University of Seoul
서울시립대학교
Korea's only public university run by the Seoul city government, built around urban science and low tuition.
- Students
- 11,746
- 8,796 undergraduates
- Tuition
- ₩4.3M
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1918
- QS World Ranking
- 851-900
- 2027 edition
About UOS
The University of Seoul traces its history to Gyeongseong Public Agricultural School, which opened on May 1, 1918. It became Seoul Agricultural College in 1956, switched from agriculture to urban-related fields in 1974, and has been run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government since 1975. It took its current name in 1981 and became a comprehensive university in 1987. It calls itself Korea's only public university supported by the city of Seoul, which keeps its tuition well below that of Seoul's major private universities.
UOS set up Korea's first College of Urban Sciences, and urban administration, urban planning, transportation, landscape architecture and environmental engineering remain its distinctive strengths. It also has colleges of Government and Economics, Business Administration, Engineering, Humanities, Natural Science, Arts and Sports, and a College of Artificial Intelligence added for 2027 international admissions. In 2024 it had 8,796 undergraduates and 2,950 graduate students, taught by 462 full-time faculty.
International undergraduates take regular degree courses taught in Korean alongside Korean students, so TOPIK 3 is the entry point. It suits applicants who want to study in central-east Seoul at a public-university price, especially in urban planning, public administration, engineering or economics.
Truth, Creation, Service
University motto
Why students choose UOS
Tuition for international undergraduates is KRW 2,156,000 to 3,396,000 per semester (2026 rates), which UOS says is far below what Seoul's major private universities charge.
It founded Korea's first College of Urban Sciences, with majors from urban planning and transportation engineering to landscape architecture and geoinformatics.
The top 30% of admitted international undergraduates (by entrance score) get their first semester free, and the next 20% get half off, with no separate application.
The Ministry of Education has certified its international-student management for 14 consecutive years, and new international undergraduates get priority for a campus dormitory place for one year.
Admissions
Spring 2027 (March) and Fall 2027 (September) intakes for international undergraduates
Selectivity
UOS does not publish an admission rate for international applicants. International students are admitted outside the Korean quota with no fixed number of places, selected on academic ability through a 100% document review (40% documents and 60% practical exam for Architecture, Design, Music and Sculpture). Korean students apply through the national admissions system.
Typical entry requirements
| Nationality | Applicant and both parents must be foreign nationals; dual nationals with Korean citizenship and stateless applicants are not eligible |
|---|---|
| High school | Graduate (or expected graduate) of a regular high school in Korea or abroad; GED, home-schooling, online learning and language schools are not recognised |
| Korean (freshmen) | TOPIK or TOPIK IBT level 3, or level 3 at the UOS Korean Language and Culture Program, level 4 at a Korean language institute of an IEQAS-certified university, a Sejong Institute intermediate course completed on site, KIIP pre-test score 61 or level 3, or NIIED Korea Understanding course (intermediate or advanced) |
| Korean (transfer) | TOPIK level 4 or equivalent; transfer students enter the third year |
| English language | No English-language route for undergraduate admission: degree courses are regular Korean-taught programmes, and the requirement is Korean (TOPIK 3 for freshmen). Students must reach TOPIK 4 before graduating. |
Deadlines
- Spring 2027 (March intake) Non-binding PassedSeptember 23, 2026, 17:00 KST (online application, opened September 7); documents by October 2, 2026
Closed. Practical exams October 20, 2026; results November 13, 2026; tuition payment January 11-15, 2027.
- Fall 2027 (September intake) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~6 monthsMarch 25, 2027, 17:00 KST (online application, opens March 8); documents by April 2, 2027
Practical exams April 20, 2027; results May 14, 2027; tuition payment June 28 to July 2, 2027.
Dates are from UOS's 2027 international undergraduate admission guide (Korean, dated August 24, 2026). From 2027 the university moved its rounds earlier: spring admissions now run in September (previously October) and fall admissions in March (previously April). Applicants still waiting for a TOPIK result or language course certificate must submit it by October 9, 2026 (spring) or April 9, 2027 (fall).
How to apply
Apply online at oia.uos.ac.kr and pay the KRW 80,000 fee, then print and sign the application and mail it with the documents to the Office of International Affairs: checklist, self-introduction and study plan on the UOS form, passport copy, Korean-language proof, and high school diploma and transcripts with an apostille or consular confirmation (CHSI report for Chinese qualifications), plus family documents. Practical-exam departments also need a portfolio. Admitted students pay tuition and submit a bank balance of at least KRW 20 million.
What admissions looks for
- Academic ability shown in your documents, which are the whole assessment for most departments.
- Korean proficiency: TOPIK 3 is the minimum, and the TOPIK score counts towards the entrance score used for scholarships.
- For Architecture, Design, Music and Sculpture, a portfolio and a strong practical exam and in-depth interview.
- A complete, verified education record, with apostilled or consular-confirmed diplomas and transcripts.
Tips for applying to UOS
- 1 Note the earlier calendar: from 2027 the spring round closes in late September and the fall round in late March.
- 2 A higher TOPIK score helps twice: it feeds into the entrance score that decides the full (top 30%) and half (next 20%) first-semester scholarships, and TOPIK 4 lifts the 14-credit-per-semester limit.
- 3 Write the self-introduction and study plan on the UOS form, within 500 Korean characters or 300 English words per question.
