Korea University
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Korea University

🇰🇷 South Korea / Seoul / Seoul
Private Est. 1905

About

Korea University is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1905 as Bosung College by Lee Yong-Ik, a prominent official of the Korean Empire, Korea University is among South Korea's oldest institutions of higher education, and is the nation's first modern private university. It is named after Goryeo, an ancient Korean kingdom. Korea University is one of the three most p...

Korea University is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1905 as Bosung College by Lee Yong-Ik, a prominent official of the Korean Empire, Korea University is among South Korea's oldest institutions of higher education, and is the nation's first modern private university. It is named after Goryeo, an ancient Korean kingdom. Korea University is one of the three most prestigious universities in the country, part of a group referred to as SKY universities.

Ranking Overview

Ranking Snapshot

Ranked Top 100 worldwide across 4 major ranking systems

QS #52 (2027)
THE #156 (2026)

Ranked in 110 subject rankings

QS QS World University Rankings
# =52
9
81.9
2027
THE Times Higher Education World University Rankings
# =156
33
61.4
2026
ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities
# 201-300
2026
US News U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings
# =255
33
58.1
2027

Key Facts

Students
21,728
Student-Staff Ratio
17.5 : 1
Int'l Students
38%
Female : Male
46 : 54

Historical Trend

Longitudinal View
QS QS
THE THE
ARWU ARWU
US News US News
1 51 101 151 201 251 301 351 401 451 500 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Rank
:
Score:

Top Subjects

Best-performing areas
=29
Modern Languages
Top 50
31
Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Top 50
32
Chemical Engineering
Top 50
33
Marketing
Top 50
34
Social Policy & Administration
Top 50
41
Energy Science & Engineering
Top 50
46
Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology
Top 50
50
Biomedical Engineering
Top 50
50
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Top 50
50
Business & Management Studies
Top 50
51-75
Materials Science
Top 100
51-75
Library & Information Science
Top 100
=51
Social Sciences & Management
Top 100
51-150
Classics & Ancient History
Top 100
51-100
History
Top 100

Subject Rankings

Detailed breakdown

QS

46 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Modern Languages =29 81.2 2026
Marketing 33 73.0 2026
Social Policy & Administration 34 80.0 2026
Business & Management Studies 50 74.9 2026
Social Sciences & Management =51 77.6 2026
Classics & Ancient History 51-150 - 2026
History 51-100 - 2026
Chemical Engineering =51 75.9 2026
Civil & Structural Engineering 51-100 - 2026
Data Science 51-100 - 2026
Communication & Media Studies 51-100 - 2026
Sports-Related Subjects 51-100 - 2026
Statistics & Operational Research 51-100 - 2026
Materials Science 53 77.2 2026
Linguistics =56 72.2 2026
Accounting & Finance 57 73.0 2026
Environmental Sciences 58 79.7 2026
Chemistry 61 75.3 2026
Education & Training 61 73.1 2026
Politics 64 69.7 2026
Engineering & Technology =67 77.5 2026
Electrical & Electronic Engineering =68 73.8 2026
Computer Science =82 69.0 2026
Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering 85 72.6 2026
Natural Sciences =87 76.9 2026
Economics & Econometrics =90 72.8 2026
Arts & Humanities =96 74.6 2026
English Language & Literature 97 68.7 2026
Architecture 101-150 - 2026
Art & Design 101-150 - 2026
Anatomy & Physiology 101-200 - 2026
Nursing 101-150 - 2026
Pharmacy & Pharmacology 101-150 - 2026
Psychology 101-150 - 2026
Geography 101-150 - 2026
Development Studies 101-150 - 2026
Hospitality & Leisure Management 101-150 - 2025
Law & Legal Studies 101-150 - 2026
Mathematics 103 69.3 2026
Physics & Astronomy =107 72.3 2026
Medicine =129 66.8 2026
Biological Sciences 135 68.5 2026
Life Sciences & Medicine 138 71.9 2026
Agriculture & Forestry 151-200 - 2026
Archaeology 201-260 - 2026
Philosophy 201-225 - 2025

