The decline in the school-age population due to low birth rates has significantly impacted elementary and secondary education in South Korea, with the number of elementary students dropping by more than 126,000 in just one year. In contrast, the number of foreign students has surpassed 300,000 for the first time, playing a crucial role in improving enrollment rates at universities.
Elementary Student Population Drops by Over 126,000; 167 Kindergartens Close
According to the '2026 Education Basic Statistics' report released on August 26 by the Ministry of Education and the Korea Educational Development Institute (KEDI), the total number of students in elementary, middle, and high schools across the country is 5,362,281, a decrease of 189,007 (3.4%) from the previous year.
The decline is most pronounced among elementary students, whose numbers fell to 2,219,370, a staggering decrease of 126,118 (5.4%), accounting for the majority of the overall decline. Kindergarten enrollment also dropped to 469,304 (-2.5%), while middle school students decreased to 1,338,750 (-2.3%) and high school students to 1,279,392 (-1.5%).
As a result of the declining enrollment, 167 kindergartens closed in the past year, reducing the total to 7,973. The number of elementary schools also decreased by one to 6,191. The average class size in elementary schools fell to 18.6 students, down from 19.3 the previous year, while middle and high schools also saw slight reductions in class sizes.
The student-to-teacher ratio has also improved, with kindergartens averaging 8.5 students per teacher, elementary schools 11.6, middle schools 11.5, and high schools 10.0, all lower than the previous year.
Conversely, the number of 'migrant background students' (previously referred to as multicultural students) in elementary and secondary education has reached a record high of 210,838, an increase of 8,630 (4.3%) from the previous year. These students now represent 4.3% of the total student population, up 0.3 percentage points from last year.
Foreign Student Enrollment Surpasses 307,000, Boosting College Recruitment Rates
In higher education, the explosive growth of foreign students has been notable. The number of foreign students enrolled in universities across the country has reached 307,464, an increase of 54,030 (21.3%) from the previous year, marking the first time it has surpassed 300,000.
Among these, degree-seeking students numbered 223,191, a 24.6% increase, while non-degree students, such as those in language programs, rose to 84,273, a 13.5% increase. The majority of foreign students come from Vietnam (31.5%) and China (25.7%), with students from Uzbekistan (6.8%), Nepal (6.5%), and Mongolia (5.6%) making up 92.1% of the total.
Thanks to the influx of foreign students, the overall freshman enrollment rate at universities has risen to 88.2%, up from 86.8% the previous year. Notably, the enrollment rate for colleges, which have struggled to attract new students due to the declining school-age population, surged from 92.0% to 97.5%, a remarkable increase of 5.5 percentage points. The enrollment rate for general universities also rose to 99.2%, an increase of 0.2 percentage points from the previous year.
The total number of students enrolled in higher education institutions has also increased to 3,072,261, up 55,537 (1.8%) from the previous year.
University Consolidations Lead to Five Fewer Institutions; Increase in Non-Tenured Faculty
Due to structural reforms and consolidations, the total number of higher education institutions has decreased to 416, down five from the previous year. National universities such as Gangneung-Wonju National University merged with Kangwon National University, while Gyeongnam Provincial College of Geoje and Gyeongnam Provincial College of Namhae merged with Changwon National University. Jeonnam National University merged with Mokpo National University, and Wonkwang Health University merged with Wonkwang University.
Additionally, LH Land and Housing University closed, while LG AI Graduate School was established as a corporate graduate school.
The faculty situation shows a clear increase in non-tenured faculty. The total number of university faculty members reached 245,833, an increase of 5,209 (2.2%) from the previous year. However, the number of full-time faculty members decreased by 73 (0.1%) to 86,628, while the number of non-tenured faculty, including lecturers and adjuncts, rose by 5,282 (3.4%) to 159,205. Consequently, the full-time faculty ratio at general universities fell to 90.1%, and at colleges to 62.8%, down 0.2 and 0.7 percentage points, respectively.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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