The admission cutoff scores for semiconductor contract programs at major universities have surpassed those of the general science departments at Seoul National University (SNU), the country's top institution. This shift reflects a growing preference among top science students for practical and stable advanced fields, indicating a significant change in the admissions landscape.
According to an analysis by Jongno Academy on June 21, based on the admission scores released by the college entrance information portal 'Eodiga', the average percentile scores for the five major universities' semiconductor contract programs, linked to employment at Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, reached 96.2 for the 2026 regular admissions. This figure is 0.4 points higher than the average score of 95.8 for SNU's general science departments, excluding medical and pharmaceutical fields.
Among the top-tier medical schools, the highest cutoff score was 99.0 for medical schools in the Gyeongin region, followed by 98.8 for Seoul-based medical schools and 97.2 for regional medical schools, maintaining higher scores than both the semiconductor contract programs and SNU.
As a result, the 2026 cutoff scores for the top-tier natural science programs are closely aligned, with Gyeongin medical schools, Seoul medical schools, regional medical schools, semiconductor contract programs, and SNU's natural sciences in that order.
※ Based on average scores for the final 70% of registrants for each university
※ SNU's natural sciences refer to general departments excluding medical and pharmaceutical fields
※ Excludes Gachon University, which did not disclose admission scores for medical schools
When examining the semiconductor contract programs by affiliated companies, SK Hynix slightly outperformed Samsung Electronics. The average score for the three universities—Korea University, Sogang University, and Hanyang University—affiliated with SK Hynix was 96.7, which is 1.2 points higher than the average of 95.5 for Sungkyunkwan University and Yonsei University, which are partnered with Samsung Electronics.
Individually, Hanyang University's semiconductor engineering program (SK Hynix) had the highest cutoff at 98, followed by Korea University's semiconductor engineering program (SK Hynix) at 97. Sungkyunkwan University's semiconductor systems engineering program (Samsung Electronics) had a cutoff of 96, while Sogang University's and Yonsei University's systems semiconductor engineering programs (SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, respectively) both recorded 95.
Due to overlapping admission structures, Korea University, Yonsei University, and Sungkyunkwan University are categorized under the 'A' group, preventing students from applying to multiple programs, while Sogang University and Hanyang University fall under the 'B' group, creating a similar restriction.
Experts predict that this trend will intensify in the upcoming 2027 admissions cycle. Despite an increase in medical school enrollment due to the introduction of a 'regional doctor system,' interest in semiconductor contract programs is expected to rise in tandem with national efforts to cultivate semiconductor talent.
Consequently, the traditional career choices for top-tier students, which were previously limited to 'medical school or SNU's natural sciences,' are evolving into a triad of options: medical school, semiconductor contract programs, and SNU's natural sciences.
Lim Seong-ho, head of Jongno Academy, stated, "If students are accepted into both semiconductor contract programs linked to Samsung or SK Hynix and SNU's engineering school, it is likely that more will choose the semiconductor contract programs given the current circumstances," predicting that this shift will significantly impact future admission scores.
In contrast, for the previous year, 2025, universities did not clearly disclose average scores for Korean, mathematics, and science, and the varying standards for the 2024 admissions cycle made accurate trend comparisons with the past impossible.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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