ARWU

44 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Electrical & Electronic Engineering 31 141.5 2025
Chemical Engineering 32 175.9 2025
Energy Science & Engineering 41 162.2 2025
Biomedical Engineering 50 125.1 2025
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology 50 166.0 2025
Materials Science 51-75 - 2025
Library & Information Science 51-75 - 2024
Chemistry 76-100 - 2025
Instruments Science & Technology 76-100 - 2025
Artificial Intelligence 76-100 - 2025
Automation & Control 101-150 - 2025
Telecommunication Engineering 101-150 - 2025
Food Science & Technology 101-150 - 2025
Biotechnology 101-150 - 2025
Metallurgical Engineering 101-150 - 2025
Communication & Media Studies 101-150 - 2025
Physics & Astronomy 151-200 - 2025
Computer Science 151-200 - 2025
Environmental Sciences 151-200 - 2025
Water Resources 151-200 - 2025
Transportation Science & Technology 151-200 - 2025
Finance 151-200 - 2022
Public Administration 151-200 - 2024
Mechanical Engineering 201-300 - 2025
Civil Engineering 201-300 - 2025
Biological Sciences 201-300 - 2025
Veterinary Science 201-300 - 2021
Dentistry 201-300 - 2025
Nursing 201-300 - 2025
Medical Technology 201-300 - 2025
Statistics & Operational Research 201-300 - 2025
Politics 201-300 - 2025
Education & Training 201-300 - 2025
Psychology 201-300 - 2024
Business Administration 201-300 - 2025
Management 201-300 - 2025
Hospitality & Tourism Management 201-300 - 2023
Atmospheric Science 301-400 - 2019
Human Biological Sciences 301-400 - 2025
Clinical Medicine 301-400 - 2025
Public Health 301-400 - 2025
Pharmacy & Pharmacology 301-400 - 2025
Economics & Econometrics 301-400 - 2025
Agricultural Sciences 401-500 - 2025

US News

39 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology 46 54.8 2027
Environmental Engineering =53 67.0 2027
Condensed Matter Physics 62 64.7 2027
Chemical Engineering =70 69.0 2027
Physical Chemistry =71 73.1 2027
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 74 62.7 2027
Energy and Fuels =79 67.2 2027
Artificial Intelligence 81 57.6 2027
Water Resources 81 46.1 2027
Engineering 83 67.9 2027
Computer Science =95 57.8 2027
Chemistry 97 65.7 2027
Materials Science 107 59.6 2027
Electrical and Electronic Engineering =116 62.4 2027
Polymer Science 134 36.7 2027
Green and Sustainable Science and Technology 136 47.9 2027
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging =154 47.9 2027
Economics & Econometrics 173 46.0 2027
Public, Environmental and Occupational Health 174 57.6 2027
Food Science and Technology =175 32.6 2027
Biology and Biochemistry =181 42.9 2027
Environment/Ecology =186 53.8 2027
Optics =187 41.8 2027
Mechanical Engineering 191 33.4 2027
Agricultural Sciences =216 41.3 2027
Social Sciences and Public Health =218 51.9 2027
Gastroenterology and Hepatology 220 29.3 2027
Endocrinology and Metabolism =221 30.5 2027
Mathematics 239 46.4 2027
Civil Engineering =240 16.0 2027
Molecular Biology and Genetics 244 34.9 2027
Physics & Astronomy =247 51.9 2027
Neuroscience and Behavior 259 32.6 2027
Psychiatry/Psychology =305 36.4 2027
Oncology 313 33.5 2027
Clinical Medicine =322 49.7 2027
Pharmacology and Toxicology 388 32.4 2027
Geosciences =472 21.2 2027
Plant and Animal Science 582 29.9 2027

THE

10 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Business & Economics 57 62.7 2026
Engineering & Technology 87 63.1 2026
Education & Training =90 56.7 2026
Computer Science 91 62.4 2026
Psychology 101–125 55.3 2026
Clinical & Health 126–150 53.9 2026
Physical Sciences 126–150 56.7 2026
Life Sciences 151–175 54.6 2026
Social Sciences 201–250 44.4 2026
Arts & Humanities 301–400 31.0 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ranking of Korea University?

Korea University's performance in the latest university rankings: QS Rank =52, THE Rank =156, ARWU Rank 201-300, US News Rank =255.

When was Korea University founded?

Korea University was founded in 1905.

What are the top subjects at Korea University?

Top subjects at Korea University include: Modern Languages, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Marketing, Social Policy & Administration.

Where is Korea University located?

Korea University is located in Seoul, South Korea.