University.im

University · Seoul, South Korea

Yonsei University

By

Location
Seoul
Students
42,297
QS 2027
#42
Founded
1885
The short answer

Yonsei University is a private university in Seoul with 42,297 degree-seeking students in April 2026, 6,717 of them international (4,119 degree-seeking).[1] It is ranked 42nd in the QS World University Rankings 2027, up from 50th a year earlier and its best result to date.[2]

In the 2026 fee table for international undergraduates, tuition runs from KRW 4,556,000 per semester (liberal arts, social sciences) to KRW 8,416,000 (Underwood International College); the table lists the first-semester amount separately from semesters two to eight.[3] Most undergraduate departments teach in Korean, so applicants need to document Korean or English proficiency, and medicine, dentistry, nursing and pharmacy require TOPIK level 5.[4]

Key facts

Official nameYonsei University (연세대학교)
LocationSinchon campus, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul (Office of Admissions: 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722); International Campus in Incheon; MIRAE Campus in Wonju[4]
TypePrivate (Christian-founded) research university[5]
Founded1885 (Gwanghyewon hospital); current university form since the 1957 merger of Yonhi College and Severance[5]
Degree-seeking students42,297 (April 2026): 34,157 on the Main Campus and 8,140 on the MIRAE Campus[1]
International students6,717, of which 4,119 degree-seeking (April 2026)[1]
Faculty6,913, of which 365 international (April 2026)[1]
Colleges and graduate schoolsSinchon: 14 colleges and 17 graduate schools; International Campus: 5 colleges; Health System: 3 colleges and 3 graduate schools[1]
QS World University Rankings 202742nd (50th a year earlier)[2]
Tuition 2026, international undergraduatesKRW 4,556,000 to KRW 9,221,000 per semester depending on college; first semester higher than later ones[3]
Language rule, most undergraduate majorsChoose one proof of Korean or English proficiency; medicine, dentistry, nursing and pharmacy: TOPIK level 5 or Yonsei KLI level 5[4]
Teaching language, international student trackKorean; some departments include courses taught in English[4]
Official websiteyonsei.ac.kr

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

About Yonsei University

Yonsei traces its roots to Gwanghyewon, the first modern Western-medicine hospital in Korea, opened on 10 April 1885. The rest of the university goes back to Chosun Christian College (1915); the university took its present form in 1957, when Yonhi College and Severance merged.[5] The name combines the first syllables of the two parent institutions.[5] Yonsei was founded on Christian values, and all enrolled students must complete designated Christianity courses and chapel.[4]

The university’s overview page (data as of 1 April 2026) counts 42,297 degree-seeking students: 21,024 undergraduates, 9,384 master’s and 3,749 doctoral students on the Main Campus, plus 8,140 on the MIRAE Campus in Wonju.[1] It lists 6,717 international students, of whom 4,119 are degree-seeking; the rest are credit-exchange and language-course students.[1]

Two campuses, one name: “Yonsei University” in Seoul and the MIRAE Campus in Wonju are reported together on the overview page. Student counts on this page are for both unless stated.

How is Yonsei University ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, Yonsei University is 42nd in the world, up from 50th, its highest position so far.[2] Korea JoongAng Daily lists it second among Korean universities after Seoul National University (38th) and ahead of Korea University (52nd) and KAIST (65th).[6] Yonsei’s own homepage shows the 42nd place and describes it as first among private universities in Asia; it also shows 86th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026.[7] Rankings differ by publisher and year. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at Yonsei University?

On the Sinchon-based Main Campus the university lists 14 colleges and 17 graduate schools; the International Campus has 5 further colleges.[1] The graduate school has 79 departments and 23 interdisciplinary programmes, and three professional schools: the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS), the Global MBA and the Graduate Institute of Theology, all taught entirely in English.[8]

International undergraduates apply through one of three routes:[9]

  • International Student Track: departments of the colleges, taught in Korean, with some courses in English.[4]
  • Underwood International College (UIC): English-taught programmes, admitted on a rolling basis for international students.[9][10]
  • Global Leaders College (GLC): for overseas Korean and international students who completed all 12 years of pre-university education abroad (or the equivalent), with intensive language classes and a customised first-year curriculum.[9]

In the International Student Track, freshmen spend their first year in the Global Basic Education Division of the GLC to improve their Korean; students admitted to medicine, dentistry, nursing and pharmacy are not part of it. All students admitted for 2027 complete the first two semesters on the International Campus in Incheon (Residential College Program), with exceptions for certain departments.[4]

How much does Yonsei University cost in 2026?

  1. Liberal Arts, Theology, Social Sciences
    Semester 1 (KRW)
    4,770,000
    Semesters 2–8 (KRW)
    4,556,000
  2. Commerce and Economics; Business
    Semester 1 (KRW)
    4,804,000
    Semesters 2–8 (KRW)
    4,590,000
  3. Science
    Semester 1 (KRW)
    5,511,000
    Semesters 2–8 (KRW)
    5,297,000
  4. Life Science and Biotechnology
    Semester 1 (KRW)
    5,864,000
    Semesters 2–8 (KRW)
    5,650,000
  5. Engineering
    Semester 1 (KRW)
    6,218,000
    Semesters 2–8 (KRW)
    6,004,000
  6. Music
    Semester 1 (KRW)
    6,941,000
    Semesters 2–8 (KRW)
    6,727,000
  7. Pharmacy
    Semester 1 (KRW)
    7,181,000
    Semesters 2–8 (KRW)
    6,967,000
  8. Global Leaders College (incl. Global Basic Education Division)
    Semester 1 (KRW)
    7,388,000
    Semesters 2–8 (KRW)
    7,174,000
  9. Underwood International College
    Semester 1 (KRW)
    8,416,000
    Semesters 2–8 (KRW)
    8,202,000
  10. Pre-Medicine / Pre-Dentistry
    Semester 1 (KRW)
    8,010,000
    Semesters 2–8 (KRW)
    7,796,000 (semesters 2–4)

