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🇰🇷Seoul, South Korea·Est. 1946Public

Seoul National University

South Korea's flagship university

Global rank#38
shortlist
Ranking source comparison
SourceScore
QS84 out of 100
THE86 out of 100
USC0 out of 100
USG85 out of 100
ARWU0 out of 100
CWUR86 out of 100
Niche0 out of 100
Leiden0 out of 100
97.8
aggregate score · 4 sources
QS World University Rankings
2024 edition
#38
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
2024 edition
#42
US News Best Colleges (National Universities)
2024 edition
Unranked
US News Best Global Universities
2023–24 edition
#48
Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking)
2023 edition
Unranked
Center for World University Rankings
2024 edition
#38
Niche Best Colleges
2024 edition
Unranked
CWTS Leiden Ranking
2024 edition
Unranked

Ranking history

Real snapshots recorded each time this dataset is refreshed — never backfilled or estimated.

Ranking history over time
DateRankScore
August 3, 2026#3897.8
August 4, 2026#3897.8
August 5, 2026#3897.8
August 6, 2026#3897.8
August 7, 2026#3897.8
August 10, 2026#3897.8
August 15, 2026#3897.8
August 17, 2026#3897.8
August 20, 2026#3897.8

Admissions

Most recently published acceptance rate and enrolled-student score ranges. SAT/ACT and GPA are US-specific admissions measures, so they're only shown where applicable.

Applications / year
Acceptance rate
22%
SAT (25th–75th)
ACT (25th–75th)
Avg. GPA

Campus & outcomes

Class size, graduation and freshman retention rates, sticker tuition vs. what students actually pay after aid, how many receive it, post-graduation employment, research output, and a few real, commonly-cited top recruiters. Everything except ratio and enrollment is US-specific or approximate — papers/year and top employers in particular are rounded/illustrative, not exhaustive or precise database exports. Earnings figures and what they imply against cost are in their own section below.

Student : faculty
11:1
Undergrads
16,000
Grad rate (6-yr)
Tuition
Avg. net price
Employed within 6mo
Papers/year (approx.)
9,000
Classes under 20
Freshman retention
Receiving aid
Where grads work
Samsung ElectronicsLG ElectronicsSK HynixKorean Government Ministries

Studying in South Korea as an international student

International students generally pay the same published tuition as domestic students, varying by field of study. These are country-level figures for a typical bachelor's at a public university (2025–26 academic year) — not a quote for this university, which sets its own fees.

Typical tuition, non-national
$4,000–$12,000
per year, approx. USD
Typical living costs
$8,000–$13,000
per year, approx. USD
Funding routes
Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) covers tuition, living costs and airfare.

Subject rankings

Real, published QS World University Rankings by Subject positions — unlike Subject strengths below, this is sourced ranking data, not an editorial estimate. Shown only for the subjects this university is ranked in.

Subject strengths

An Analects Proverbs editorial estimate — derived from this university's specialty and overall standing, not pulled from a named subject ranking.

Ranking source comparison
SourceScore
CS87 out of 100
Eng92 out of 100
Business84 out of 100
Medicine86 out of 100
Law88 out of 100
Sciences88 out of 100
Social87 out of 100
Arts87 out of 100
Strongest in
EngineeringLaw & PolicyNatural Sciences
Computer Science
Engineering
Business
Medicine
Law & Policy
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
Arts & Humanities

Similar universities

Close in overall rank, and weighted toward the same country and type — a starting point for students who like Seoul National University but want options to compare.

Frequently asked questions

What is Seoul National University's ranking?

Seoul National University ranks #38 on Analects Proverbs's combined score of 97.8/100, aggregated across 4 major published rankings.

What is Seoul National University known for?

South Korea's flagship university. Its strongest subject areas, by our editorial estimate, are Engineering, Law & Policy, Natural Sciences.

What is Seoul National University's acceptance rate?

Seoul National University's acceptance rate is approximately 22%, based on the most recently published admissions cycle.