Today's Edition
SEOUL (ALETIHAD)
According to the results of Korea Times University Rankings 2027, Korea University captured overall 1st place for the second consecutive year with a total score of 149.52 points (out of 200).
Seoul National University (142.22 points) and Yonsei University (140.74 points) followed in 2nd and 3rd places, respectively, while the top 1 through 6 positions maintained the exact same order as last year.
The Korea Times selected the top 30 institutions among 60 evaluated universities as 'Excellence Universities in Internationalisation'. While maintaining the essential framework introduced in 2025, the Korea Times refined its calculation methodology and added new indicators based on operational experience.
The evaluation assessed 60 universities nationwide across four major categories (19 detailed indicators): Education (70 pts), Research (50 pts), Student Support (40 pts), and Alumni Outcomes (40 pts).
Considering overall enrollment, foreign student counts, public/private status and regional distribution, the evaluation pool was expanded from 54 universities last year to 60. The total score structure was also revised from 190 points (18 indicators) to 200 points (19 indicators).
Actively incorporating feedback from advisory panels and universities following the inaugural 2025 evaluation, the Ratio of Full-Time Foreign Faculty (1.6, 10 pts) was added as a new indicator.
Furthermore, the calculation pool for Foreign Student Retention Rate (1.5) was narrowed exclusively to degree-seeking students, and the assessment period for Research Output was extended from 1 year to 3 years to better reflect long-term research capability.
Data sources relied primarily on official university public disclosures, supplemented by the Naver Scholytics database for research performance, the International Education Quality Assurance System (IEQAS) certification jointly administered by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Justice, and internal Korea Times survey data for alumni societal impact. Reputation surveys were excluded.
Measuring internationalisation capacity strictly through verifiable quantitative data remains a core design principle established in 2025. Standardised Z-scores across all 60 universities were converted into indicator points, and final rankings were confirmed following a verification period (August 18–28) where institutions submitted correction requests against raw disclosure data.
1. Top Tier — Ranks 1 to 6 unchanged for two consecutive years
Korea University maintained its overall No. 1 spot by placing first in two major categories: Education (52.16 pts, 1st) and Research (40.51 pts, 1st). Seoul National University led in Student Support (28.35 pts, 1st) and Alumni Outcomes (36.07 pts, 1st), but finished 2nd overall due to a gap in the Education category (40.31 pts, 21st).
The top 6 universities—Korea University, Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Sungkyunkwan University, Hanyang University, and Sogang University—retained their exact rank order from last year, demonstrating a firm hold on Korea's top-tier internationalised higher education status.
Korea University improved its Education score from 49.09 to 52.16, while Seoul National University saw a slight adjustment in Student Support from 30.07 to 28.35. The point gap between the two widened from 3.38 points in 2025 to 7.30 points in 2026.
Sejong University surged 6 places from 13th to 7th, entering the upper top 10 for the first time on the back of outstanding research and educational performance. Its rise was most prominent in Education, climbing from 32.80 points to 47.93 points (6th out of 60 universities), with key gains in Foreign Student Retention (+3.96 pts) and IEQAS Certification (+2.50 pts). Its Research category score (39.60 pts) held firm at the top tier for two consecutive years.
On the other hand, the University of Seoul fell from 7th to 11th. After placing 2nd in Education in 2025 (47.02 pts), it moved to 17th (41.41 pts) this year, primarily due to a 5.93-point drop in Student Retention. Restricting retention calculations from 'all international students' to 'degree-seeking students' adversely affected institutions with higher dropout rates among degree-seeking students.
2. Top 30 excellence universities in internationalisation
Korea University has topped South Korea’s 2026 university rankings with 149.52 points out of a possible 200, ahead of Seoul National University and Yonsei University.
The private university, based in Seoul, secured 52.16 points out of 70 for education, 40.51 out of 50 for research, 22.79 out of 40 for student support and 34.06 out of 40 for alumni outcomes.
Seoul National University, a public institution, ranked second with 142.22 points, scoring 40.31 for education, 37.49 for research, 28.35 for student support and 36.07 for alumni outcomes. It recorded the highest alumni score among the 30 universities.
Yonsei University, a private institution in Seoul, placed third with 140.74 points, followed by Sungkyunkwan University in fourth with 135.87 points and Hanyang University in fifth with 126.83 points. Both are private institutions based in the capital.
Sogang University secured sixth place with 117.45 points, while Sejong University ranked seventh with 112.81 points. Ewha Womans University followed in eighth with 112.36 points, ahead of Kyung Hee University in ninth with 112.21 points and Dongguk University in tenth with 107.11 points. All five are private universities in Seoul.
The University of Seoul, a public institution, placed 11th with 106.24 points, followed by private Chung-Ang University in 12th with 104.79 points. Ajou University, a private institution in Gyeonggi Province, ranked 13th with 104.18 points, while Inha University in Incheon secured 14th with 102.93 points.
Pusan National University, a public institution in Busan, ranked 15th with 102.28 points. Hanyang University's ERICA campus in Gyeonggi Province followed in 16th with 98.62 points, while Konkuk University, a private institution in Seoul, placed 17th with 98.02 points.
Kyungpook National University, a public institution in Daegu, secured 18th place with 95.32 points, followed by Incheon National University, also a public institution, in 19th with 94.87 points. Woosong University, a private institution in Daejeon, completed the top 20 with 94.52 points.
Seoul National University of Science and Technology, a public institution, ranked 21st with 93.97 points, while private Sookmyung Women's University placed 22nd with 90.73 points.
Handong Global University, a private institution in Gyeongbuk Province, secured 23rd place with 89.30 points, followed by Seoul-based Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in 24th with 87.56 points.
