Regional universities excel in student support category

Regional universities performed better than Seoul-based schools in the student support category of The Korea Times University Rankings 2027. Provincial universities averaged 15.58 points, ahead of Gyeonggi and Incheon at 15.42 and Seoul at 14.80. The article says regional schools also did better in scholarship support and international-student dormitory accommodation. Woosong University and Handong Global University stood out in specific categories.

Among 60 universities evaluated nationwide, 18 of the 24 universities in Seoul made the top 30, while only three of the 14 universities in provincial areas did so.

In the student support category, universities in provincial areas averaged 15.58 points out of 40, compared with 15.42 for Gyeonggi and Incheon, 14.80 for Seoul and 13.72 for metropolitan cities outside the capital region.

Pusan National University ranked 15th, Kyungpook National University 18th, Woosong University 20th, Handong Global University 23rd, Jeonbuk National University 25th, Chungnam National University 28th and Yeungnam University 29th in internationalization.

Woosong University ranked fourth among all 60 universities in the education category with 48.53 points out of 70, and Handong Global University placed second in the student support category with 26.80 points.

Published Sep 18, 2026 12:01 am KST

Updated Sep 18, 2026 2:31 pm KST

Growing investment supports international students' careers, settlement

International students participating in Pusan National University’s Summer School pose with a banner in front of a university building in Busan in July 2025. Courtesy of Pusan National University

Seoul-based universities dominate the top 30 of The Korea Times University Rankings 2027.

Their dominance is, however, less evident in the student support category, where regional universities are investing more in helping international students find jobs and settle after graduation.

Among the 60 universities evaluated nationwide, 18 of the 24 universities in Seoul made the top 30, reaffirming the capital’s long-standing dominance in internationalization.

Five of nine schools in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon are included in the list, while four of 13 universities in metropolitan cities outside the capital region made the cut.

Graphic by Cho Sang-won

Only three of the 14 universities in provincial areas made the top 30, showing that they still lag well behind major universities in Seoul and other metropolitan areas. Those figures indicate that internationalization capabilities remain concentrated in the capital region.

The education, research and graduate outcomes categories showed a consistent regional pattern, with Seoul scoring highest, followed by Gyeonggi and Incheon, metropolitan cities outside the capital region and, finally, provincial areas.

However, the student support category demonstrated a different pattern.

Universities in provincial areas scored an average 15.58 points out of a maximum 40 points in the category, higher than those in Gyeonggi and Incheon (15.42 points) and Seoul (14.80 points), while universities in metropolitan cities outside the capital region recorded the lowest score at 13.72 points.

A closer look at individual indicators showed that universities outside the capital region generally performed better in student support.

Universities in provincial areas recorded the strongest performance in the ratio of scholarships to tuition fees, followed by those in metropolitan cities outside the capital region. Seoul-based universities, by contrast, fell well below the overall average.

A similar pattern emerged in the dormitory accommodation rate of international students. Universities in provincial areas posted the highest scores, while those in Seoul lagged behind the overall average.

Graphic by Bae So-young

These findings suggest that universities outside the capital region, which generally have smaller tuition revenues but relatively greater dormitory capacity, performed better than their Seoul-based counterparts in both scholarship support and dormitory accommodation for international students.

Overall, regional universities offered a more supportive environment for international students’ daily lives and settlement.

Seven universities outside the capital region ranked in the top 30 in internationalization: Pusan National University ranked 15th, Kyungpook National University 18th, Woosong University 20th, Handong Global University 23rd, Jeonbuk National University 25th, Chungnam National University 28th and Yeungnam University 29th.

The list includes both national flagship universities and private universities that have distinguished themselves through specialized internationalization programs.

Woosong University ranked fourth among all 60 universities in the education category with a score of 48.53 points out of a maximum 70 points, while Handong Global University placed second in the student support category with 26.80 points.

Although neither university was comparable to leading institutions in overall scale or research capacity, both ranked among the nation’s top universities in specific areas, particularly international student recruitment and settlement support.

These findings suggest that regional universities that have made internationalization a strategic priority and consistently invested in building their strengths in this area can also perform strongly in international assessments.

