Kim Chaek University of Technology is a state university in Pyongyang, North Korea (DPRK). Wikipedia dates its origin to the Pyongyang College of Technology of 1948 and gives about 10,000 students, about 2,000 staff, 18 departments and about 80 programmes.[1]
Sources on this university are very limited. We found no tuition fees, no QS ranking, no official website we could read and no description of admission for international students, so we state none of these.[1]
Key facts
| Official name | Kim Chaek University of Technology (김책공업종합대학) |
| Location | Kyogu-dong district, Pyongyang, on the banks of the Taedong River[1] |
| Type | State university; overseen by the Science and Education Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea Central Committee, with administration by the Ministry of Education (Wikipedia)[1] |
| Founded | 1948 as Pyongyang College of Technology; Wikipedia’s infobox gives 1951 (renamed Kim Chaek College of Technology); elevated to a university in 1988[1] |
| Students and staff | About 10,000 students and about 2,000 staff (Wikipedia, no date given)[1] |
| Structure | 18 departments, about 80 programmes, one graduate school, 10 research institutes and 54 laboratories[1] |
| Library | About 600,000 volumes[1] |
| Campus | 400,000 m²; doubled in a construction programme between 1981 and 1993[1] |
| International conference | Hosted an international academic conference in Pyongyang in November 2025 (KCNA, relayed by Yonhap)[2] |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | Not confirmed (no source read) |
| Tuition fees | Not documented in any source we read |
| International students and admission | No information on the sources we read[1] |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 7 November 2026.
About Kim Chaek University of Technology
The university began in 1948 as a part of Kim Il Sung University, when engineering faculties were split off to form the Pyongyang College of Technology.[1] Wikipedia says it was renamed Kim Chaek College of Technology in 1951 and became a university in 1988.[1] The sources therefore give 1948 for the origin and 1951 for the infobox date of establishment.
It is a state university: Wikipedia states that it is overseen by the Science and Education Department under the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, with administration by the Ministry of Education’s Department of Higher Education.[1] The page also says it is considered one of the country’s top universities and is sometimes called “the MIT of North Korea”; this is a popular comparison, not a measured ranking.[1]
How is Kim Chaek University of Technology ranked?
We could not confirm a position in the QS World University Rankings 2027 (published 18 June 2026). No source we read lists the university, so we show “Not confirmed”. How we compile rankings.
Wikipedia reports 8th place in the 2019 International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), the university’s first and only participation there.[1] That is one contest result, not an institutional ranking.
What can you study at Kim Chaek University of Technology?
Wikipedia lists 18 departments and about 80 programmes, one graduate school, 10 research institutes and 54 laboratories.[1] It also lists nuclear-related programmes (reactors, nuclear electronics, nuclear fuel and nuclear engineering).[1] We did not find a complete official list of programmes.
In November 2025 the university hosted an international academic conference on science, technology and strategic resources in Pyongyang, according to KCNA, North Korea’s state news agency, as relayed by Yonhap. Participants from institutes in China, Russia and other countries were reported, including a vice president of Russia’s Kazan Federal University.[2]
How much does Kim Chaek University of Technology cost?
No source we read states tuition fees for domestic or international students. We therefore give no figure.[1]
Can international students apply to Kim Chaek University of Technology?
The Wikipedia article contains no information on international students or admission requirements, and we found no official admission page.[1] We therefore cannot say whether, or how, foreign applicants can enrol. We give no deadlines, and no travel or safety advice; consult your own government’s official guidance.
Which language do you need?
None of the sources we read states the language of instruction or any language requirement for this university.[1]
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kim Chaek University of Technology a state university?
Yes. Wikipedia describes it as a state university overseen by the Workers’ Party of Korea’s Science and Education Department and administered through the Ministry of Education.[1]
When was Kim Chaek University of Technology founded?
Wikipedia dates its origin to 1948 (Pyongyang College of Technology), gives 1951 in its infobox and says it became a university in 1988.[1]
What are the tuition fees?
We found no published fees in the sources we read, so we state none.[1]
Can foreigners study at Kim Chaek University of Technology?
We found no source describing admission of foreign students at this university, so we cannot say.[1]
How is it ranked?
We could not confirm a QS World University Rankings 2027 position. Wikipedia mentions 8th place in the 2019 ICPC programming contest, which is not an institutional ranking.[1]
More about studying in North Korea
- North Korea: best universities
- Cost of Studying Abroad
- International Student Scholarships
- University Ranking Methodology
More university profiles in North Korea
Sources
[1] Wikipedia: Kim Chaek University of Technology (independent encyclopedia) (page without a date; figures are undated)
[2] Korea Times (Yonhap): Major N. Korean tech university engages in academic exchanges with China, Russia (relays KCNA, state media) (article of 13 Nov 2025)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.