanities, social sciences and engineering, AI Computer Science) or level 5 (Business Administration, Nursing, Language and Information) |
| Financial proof | Bank balance of KRW 16,000,000 or more in the applicant's or a parent's name |
| English language | IELTS 5.5 · TOEFL iBT 80 Department of Global Studies only: TOEFL iBT 80 (writing 4), IELTS 5.5 or NewTEPS 327; applicants from Nepal, Mongolia, Uzbekistan and Vietnam need IELTS 7 or TOEFL iBT 85. Applicants from the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa are exempt. AI Computer Science and Engineering accepts English proof only together with TOPIK level 3. |
Deadlines
- GKS (Global Korea Scholarship) Embassy Track, 2027 Non-binding Passed30 September 2026
Apply through the Korean embassy or consulate in your home country (15–30 September 2026); no documents go to PNU at this stage.
- Spring 2027 (March entry) Non-binding Next deadline · In 17 days23 October 2026, 18:00 KST
Online application 12–23 October 2026; original documents must arrive by 6 November; interview in Korea 7 December (tentative); results 18 December 2026.
- Fall 2027 (September entry) Non-bindingEarly April 2027 (to be announced)
In the 2026 cycle, online applications opened on 13 April 2026 and the guide was posted at the start of March; check the PNU International admission notices for the 2027 dates.
The spring 2027 dates come from the official 2027 Spring Semester Admissions Guide. The fall 2027 guide has not been published yet, so the April timing is based on the 2026 cycle.
How to apply
Apply online at JINHAK APPLY (www.jinhakapply.com), pay the KRW 144,000 application fee, then post original documents: nationality and family documents, high school diploma and transcripts, TOPIK or English scores, financial proof, and the printed application with self-introduction and study plan. Interviews are face to face in Korea or by phone or Zoom from overseas.
What admissions looks for
- A comprehensive review of your documents, including high school transcripts and other records.
- Korean ability at the TOPIK level your department sets; higher TOPIK levels also bring larger scholarships.
- For Global Studies, English ability shown through a test score, an English essay test and an interview in English.
- For some departments, an interview; Electronics and Semiconductor Engineering and Vocal Music require a face-to-face interview, and Vocal Music includes a performance test.
Tips for applying to PNU
- 1 Check your department's TOPIK level in the guide before you apply: it ranges from level 3 to level 5.
- 2 If you are studying at the PNU Language Education Institute, you can apply before you have a TOPIK certificate and submit proof of completion by 29 January 2027.
- 3 Send your original documents early: they must arrive in Busan by 6 November 2026, and documents not in Korean or English need translations.
- 4 Submit a higher TOPIK certificate after admission (by 11 December 2026) to qualify for a larger first-semester scholarship.
- 5 Art applicants need a portfolio, and composition applicants need a piano piece and performance video.
Costs & financial aid
2027 · figures in KRW
New international students get first-semester tuition scholarships based on TOPIK: Tuition I for level 4, Tuition II for level 5 and full tuition for level 6, deducted automatically. From the second semester, students with TOPIK 4 or higher and a GPA of at least 2.5 out of 4.5 compete for merit scholarships, and Global Studies students qualify with TOPIK 4 or an English score such as TOEFL iBT 80. The GKS government scholarship is open through the Korean embassy track.
- TOPIK 4: Tuition I; TOPIK 5: Tuition II; TOPIK 6: full tuition
- First-semester TOPIK scholarship
- KRW 400,000, up to 3 times
- TOPIK improvement scholarship
- KRW 144,000
- Application fee
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (spring from March, fall from September)
Global Studies
The only undergraduate department where all courses are taught in English; admission via TOEFL or IELTS, an English essay test and an interview.
Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
A Korean-taught engineering department in a port city, requiring TOPIK level 4 for international applicants.
School of AI Computer Science and Engineering
Majors in Computer Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Computing; the AI major is run jointly with Kyungpook National University.
