Elementary, middle, and higher education

kindergarten education

Classes are mainly taught to children between the ages of 5 and 7 (3 to 5 years old), divided into classes according to age and ability. Public kindergartens cost an average of 50,000 won per month, and private kindergartens average 400,000 won per month, and classes are taught in English. In the case of kindergartens that provide education, educational expenses average around 600,000 to 700,000 won per month.

Elementary and secondary education

General Korean school
Basically, foreigners can attend Korean schools, but only if they speak Korean fluently.

For information regarding admission qualifications, you should contact the office of education in your jurisdiction of residence. Korean schools include public schools and private schools. In the case of public elementary schools, tuition is free (expenses such as meals and activity fees are separate), and in the case of private elementary schools, tuition is higher than that of public elementary schools. However, in the case of middle and high schools, the difference in tuition fees between public and private schools is not large.


Foreigner/International School
This is the method most often chosen by foreigners residing in Korea and costs approximately 19 to 38 million won per year in tuition.

In the case of English-based international schools, they generally cover the American or British curriculum. Students who need special education must check in advance whether the school they wish to enroll in has a relevant curriculum or facility.

higher education institution

Type: College (2-3 years), University (4-year college), Graduate school

Graduate school
Courses (master's and doctoral degree programs) are generally provided by four-year universities, but recently, 'graduate universities' that offer only graduate courses without undergraduate courses are also operated.
Graduate schools in Korea are divided into general graduate schools that focus on academic research and professional graduate schools that focus on practical work.

Master's course
The duration of study for a master's program is at least 2 years. Typically, students are required to obtain 24 credits.
Those wishing to obtain a master's degree must earn a certain number of credits, pass a certain exam, and submit a thesis for review by at least three judges.

PhD
The duration of study for a doctoral program is at least 3 years. Typically, students are required to obtain 36 credits. Those wishing to obtain a doctoral degree must earn the required credits, pass the comprehensive exam, and submit a thesis for review by at least five examiners.

Postdoctoral Program
This is the process of continuing research after obtaining a doctoral degree. Currently, many Korean universities are conducting research projects by inviting postdoctoral researchers to carry out the BK21 project.

Public university
Universities in Korea are either national universities established and operated by the state, or established and operated by local governments.

private university
Established and operated by a school corporation (private public interest corporation)