- 4 Prepare the KRW 20 million bank balance certificate early; for spring 2027 it must be dated on or after January 1, 2027 and submitted by January 15.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in KRW
Entrance scholarships are awarded automatically as a tuition discount: the top 30% of new international undergraduates by entrance score receive full first-semester tuition and the next 20% receive half. Students who complete level 3 at the UOS Korean Language and Culture Program and study there for three semesters or more can receive a KRW 1,000,000 degree-progression scholarship. Enrolled students in the top 10% of their college receive full tuition, and the next 20% half tuition.
- KRW 80,000
- Application fee
- Full first-semester tuition
- Entrance scholarship, top 30% of admitted students
- KRW 764,000 per semester (2- or 3-person rooms); KRW 1,120,000 per semester at the International House
- Campus dormitory (2026 rates)
- Bank balance of KRW 20 million or more
- Proof of funds for admitted students
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters: spring from March, fall from late August/September
Urban Planning and Design
Part of the College of Urban Sciences, the first of its kind in Korea, alongside urban administration, transportation engineering and geoinformatics.
Public Administration
The university says the department ranks 7th among more than 80 public administration departments in Korea; graduates go into national and local government and public enterprises.
Architecture (five-year programme)
Selection for international applicants includes a portfolio, a design sketch exam and an interview.
Science in Taxation
An unusual undergraduate department backed by the university's Graduate School of Science in Taxation and Tax Research Institute.
Artificial Intelligence
Part of the new College of Artificial Intelligence, with a School of Computer Science and advanced majors in AI and intelligent semiconductors.
Environmental Horticulture
A plant-science department in the College of Natural Science at a university that began in 1918 as an agricultural school.
Research
- The Institute of Urban Science, formed in 1998 by merging the university's urban research institutes.
- An Urban Big Data and AI Institute and an Urban Flood Research Institute focused on city problems.
- A Seoul Center for Quantum Computation among its research centres.
Schools & faculties
- College of Government and Economics
- College of Business Administration
- College of Engineering
- College of Humanities
- College of Natural Science
- College of Urban Science
- College of Arts and Sports
- College of Artificial Intelligence
- College of Liberal Arts and Cross-Disciplinary Studies
- University of Seoul Law School
- International School of Urban Sciences
Employment retention rate of 88.4%, 3rd among universities in Seoul (2024 University Information Disclosure data, as reported by the university).
Student life
UOS has a compact, tree-filled campus in Dongdaemun-gu, where the pre-war Gyeongnong Hall now houses part of the university museum. The spring festival, Daedongje, opens with a flag parade and ends in concerts; in the fall, about 50 central clubs perform at Inhyangje. Students also compete in the Jeonnong Sports Festival between departments and in Yeokdongjeon, a sports contest with neighbouring Kyung Hee University and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. International students can join the SeoulMate buddy programme and take academic Korean classes.
- Daedongje spring festival and Inhyangje autumn club festival.
- About 50 central student clubs.
- Yeokdongjeon sports rivalry with Kyung Hee University and HUFS.
- SeoulMate buddy programme run by the Office of International Affairs.
Housing. New international undergraduates and transfer students get priority for one year in the campus dormitory, at KRW 764,000 per semester for a 2- or 3-person room or KRW 1,120,000 at the International House (2026 rates).
Location
The campus is at 163 Seoulsiripdae-ro in Dongdaemun-gu, north-east Seoul, near Cheongnyangni, one of the city's main transport hubs. Dapsimni station on subway Line 5 is a short taxi ride away, and airport limousine bus 6002 from Incheon stops at the university. Living in Seoul costs more than in regional cities, but UOS tuition is among the lowest in the capital.
Nearest airport: Gimpo International Airport (GMP); Incheon International Airport (ICN)
Notable alumni
- LB Lee Bong-juMarathon runner; silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and former Korean national record holder; University of Seoul graduate
- KC Kim Chang-hoHimalayan mountaineer who climbed all 14 eight-thousanders without supplemental oxygen; studied International Trade (entered 1988, graduated 2013)
- PH Park Han-kiArmy general and 41st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2018-2020); commissioned through the university's ROTC after graduating
- YD Yong Duk JhunAnimation director and cinematographer (Kung Fu Panda, Shrek Forever After); studied at the University of Seoul
- KE Kim Eun-kyungMinister of Environment (2017-2018); master's in urban administration
- SJ Seo Jung-hyupActing Mayor of Seoul (2020-2021); master's in public administration
Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at the University of Seoul for international students?
KRW 2,156,000 to 3,396,000 per semester in the 2027 admission guide (2026 rates), or about KRW 4.3-6.8 million a year. Engineering is KRW 2,848,000 a semester.
When is the University of Seoul application deadline for 2027?
For Spring 2027 the online application closed on September 23, 2026. For Fall 2027 it runs from March 8 to March 25, 2027 (17:00 KST), with documents due by April 2, 2027.
Can I study at the University of Seoul in English?
Not for undergraduate degrees. International students take regular Korean-taught courses and need TOPIK 3 to apply and TOPIK 4 to graduate; until they reach TOPIK 4 they can take at most 14 credits a semester.
Does the University of Seoul give scholarships to international students?
Yes. The top 30% of admitted international undergraduates by entrance score get full first-semester tuition and the next 20% get half, automatically; enrolled students in the top 10% of their college get full tuition.
Is there an interview or entrance exam?
Most departments admit on documents alone. Architecture (architecture major), Design, Music and Sculpture hold a practical exam and in-depth interview, weighted 60% against 40% for documents.
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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