Yonsei University
연세대학교
A Seoul private university dating to 1885, home to UIC, its English-taught liberal arts college.
- Students
- 34,157
- 21,024 undergraduates
- International
- 10%
- of students
- Tuition
- ₩4.6M
- From · 2026 (2027 rates not yet published)
- Founded
- 1885
About Yonsei
Yonsei traces its roots to Gwanghyewon, Korea's first modern Western-style hospital, founded in 1885, and to Chosun Christian College, founded by the missionary Horace G. Underwood in 1915. The two merged in 1957 to form Yonsei; the name combines 'Yon' from Yonhi College and 'Sei' from Severance. It is one of Korea's 'SKY' universities and a Christian-founded institution. All undergraduates must still complete the required Christian courses and chapel.
The Seoul Campus has two sites. Sinchon, in Seodaemun-gu, is home to 14 colleges and 17 graduate schools, plus the Severance health system. The Yonsei International Campus in Songdo, Incheon, hosts the Residential College program that most freshmen complete in their first year, along with several programs that run there full time. As of April 2026 the Seoul Campus had 21,024 undergraduates and 13,133 graduate students, including 3,247 international degree-seeking students.
International applicants have two main routes. The Korean-track foreigner admission leads into regular Korean-taught departments, after a first year in the Global Basic Education Division, where you build your Korean. Underwood International College (UIC) is an English-taught liberal arts college inside the university, with 16 majors and about 3,000 students from over 70 countries. It suits students who want a US-style liberal arts education with Seoul as their base.
Cognoscetis Veritatem et Veritas Liberabit Vos
“The truth will set you free (John 8:32)” — university motto
Why students choose Yonsei
Underwood International College lets you take a full four-year degree in English, chosen from 16 majors across the Underwood, HASSD and ISED divisions, and you can apply through the Common App.
Every newly admitted international UIC student is automatically considered for an Admissions Scholarship that can cover full tuition for four years.
Freshmen spend a Residential College year at the Songdo International Campus, where the dormitory is organised into 12 named houses.
Yonsei reached a record-high 42nd in QS 2027 and was 86th in THE 2026. It has an alumni line running from poet Yun Dong-ju to Nobel laureate Han Kang.
Admissions
International admissions for Spring 2027 (March) and Fall 2027 (September) entry
Selectivity
Yonsei does not publish an admit rate for international applicants. Korean-track foreigner admission recruits 'a small number' per department outside the regular quota. UIC describes its admission as competitive and holistic.
Typical entry requirements
| Eligibility (both routes) | Applicant and both parents are non-Korean citizens (dual Korean nationals are not eligible); high-school graduate by Feb 2027 for spring entry |
|---|---|
| Korean-track foreigner admission, most majors | Proof of Korean OR English ability (courses taught in Korean or English, a Korean-language program, standardized test results or a proficiency test score); document review 100% |
| Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy | TOPIK level 5+ or Yonsei Korean Language Institute level 5+; Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy also hold an in-person pass/fail personality interview |
| Underwood International College (UIC) | Proof of English (TOEFL, IELTS, CEFR, IB English A, AP English; no minimum scores) or schooling in English; document review (200 pts) plus online interview (100 pts) |
| English language | No minimum English scores are published. From the 2027 intake, UIC requires proof of English (TOEFL, IELTS, CEFR certificate, IB English A, AP English, a diploma from a school in an English-only-official-language country, or a medium-of-instruction certificate). Korean-track students must reach TOPIK 3 to enter their major and TOPIK 4 to graduate. |
Deadlines
- Korean-track foreigner admission, Spring 2027 (closed) Non-binding PassedSeptember 17, 2026, 5 PM KST
Closed. Online application 1 to 17 Sep 2026; originals by 30 Sep; interviews for Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy on 31 Oct; results 4 Dec 2026.
- UIC Spring 2027 (1st round, closed) Non-binding PassedSeptember 22, 2026, 5 PM KST
Closed. Documents must arrive by 2 Oct 2026; online interviews 11 to 12 Dec; decisions 18 Dec 2026.
- UIC Fall 2027 (2nd round) Non-bindingMarch 2027 (exact date TBD)
UIC lists the online application and document deadline as March 2027, with interviews and notification in June 2027.
- Korean-track foreigner admission, Fall 2027 Non-bindingEarly March 2027 (not yet announced)
The Fall 2026 online application notice was posted on 4 March 2026; watch the Yonsei Office of Admissions international notices for the Fall 2027 guide.
Both spring-entry rounds for 2027 have closed. The next chances are the Fall 2027 rounds in March 2027. You may apply to both the International Student Track and the Global Leaders College International Student Track, but only one unit within each.
How to apply
Korean track: online application on the Yonsei admissions site (fee 200,000 KRW; 230,000 KRW for Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy) with a personal statement and study-period record, then post the originals with Apostille. UIC: apply online directly to UIC (KRW 150,000) or via the Common App (USD 150; UIC offers no fee waivers), then post transcripts, graduation certificate, English proof and passports so they arrive by the document deadline. Shortlisted applicants get an online interview.
What admissions looks for
- Academic competence, judged from your high-school grades and any standardized results.
- Career and major readiness: evidence that you have explored the field you are applying to.
- Community competence: how you contribute to the people around you.
- At UIC: global-mindedness, strong academic aspirations and dedication to community. UIC says it 'looks beyond the numbers'.
Tips for applying to Yonsei
- 1 Decide early between UIC (fully English-taught, separate application, interview) and the Korean-track admission (Korean-taught majors, first year in the Global Basic Education Division, TOPIK 3 needed to enter your major).
- 2 For UIC, prepare for the interview. It is worth 100 of 300 points, and UIC calls you twice beforehand to verify details and schedule it.
