According to the science and technology community on Sept. 16, UNIST received 11,211 applications for 565 undergraduate places in early admissions for the 2027 academic year, a ratio of 19.84 to 1. It marks the first time applications for UNIST's early admissions have topped 10,000 since the school opened. Applications rose 41.6% from 7,919 a year earlier, and more than doubled from 5,359 in the 2022 academic year, a span of five years.
Applicants flocked in particular to the semiconductor engineering department, a contract-based program operated in partnership with Samsung Electronics. It drew 3,940 applications for 35 places, a ratio of 112.57 to 1, up sharply from 70.51 to 1 a year earlier. The ratio for the general admissions track also rose to 23.62 to 1 this year from 19.96 to 1.
DGIST received 9,208 applications for 322 places, a ratio of 28.60 to 1. Applications rose by 3,026, or 49%, from 6,182 a year earlier, a record high. Even though DGIST expanded its intake by 100 students to 322 from 222, the competition ratio still climbed to 28.60 to 1 from 27.85 to 1.
DGIST's AI college, which selected undergraduates for the first time this year, drew 1,521 applications for 100 places, a ratio of 15.21 to 1. The ratio for the general admissions track at its basic studies division jumped to 42.29 to 1 this year from 33.80 to 1. DGIST is expanding its educational offerings around advanced fields, including the AI college and semiconductor engineering.
The other science and technology institutes also drew thousands of applicants. Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) received 4,536 applications for 315 places, a ratio of 14.40 to 1. Its semiconductor contract-based program, run with Samsung Electronics, posted a ratio of 11.56 to 1. KAIST drew 8,394 applications for about 865 places, a ratio of 9.70 to 1. Its semiconductor system talent track received 185 applications for about 40 places, a ratio of 4.63 to 1.
South Korea operates four science and technology institutes: KAIST, DGIST, UNIST and GIST. Each was established under its own special law and operates under the Ministry of Science and ICT. Because they are exempt from the six-application limit that applies to early admissions at ordinary universities, students can apply to the institutes separately.