School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Semiconductor Engineering)
A semiconductor major that requires a face-to-face interview for international applicants.
Nursing
Accredited by Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare until June 2029, so graduates can sit the national nursing exam; requires TOPIK 5.
Research
- PNU hosts the IBS Center for Climate Physics (ICCP), launched in 2017 with the Institute for Basic Science.
- The Yangsan Campus is home to medical and bio-technology research, with the Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital.
- PNU runs several university hospitals, including Pusan National University Hospital, the Dental Hospital, the Korean Medicine Hospital and the Children's Hospital.
Schools & faculties
- College of Humanities
- College of Social Sciences
- College of Natural Sciences
- College of Engineering
- College of Economics and International Trade
- School of Business
- College of Human Ecology
- College of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
- College of Nursing
- College of Arts
- College of AI
- University College
Student life
Most students study on the Busan Campus in Geumjeong-gu in northern Busan, with specialised colleges at Yangsan and Miryang. The dormitories, called college living halls, house 4,436 students (about 16% of the student body), usually two to a room. Ungbi Hall in Busan and Haengrim Hall in Yangsan have private bathrooms and air conditioning. The PNU International Student Support Team in Sangnam International House helps with visas, dormitory, insurance and course registration. International students must join Korea's National Health Insurance as well as the school insurance.
- Dormitories on the Busan, Yangsan and Miryang campuses house 4,436 students.
- The PNU International Student Support Team handles visas, housing and insurance for international students.
- PNU's Korean Language Education Institute runs Korean courses whose completion levels count towards admission.
- Ungbi Hall (Busan) and Haengrim Hall (Yangsan), built in 2009, offer rooms with air conditioning and private bathrooms.
Housing. University dormitories (college living halls) hold 4,436 students, mostly in twin rooms with shared or en-suite facilities; insurance is required to move in.
Location
Busan is South Korea's second-largest city and main port, on the southeast coast. The Busan Campus is in Geumjeong-gu in the north of the city, and PNU's Yangsan and Miryang campuses are in neighbouring South Gyeongsang Province. As a national university, PNU is a cheaper option than private universities in Seoul.
Nearest airport: Gimhae International Airport (PUS)
Notable alumni
- YS Yim Si-wanSinger (ZE:A) and actor; attended Pusan National University
- HS Heo Sung-taeActor known for The Age of Shadows; majored in Russian
- KY Kim Yi-deumPoet; studied German literature
- EK Eunseong KimPhysicist who, with Moses Chan, first observed signs of supersolid behaviour in helium
- YY Yoo Young-minChief of Staff to President Moon Jae-in (2020–2022); mathematics graduate
- CH Chang-Sik HaPolymer and materials scientist; chemical engineering graduate (1978) and later PNU vice president
Frequently asked questions
Does Pusan National University teach in English?
Most undergraduate courses are taught in Korean. The Department of Global Studies is the exception: all its courses are taught in English, and it admits international students with TOEFL iBT 80, IELTS 5.5 or NewTEPS 327 instead of TOPIK.
What TOPIK level do I need for Pusan National University?
It depends on the department: level 3 for departments such as Natural Sciences and Architecture, level 4 for most humanities, social sciences and engineering, and level 5 for Business Administration, Nursing and Language and Information.
When is the Pusan National University application deadline for spring 2027?
Online applications run from 12 to 23 October 2026 on JINHAK APPLY, and original documents must arrive by 6 November 2026. Results are due on 18 December 2026.
How much is tuition at Pusan National University for international students?
In 2027, tuition is KRW 2,069,000 per semester (about KRW 4.1 million a year) in humanities, economics and business, KRW 2,932,000 per semester in engineering and AI, and up to KRW 3,197,000 per semester in music.
Are there scholarships for international students at PNU?
Yes. New students with TOPIK 4, 5 or 6 get first-semester scholarships of Tuition I, Tuition II or full tuition. After that, merit scholarships depend on GPA and TOPIK or English scores, and GKS is available through the embassy track.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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