- 3 Hard copies must physically arrive in Seoul by the document deadline, and UIC does not extend it. Courier your documents early and get the Apostille done in advance.
- 4 Korean-track applicants should submit a TOPIK score or Yonsei Korean Language Institute certificate after admission. Otherwise you'll be placed in beginner Korean in your first semester.
- 5 Aiming for Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing or Pharmacy? You need TOPIK 5 at application, and all but Nursing hold a personality interview in Seoul.
Costs & financial aid
2026 (2027 rates not yet published) · figures in KRW
Yonsei does not publish a need-blind policy. At UIC, every newly admitted international student is automatically considered for an Admissions Scholarship of up to full tuition for four years (you must keep a set GPA). Enrolled students can win merit- and need-based scholarships worth full, half or one-third of tuition. On the Seoul campus the university paid out 126,923 million KRW in scholarships in fiscal year 2025.
- Up to full tuition for 4 years (auto-considered)
- UIC Admissions Scholarship
- 126,923 million KRW
- Scholarships paid, Seoul campus (FY2025)
- 200,000 KRW (230,000 KRW for Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy)
- Application fee (Korean track)
- USD 150, no waivers
- Application fee (UIC via Common App)
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (spring from March, fall from September); international students may enter in either
Underwood International College (UIC)
A four-year English-taught liberal arts college with 16 majors, 107 faculty and a common curriculum taught by international scholars.
UIC Integrated Science and Engineering Division (ISED)
English-taught majors in Nano Science and Engineering, Energy and Environmental Science and Engineering, and Bio-Convergence, based at the Songdo campus.
School of Business
Its undergraduate business program is accredited by AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA as well as Korea's KABEA.
College of Medicine (Severance)
It descends directly from Gwanghyewon, Korea's first modern hospital (1885), and runs alongside the Severance hospital system.
Global Leaders College
Its Global Leadership Division gives international students intensive Korean, small classes and one-on-one advising, with majors such as International Trade and Culture and Media.
Research
- The Seoul campus runs 164 research centres, 71 of them university-wide (April 2026).
- Yonsei International Campus in Songdo anchors a research-and-education complex in the Songdo International Business District.
- Design Factory Korea, launched at UIC in 2015, links coursework to industry projects.
Schools & faculties
- College of Liberal Arts
- College of Commerce and Economics
- School of Business
- College of Science
- College of Engineering
- College of Computing
- College of Life Science and Biotechnology
- College of Social Sciences
- Underwood International College
- Global Leaders College
- College of Medicine
- College of Pharmacy
Student life
Most freshmen spend their first year living at the Yonsei International Campus in Songdo, completing the Residential College program in one of 12 houses named after figures and places in Yonsei history. After that, life moves to Sinchon, one of Seoul's busiest student districts. The big dates are Akaraka, the May festival, which draws prominent singers, and the annual Yonsei-Korea University games, running since 1925 across football, baseball, basketball, rugby and ice hockey. There are more than 100 clubs, and UIC adds its own student council, ambassadors and newsletter.
- Residential College year in Songdo, with 12 houses including Underwood, Avison and Yun Dong-ju
- Yonko-jeon: annual sports matches against Korea University since 1925
- Akaraka spring festival
- More than 100 student clubs
- Seoul campus housing capacity of 10,034 beds (April 2026)
Housing. Dormitories on both the Sinchon and Songdo campuses house 10,034 students on the Seoul campus. Most freshmen live at Songdo for their Residential College year.
Location
The Sinchon Campus is in Seodaemun-gu, in western Seoul, and opens straight onto Sinchon, one of the city's busiest student districts, full of cafes, cheap restaurants and late-night spots. Freshmen, and UIC's science and engineering students, also spend time at Songdo in Incheon, a newer planned district on the coast, closer to Incheon Airport.
Nearest airport: Incheon International Airport (ICN); Gimpo International Airport (GMP)
Notable alumni
- HK Han KangNovelist, 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature
- BJ Bong Joon-hoAcademy Award-winning film director (Parasite)
- YD Yun Dong-juPoet and Korean independence movement activist
- HS Han Seung-sooPrime Minister of South Korea and President of the 56th UN General Assembly
- KK Kang Kyung-whaForeign Minister of South Korea
- KB Koo Bon-mooFormer Chairman of LG Group
- CL Chun Lee-kyungFour-time Olympic gold medallist in short-track speed skating
- MC Marvin ChunCognitive neuroscientist and former Dean of Yale College
Frequently asked questions
Can I study at Yonsei in English?
Yes, through Underwood International College (UIC), which teaches all its courses in English and has its own application. Regular Yonsei departments teach in Korean, and Korean-track international students must reach TOPIK 3 before entering their major.
When is the Yonsei UIC application deadline?
For Spring 2027 entry, the online deadline was 5 PM KST on 22 September 2026. The Fall 2027 round runs in March 2027, with interviews and decisions in June 2027.
Does Yonsei UIC accept the Common App?
Yes. You can apply directly on the UIC website (KRW 150,000) or through the Common App (USD 150); UIC offers no fee waivers. Either way, you must post hard copies of your documents to the UIC office by the document deadline.
How much is Yonsei tuition for international students?
At 2026 rates it is charged per semester: 4,556,000 to 9,221,000 KRW depending on the college, and 8,202,000 KRW at UIC (8,416,000 KRW in the first semester). Korean-track international freshmen pay the Global Leaders College rate while in the Global Basic Education Division.
Does Yonsei offer scholarships to international students?
UIC automatically considers every admitted international student for an Admissions Scholarship of up to full tuition for four years. Enrolled students can also win merit- and need-based awards worth a third, half or all of tuition.
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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