South Korean Medical Schools Set Perfect 1.0 GPA Cutoffs for 2026 Admissions

Six South Korean universities have set their admission cutoffs for the 2026 medical school admissions at a perfect 1.0 GPA across all subjects, according to an analysis by Jongro Academy. The analysis of 32 universities revealed that these six institutions, including Yonsei, Catholic, Ulsan, Kyung Hee, Inha, and Ajou universities, require a perfect score in their student record-based comprehensive admissions.

The comprehensive admissions, which consider various activities alongside grades, also showed similar trends. Among the 32 medical schools that disclosed their admission results, 20 (62.5%) had grade cutoffs within 1.45.

This trend suggests that distinguishing candidates based solely on grades may become more challenging in the 2028 college admissions cycle. Starting with the 2028 admissions, the grading system will shift from a 9-grade scale to a 5-grade scale. This change could potentially elevate a student's GPA from a 1.45 average under the 9-grade system to a 1.0 under the new 5-grade system, intensifying competition.

Experts anticipate that many universities will struggle to differentiate applicants based on grades and minimum university entrance exam requirements alone. "In the 2028 medical school admissions, a considerable number of universities will not be able to secure differentiation solely through grades and the university entrance exam," said Lim Sung-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy. "For students, this means preparing for various evaluation factors beyond grades and the university entrance exam."

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In the 2028 medical school admissions, a considerable number of universities will not be able to secure differentiation solely through grades and the university entrance exam. For students, this means preparing for various evaluation factors beyond grades and the university entrance exam.