Jeonbuk National University, a public institution in Jeonbuk Province, ranked 25th with 87.49 points. Soongsil University, a private institution in Seoul, followed in 26th with 85.35 points, while the Catholic University of Korea in Gyeonggi Province placed 27th with 84.33 points.
Chungnam National University, a public institution in Daejeon, ranked 28th with 84.08 points, ahead of Yeungnam University, a private institution in Gyeongbuk Province, in 29th with 83.40 points. Kookmin University, a private institution in Seoul, completed the top 30 with 82.73 points.
Private universities dominated the rankings, accounting for 21 of the 30 institutions and nine of the top 10 positions. Seoul was home to 19 of the ranked universities, including all 12 of the highest-ranked institutions.
The 2026 evaluation assessed universities across four categories, with education carrying the greatest weight at 70 points, followed by research at 50 points, student support at 40 points and alumni outcomes at 40 points.
Where universities achieved identical total scores, their positions were determined by education scores, followed by research, student support and alumni outcomes, in that order, under the 2026 evaluation plan.
The rankings assessed universities across four categories, with education carrying the greatest weight at 70 points, followed by research at 50 points, support at 40 points and alumni performance at 40 points. In case of ties, rankings follow total score → Education → Research → Student Support → Alumni Outcomes according to the 2026 Evaluation Plan.
3. Selection of excellence universities in internationalisation
In 2026, Yeungnam University (32nd → 29th) and Kookmin University (34th → 30th) newly entered the top 30 Excellence Universities list. Aside from these two, 28 universities from last year's top 30 remained on the list, showing strong overall stability.
Among the 30 designated institutions, 22 are private and 8 are public. By region, 18 are located in Seoul, 5 in Gyeonggi/Incheon, 4 in metropolitan cities outside the capital region, and 3 in provincial areas.
Given that the full 60-university evaluation pool consists of 46 private and 14 public institutions, selection rates by establishment type were relatively even.
Conversely, regional disparities were pronounced: 18 out of 24 Seoul-based universities (75.0%) were selected, compared to only 3 out of 14 provincial universities (21.4%).
4. Key drivers behind major rank changes
Sejong University and Woosong University recorded the largest improvements in South Korea’s 2026 university rankings, each climbing six places from the previous year. Its ranking rose from 13th place in 2025 to seventh in 2026, supported by a 3.96-point improvement in student retention and a 2.50-point increase in IEQAS certification.
Woosong University also climbed six places, moving from 26th to 20th. Its improvement was driven by a 2.87-point increase in its top 10% journal ratio and a 1.09-point gain in language proficiency.
Handong Global University recorded the third-largest rise, moving up five places from 28th to 23rd. The university benefited from a 2.39-point increase in donations per student and a 2.07-point improvement in the Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI), a measure of research influence.
Incheon National University climbed four places, from 23rd to 19th, supported by a 7.47-point increase in donations per student and a 1.25-point improvement in language proficiency.
Among universities that lost ground, Konkuk University fell five places, from 12th in 2025 to 17th in 2026. Its decline was associated with a 1.64-point drop in student retention and a 1.57-point decrease in foreign research grants.
Soongsil University also dropped five positions, moving from 21st to 26th. Its performance was affected by a 1.00-point decline in student retention and a 0.66-point reduction in its job retention rate.
The University of Seoul recorded a four-place fall, slipping from seventh in 2025 to 11th in 2026. The university experienced a 5.93-point decrease in student retention, the largest decline in that indicator among the institutions listed, alongside a 0.45-point drop in its employment rate.
The changes indicate that student retention, research performance, language proficiency and financial contributions played important roles in determining universities' positions in the 2026 rankings.
Rank changes reflect recalculations based solely on the 54 continuously evaluated universities (excluding the 6 newly added institutions in 2026). Because newly entering universities that land in the middle ranks push down those below them even without any change in performance, rank changes should be read alongside actual rankings to understand the nature of each movement accurately.
5. Top 5 universities by category
Korea University secured the highest scores for education and research in South Korea’s 2026 university rankings, while Seoul National University led in student support and alumni outcomes.
In the education category, which carries a maximum of 70 points, Korea University ranked first with 52.16 points, followed by Sungkyunkwan University with 51.43 points. Hanyang University placed third with 49.16 points, ahead of Woosong University in fourth with 48.53 points and Yonsei University in fifth with 48.46 points.
Korea University also topped the research category, which accounts for 50 points, with a score of 40.51. Sejong University ranked second with 39.60 points, followed by Sungkyunkwan University with 38.71 points. Yonsei University secured fourth place with 37.52 points, narrowly ahead of Seoul National University, which ranked fifth with 37.49 points.
Seoul National University led the student support category, worth 40 points, with a score of 28.35. Handong Global University followed in second place with 26.80 points, while Yonsei University ranked third with 23.80 points. Incheon National University secured fourth place with 23.69 points, ahead of Korea University in fifth with 22.79 points.
In the alumni outcomes category, also worth 40 points, Seoul National University recorded the highest score of 36.07, followed by Korea University with 34.06 points.
Yonsei University placed third with 30.96 points, while Sungkyunkwan University ranked fourth with 29.03 points and Sogang University completed the top five with 27.49 points.
Korea University and Yonsei University were the only institutions to appear among the top five across all four assessment categories. Seoul National University featured in three categories, leading both student support and alumni outcomes, while Sungkyunkwan University also appeared in three, securing second place in education, third in research and fourth in alumni outcomes.
The results show that the highest-ranked institutions performed differently across the four assessment areas, with Korea University leading in academic performance and Seoul National University achieving the strongest results in student support and alumni outcomes.
Note: Among all figures in this release, 2025 metrics are finalised figures (54 universities, 190 pts, 18 indicators). Direct comparison between 2025 and 2026 scores may have limitations due to framework updates in 2026 (60 universities, 200 pts, 19 indicators).
