Medical School Admissions in South Korea Become Harder for Seoul Students Amidst Regional Quotas

Admission to medical school in South Korea is becoming increasingly competitive for students from the Seoul metropolitan area. For the 2027 academic year, nearly half of all medical school admissions nationwide will be allocated to students from non-metropolitan regions, making it comparatively more difficult for those residing in Seoul and its vicinity to secure a spot.

Analysis of admission guidelines for 39 medical schools reveals that out of a total of 3,508 seats, 1,734 will be reserved for students from outside the capital region, accounting for 49.4% of all admissions. This figure is driven largely by the 27 medical schools located in provincial areas, which are mandated to fill 69.6% of their 2,490 seats with local students.

The proportion of local student admissions in these provincial medical schools has steadily increased over the years. Starting from 38.0% in the 2022 academic year, it rose to 47.9% in 2023, 50.7% in 2024, and is projected to reach 59.9% in 2025 and 61.0% in 2026. Since 2023, these institutions are required by law to admit at least 40% of their students from their respective regions, with most exceeding this quota annually.

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This year's medical school admissions will be the most difficult ever for Seoul students.

Conversely, the number of seats available for national admissions is shrinking. In 2027, only 1,752 seats, or 49.9% of the total, will be open to students nationwide. This marks the first time the national admission rate has fallen below 50%, down from 74.6% in 2022.

Experts note that this trend creates a more favorable environment for students in non-metropolitan areas, who can now apply to both provincial medical schools through regional quotas and metropolitan medical schools via national admissions. Meanwhile, students in Seoul face the toughest competition for medical school admissions in history.

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Provincial students have an advantage as they can apply to metropolitan medical schools as well as through regional and local doctor track admissions.