This is Yonsei’s “2026 Undergraduate Tuition Fee for International Students”; the amounts are per semester. Further colleges (Education, Human Ecology, Nursing, Computing) are in the same PDF, which tops out at KRW 9,221,000 for the first semester of one programme.[3] The 2027 guide says international freshmen pay the Global Basic Education Division’s tuition while they belong to it, and that the current fees are on the Yonsei website under Admissions, Tuition, Undergraduate.[4]

Scholarships

Yonsei’s scholarship page lists UIC awards (admission, merit and need-based), GLC need-based and merit-based awards, the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) with tuition, a monthly stipend, insurance and airfare, and for the Global Institute of Theology 100% of tuition, accommodation and living expenses. Coverage and eligibility for the other awards are not stated on the page.[10]

How do you apply to Yonsei University?

For the International Student Track, the guide for the 2027 academic year requires that applicants and both parents hold non-Korean nationality (dual citizenship with Korean citizenship is excluded) and that applicants hold or will hold a high-school diploma by February 2027. Applications go in online through the Yonsei Office of Admissions website, while the required documents must also be posted to the Office of Admissions. Only applicants to pre-medicine, pre-dentistry and pharmacy are interviewed, on site at the Sinchon campus.[4]

UIC applicants follow a two-stage evaluation: a document review (school records, grades, personal statements, activities, tests) and, for those selected, an interview. UIC states no exact GPA or SAT/ACT cut-offs and SAT or ACT scores are not mandatory for international applicants. First-round international applicants enter in spring (March), second-round applicants in fall (September).[11] GLC admission is described on the GLC website.[9]

Graduate applicants can use the international student track or the Global Korea Scholarship programme.[8] We give no deadlines here because they change every year; read the current guide on the undergraduate or graduate admissions page.

Which language level do you need?

For the International Student Track (2027 guide), applicants in most majors submit one of the following: official documentation that their high-school courses were taught in Korean or English; a certificate of completion from a Korean language institution; a standardised test result showing Korean or English proficiency; or a Korean or English proficiency test score. Applicants to the colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy need TOPIK level 5 or above, or a Yonsei Korean Language Institute (KLI) certificate at level 5 or above.[4]

After admission, students who do not submit a KLI certificate or TOPIK score by the due date start in the GLC Korean beginner curriculum. To declare a major, students in the Global Basic Education Division need TOPIK level 3 or an equivalent (the Sejong Korean Language Assessment score of 321 or higher also counts), and the criteria may vary with the year of admission.[4]

Not confirmed: we found no English-test minimum for UIC on the pages we read, which only list the evaluation steps.[11]

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is tuition at Yonsei University?

In the 2026 table for international undergraduates, tuition per semester runs from KRW 4,556,000 (liberal arts, social sciences, from semester 2) to KRW 8,416,000 for Underwood International College in semester 1; the first semester costs about KRW 200,000 more than the later ones.[3]

How is Yonsei University ranked?

It is 42nd in the QS World University Rankings 2027, up from 50th.[2]

Do I need Korean to study at Yonsei?

For the International Student Track, yes: departments teach in Korean, and some include courses in English.[4] You can prove Korean or English proficiency by several documents; medicine, dentistry, nursing and pharmacy need TOPIK level 5.[4] Underwood International College is taught in English.[10]

What is the difference between UIC and GLC?

UIC offers English-taught programmes; GLC is for overseas Korean and international students who completed 12 years of education abroad and builds Korean skills in the first year.[9][10]

How many international students does Yonsei have?

6,717 in April 2026, of whom 4,119 are degree-seeking.[1]

More about studying in South Korea

More university profiles in South Korea

Sources

[1] Yonsei University: Yonsei at a glance (Seoul) (data as of 1 Apr 2026)

[2] The Korea Herald: Korean universities in the QS World University Rankings 2027 (QS publishes the ranking at topuniversities.com, which blocks automated access) (article of 18 Jun 2026)

[3] Yonsei University: 2026 Undergraduate Tuition Fee for International Students (PDF) (table for the 2026 academic year)

[4] Yonsei University: International Student Track guide, 2027 academic year (PDF) (guide for the 2027 academic year; the Korean text prevails)

[5] Wikipedia: Yonsei University (history and type)

[6] Korea JoongAng Daily: SNU leads Korean campuses in latest QS world rankings as Yonsei, KU hit historic highs (article of 18 Jun 2026; QS 2027 edition)

[7] Yonsei University: homepage (page without a date)

[8] Yonsei University: Apply, graduate (page without a date; unofficial machine translation)

[9] Yonsei University: Apply, undergraduate (page without a date; unofficial machine translation)

[10] Yonsei University: Scholarships for international students (page without a date)

[11] Underwood International College: Admission (page without a date; copyright 2026)

Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.