在《韩国时报》2027年大学排名中，地方性大学在学生支持方面表现优于首尔的高校。地方性大学平均得分为15.58分，高于京畿道大学和仁川大学（均为15.42分）以及首尔大学（14.80分）。文章指出，地方性大学在奖学金支持和国际学生宿舍住宿方面也表现更佳。又松大学和韩东国际大学在某些特定类别中尤为突出。

在全国范围内评估的 60 所大学中，首尔的 24 所大学中有 18 所进入前 30 名，而省级地区的 14 所大学中只有 3 所进入前 30 名。

在学生支持类别中，省级大学的平均得分为 15.58 分（满分 40 分），京畿道和仁川的平均得分为 15.42 分，首尔的平均得分为 14.80 分，首都圈以外的大都市的平均得分为 13.72 分。

在国际化程度排名中，釜山国立大学排名第15，庆北国立大学排名第18，又松国立大学排名第20，韩东国际大学排名第23，全北国立大学排名第25，忠南国立大学排名第28，岭南国立大学排名第29。

在教育类排名中，又松大学在全部 60 所大学中位列第四，得分为 48.53 分（满分 70 分）；在学生支持类排名中，韩东国际大学位列第二，得分为 26.80 分。

发布于2026年9月18日凌晨12:01（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年9月18日下午2:31（韩国标准时间）

不断增长的投资支持国际学生的职业发展和定居。

2025年7月，参加釜山国立大学暑期学校的国际学生在釜山一栋大学建筑前举着横幅合影。图片由釜山国立大学提供。

在《韩国时报》2027年大学排名中，首尔的大学占据了前30名的大部分席位。

然而，在学生支持领域，它们的优势并不那么明显，区域性大学正在加大投入，帮助国际学生在毕业后找到工作并安顿下来。

在全国评估的 60 所大学中，首尔 24 所大学中有 18 所进入前 30 名，再次证明了首都在国际化方面的长期主导地位。

京畿道和仁川的九所学校中有五所入选，而首都圈以外的大都市的13所大学中有四所入选。

插图：赵相元

省级14所大学中仅有3所进入前30名，这表明它们与首尔及其他大都市地区的顶尖大学仍存在较大差距。这些数据表明，国际化能力仍然集中在首都圈地区。

教育、研究和毕业生成果类别呈现出一致的区域模式，首尔得分最高，其次是京畿道和仁川，首都圈以外的大都市，最后是省级地区。

然而，学生资助类别呈现出不同的模式。

省级大学在该类别中平均得分 15.58 分（满分 40 分），高于京畿道和仁川（15.42 分）以及首尔（14.80 分），而首都圈以外的大都市大学得分最低，为 13.72 分。

仔细观察各项指标就会发现，首都地区以外的大学在学生支持方面通常表现得更好。

省级大学在奖学金与学费比例方面表现最佳，其次是首都圈以外的大都市大学。相比之下，首尔的大学则远低于整体平均水平。

国际学生宿舍入住率也呈现出类似的模式。省会城市的大学得分最高，而首尔的大学则低于平均水平。

插图由裴素英绘制

这些研究结果表明，首都地区以外的大学（通常学费收入较小，但宿舍容量相对较大）在奖学金支持和国际学生宿舍住宿方面都比首尔的大学表现得更好。

总体而言，地区性大学为国际学生的日常生活和安顿提供了更有利的环境。

在国际化程度排名前 30 的大学中，有 7 所位于首都圈以外的大学：釜山国立大学排名第 15，庆北国立大学排名第 18，又松大学排名第 20，韩东国际大学排名第 23，全北国立大学排名第 25，忠南国立大学排名第 28，岭南大学排名第 29。

该名单既包括国家级旗舰大学，也包括通过专门的国际化项目脱颖而出的私立大学。

在教育类排名中，又松大学在全部 60 所大学中排名第四，得分为 48.53 分（满分 70 分）；而在学生支持类排名中，韩东国际大学以 26.80 分位列第二。

虽然这两所大学在整体规模或科研能力上都无法与一流院校相提并论，但它们在某些特定领域，特别是国际学生招生和安置支持方面，都位列全国顶尖大学之列。

这些研究结果表明，将国际化作为战略重点并持续投资于增强自身在该领域实力的地区性大学，也能在国际评估中取得优异成绩。