Applications for early admissions at the medical schools of Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University (collectively known as SKY) dropped by over 11 percent for the 2027 academic year compared to the previous year.

This trend is interpreted as a lessening of the concentration of top-tier applicants toward SKY medical schools, largely driven by the expanded recruitment of regional medical schools following the introduction of the regional doctor system.

Jongro Academy announced today (the 10th) that an analysis of the early admissions status for medical schools (within regular quotas) at Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University for the 2027 academic year, which closed the previous day, showed a total of 2,903 applicants.

This represents a decrease of 368 applicants (11.3%) from the 2026 academic year, which recorded 3,271 applicants.

The competition ratio fell from 14.47 to 1 to 12.85 to 1.

Looking at the data by university, all three institutions saw a decline in applicants.

The number of early admissions applicants for Seoul National University's medical school decreased by 100 (9.5%), Yonsei University by 85 (12.4%), and Korea University by 183 (11.9%) compared to the previous year.

Im Sungho, CEO of Jongro Academy, stated, "It is estimated that the expansion of regional medical school admissions under the regional doctor system created a dispersion effect among top-tier medical school aspirants," adding, "A stronger tendency toward stable applications rather than ambitious ones also seems to be a contributing factor."

Even when expanding the scope to the broader medical sector—including dentistry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine—early admissions applicants to these three universities still declined.

According to the E투스Edu Educational Evaluation Institute, early admissions applicants for medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and veterinary programs across the three universities totaled 4,148 for the 2027 academic year, a decrease of 486 from the previous year.

E투스Edu analyzed, "The overall decrease in applicants at Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University is partly influenced by a smaller total pool of test-takers compared to the 2026 academic year," and noted, "In particular, because all three universities limited eligibility for school principal recommendation tracks to prospective graduates, the decline in high school seniors naturally led to a decrease in applicants."
 
(Photo: Yonhap News)