September 1, 2025
PHNOM PENH – The number of students withdrawing from the nation’s top three universities surged to nearly 2,500 last year, hitting the highest level since records began, data showed Sunday, as many apparently sought to switch to medical schools.
According to an analysis by Jongro Academy, 2,481 students left Seoul National University, Yonsei University and Korea University in 2024. That marked the largest figure since the government began releasing the data in 2007.
The tally was up 355, or 16.7 percent, from the 2,126 students who left in 2023. Withdrawals include students who officially dropped out and those who remain on the enrollment registry but did not return to school after taking a leave of absence for various reasons.”
The record withdrawals appear to be tied to South Korea’s first increase in medical school student quotas in 27 years.
“It is estimated that a majority of the students took the college entrance exam to apply for medical schools,” Jongro Academy said. “Although the quota for medical school next year was reduced again, students at the top three universities are expected to maintain their preference for medical schools for some time.”
By academic track, students in the natural sciences accounted for the largest share with 1,494, followed by 917 in the humanities and 70 in entertainment and sports. Compared to 2022, humanities withdrawals rose by 154, or 20.2 percent, while natural science increased by 173, or 13.1 percent.
By university, Korea University saw the most withdrawals at 1,054, followed by Yonsei University with 942 and Seoul National University with 485.
