How much does college cost in your country?

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NEWs GENERATION is a program hosted by Arirang TV covering Korea’s latest trends and current affairs from the perspective of those in their twenties and thirties (millennial and Gen Zers, dubbed the ‘MZ Generation’ in Korea). For all of my appearances, visit
NEWs GENERATION Appearance.

Recently, some Korean universities have announced plans to increase their tuition fees. Why is this happening now?

That’s right. This proposed plan to raise tuition by some Korean universities puts an end to a more than decade-long freeze maintained under governmental pressure and policy. The biggest reason for this hike has been cited as financial strain, especially with high inflation and a declining student population in Korea.

According to the Korean Association of Private University Presidents, 9 out of 10 surveyed out of the 152 private university presidents noted difficulties in maintaining educational facilities, hiring high-quality faculty and staff, and providing student benefits due to the freeze. With these circumstances, 53 percent responded that they plan to increase tuition for this academic year.

Hyunwoo, as a student yourself, what are your thoughts on this issue?

So because I am a college student, I can’t say that I welcome this trend of tuition hikes in private universities with open arms. Much like the survey in Yonsei University, many students and friends of mine have doubts about whether this increase will actually improve the quality of the educational services that we receive when college tuition already feels expensive as it is for many.

Thankfully, our university hasn’t planned to raise its tuition yet so I guess we’re on the safe side, but I can’t help but think that universities outside of Seoul must be hit hardest by these economic and social burdens. I’m not surprised that at the extreme, some students have voluntarily called for their universities to improve their educational conditions at their own expense of paying more for tuition, so what’s most important is a reconceptualization of the Korean higher education system that reflects the country’s current trends and is able to maintain competitiveness at the global level.

Let’s take a broader look and compare Korea’s college tuition system with that of other countries. Are the costs of higher education similar, or do they differ significantly?

On the other hand, students in countries like Germany and France pay little to no money for college tuition. Japanese and European universities cover their relatively little tuition revenue with government funding and subsidies and, in fact, Germany and France are countries that spend the highest and second-highest on higher education funding at the federal level within the OECD respectively.

Because I also study at an American university, our main campus, like many others in the U.S., also covers much of its finances through endowments given by donors, something seen rarely in the case of Korea.

The most recent data from the Korean Educational Development Institute shows that in 2023, South Korea's college enrollment rate reached 76-point-2-percent, marking an all-time high. With more students in Korea going to college, how do you think we can create a tuition system that ensures equal opportunities for those who wish to pursue higher education?

I think that Korea is somewhat of a fortunate case where higher education has remained relatively accessible for students, as shown by our high domestic enrollment numbers. Yet, for universities to maintain their competitiveness and merit in the local and global markets, they need to build upon or at least maintain their current educational offerings, which simply isn’t possible without more money.

I worry that should these trends continue, disparities will grow between universities that are wealthy and competitive enough to fund themselves versus those unable to, leading more students into these high-quality institutions. I think there needs to be a stronger foundation and backbone for future-ready universities that meet various labor market and academic demands in a regionally distinct and dispersed manner.