Pusan National University

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 5 November 2026.

About Pusan National University

Pusan National University describes itself as having been founded on 15 May 1946. The university’s own overview page gives about 30,000 current students, about 1,200 full-time professors and agreements with more than 430 universities and institutes in 50 countries.^[1] Wikipedia lists 17,347 undergraduates and 9,138 postgraduates without giving a year, which adds up to a lower total than the university’s round figure, so treat the student number as approximate.^[6]

The university has four campuses: Busan, Yangsan, Miryang and Ami.^[3] The Yangsan campus was completed in 2009, and Miryang University merged with PNU in 2006.^[1] Most majors sit at the Jangjeon campus in Busan; a few are at Yangsan or Miryang, and your campus decides where you live if you take a dormitory place.^[3]

How is Pusan National University ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, Pusan National University is 449th. The Korean trade paper Hankook Daehak Sinmun gives its recent QS positions as a band of 611 to 620 in 2024, 524th in 2025, 473rd in 2026 and 449th in 2027, a rise of 162 places over the three years since 2024.^[2][7]

In the same table the paper lists Kyungpook National University at 481st and Chonnam National University at 781 to 790.^[7] The university’s own English overview still cites an older ranking result (a 2017 QS result in six fields), so rely on the QS table above for the current position.^[1] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at Pusan National University?

PNU’s tuition table for undergraduates lists these colleges and schools: Humanities, Social Sciences, Economics and International Trade, Natural Sciences, Engineering, Education, Information and BioMedical Engineering, Business, Human Ecology, Nanoscience and Technology, Sports Science and Arts.^[3] The graduate table groups programmes into Humanities and Social Science, Natural Science and Sports, Engineering, and International Studies.^[3]

Dentistry, Medicine, Korean Medicine, Nursing and Law are marked “not open to exchange students” in the same fact sheet.^[3] The fact sheet does not say whether degree applicants can enter these fields, so ask the admissions office.

Undergraduate teaching is mainly in Korean. Among the programmes listed on the international undergraduate admissions page, Global Studies is the one that accepts English test scores instead of TOPIK, and Computer Science and Engineering has a route for English speakers (see the language section).^[4]

How much does Pusan National University cost in 2026?

The figures come from the tuition table in PNU’s visiting-student fact sheet, which is labelled “Tuition (2026 Spring)” and “subject to change”.^[3] The table gives one total per college for the Spring 2026 term; it does not state an annual amount, an admission fee or a separate rate for degree students from abroad. The international undergraduate admissions page states no amounts and lists “payment of tuition” only as a step after the admission decision.^[4] Check the tuition invoice in your admission documents before you plan your budget.

For rent, food and other costs see our South Korea guide. The fact sheet’s own estimate for off-campus housing is about KRW 350,000 a month plus a deposit of about KRW 5,000,000.^[3]

How do you apply to Pusan National University?

Undergraduate (freshmen and transfer). Both the applicant and both parents must be foreign nationals; Korean and dual nationals are not eligible. Freshmen need a high-school diploma or expected graduation; transfer applicants need a 2- or 3-year college diploma or at least four semesters at a 4-year university, with 66 or more credits.^[4] The process has eight steps: publication of the application guide, online application, submission of documents by post or in person, check of the requirements, interview, final decision, payment of tuition and issue of the certificate of admission.^[4]

• The application guide with the admission quotas for each semester is on PNU’s admissions site (undergraduate, then international students, then application guide). Departments missing from the guide are not recruiting that semester.^[4]
• Applicants must show a bank balance certificate of USD 18,000 or more; the English page says it must be issued within 30 days of submission, but the Korean version of the page names a different period, so check the current guide.^[4]
• Interviews are held face to face for applicants in Korea and by phone or Skype for applicants abroad.^[4]
• Fine Arts, Design, Plastic Arts and Music Composition applicants add a portfolio or performance material.^[4]
• Contact: iadmission@pusan.ac.kr or +82-51-510-3856.^[4]

Graduate programmes. The graduate admissions page points to an admission guide on the admissions site and to pnuadmin@pusan.ac.kr; the page itself shows a 2017 copyright and gives no entry requirements, so we cannot summarise them.^[8]

We give no deadlines because they change every year and differ by programme. Read the guide for your intake.

Which language level do you need?

International undergraduates need TOPIK (the Test of Proficiency in Korean, levels 1 to 6) or a completion certificate from PNU’s Language Education Institute at the same level. Most departments require level 3. Level 4 applies, among others, to Humanities and Social Sciences, Computer Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Design and BioMedical Convergence Engineering. Level 5 applies to Business Administration, Nursing, Food and Resource Economics and Nanomechatronics Engineering.^[4]

English routes. Global Studies accepts TOEFL iBT 80, IELTS 5.5 or NewTEPS 326 or higher, and TOPIK is not compulsory; applicants from native English-speaking countries are excluded from that route. Computer Science and Engineering lets native English speakers, or applicants with those English scores, apply with TOPIK level 3.^[4] The page notes that the Korean and English versions differ in some wording, so confirm the rule in the current guide.^[4]

More about studying in South Korea

• South Korea: best universities
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

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