Study in Korea: Seoul National University

Seoul National University is widely regarded as Korea’s leading university, consistently ranking first among Korean universities in annual rankings. In the 2022 QS World University Rankings, SNU earned strong scores in academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, faculty-student ratio, international student ratio, and international faculty ratio. With an overall score of 81.7, it ranked 36th in the world.

Seoul is home to many of Korea’s top universities, so why choose Seoul National University for further study?

1. A truly global university

Seoul National University emphasizes diversity on campus and works to build a small-scale international community. To that end, SNU actively promotes international collaboration. It has academic exchange agreements with about 860 universities and research institutions around the world, and it partners with leading universities to offer many dual-degree programs.

To support international students studying at SNU, the university has an Office of International Affairs and offers a range of scholarships. At present, more than 800 courses at SNU are taught in English, and that number is growing rapidly. Clearly, SNU is very welcoming to international students.

2. Excellent teaching quality

Since its founding, Seoul National University has been a cradle of liberal education. It has nurtured in students a lifelong love of learning and is committed to developing their ability to work and live in an increasingly competitive global environment. Thanks to its outstanding teaching quality, SNU has produced excellent students across a wide range of fields for the world. This level of quality is made possible by SNU’s first-class faculty. Its professors combine academic talent with a strong dedication to teaching. Among all faculty members, 95.6% hold doctoral degrees, and most graduated from world-renowned universities. As a result, graduate satisfaction and career advantage indicators are among the highest in the country.

3. Deep expertise in research

Seoul National University is committed to fostering a productive research environment. As a result, many of its departments and research institutes, especially in engineering and the natural sciences, have achieved globally recognized frontier research. In terms of publications and citations indexed by the Science Citation Index (SCI), SNU ranks among the top 20. Based on citation counts for scientific papers, its research quality index is comparable to that of the top 10 to 30 universities in the United States.

These three aspects fully demonstrate how outstanding Seoul National University is and why it deserves its reputation as Korea’s top university. It is also highly attractive in other ways, including its vibrant campus life, its extensive campus network, and strong recognition both in Korea and abroad after graduation. If you are considering studying in Korea, Seoul National University is well worth considering.