Studying abroad in Korea is the dream of many people, but going through the admission process can turn the dream into a nightmare. Gathering the paperwork, sending the documents, preparing for the interview, writing an essay… And then do it all again if you want to apply to more than one university!
However, the toughest part for most international students is budgeting and having enough money to pay for the whole process. In Korea, most universities will ask you to pay an application fee during the admission process.
As we know every penny counts, especially as a student, here we’ll give you a hand by sharing a list of Korean universities that don’t have application fees.
Application fees in Korean universities go from $60 – $150. This could be insignificant for some, but international students usually apply to multiple universities to increase their chances of being admitted.
After doing their research and determining to which universities they will apply, students usually have a list of five to eight universities. And if they pay application fees in all of them, their budget for the admission process may vary from $300 to over $1000!
If you want to save some money and have a quality education at the same time, check our list of Korean universities that don’t have application fees. There aren’t many universities that have no application fees, but we’ve managed to find some! If you find any other institutions, please feel free to comment, and we will add it to the article!
Universities in South Korea with No Application Fee
1. Pukyong National University
We move from Ulsan to Busan, one of the largest cities in Korea, only surpassed by Seoul. Here there is Pukyong National University (PKNU), which was founded over 20 years ago and has a breathtaking campus. Or should we say campuses? PKNU has two campuses which are very close to the East Sea, in the Nam district. There you’ll be able to enjoy their three libraries and eight research institutes. It also has a museum, a radiological monitoring station, and its own system of buses.
The admission process is explained in detail in the Admission Guidebook, available on their website. Once you have all the documents required, including the application form, you’ll have to send them by mail. Everything must be translated into English or Korean and notarized.
The process will start by validating the authenticity of the documents sent. Then, there will be an Academic Ability Evaluation, where they will evaluate the documents and interviews (or additional documents sent, depending on the case). Once all the right candidates have been accepted, they will be notified. That’s when payments are made and international students can apply for a D-2 visa.
In their admission guide, you can see that the application fee is waived for international students. PKNU also offers scholarships and has a great Korean course available for international students.
If you are interested, check out how Pelinsu Yıldırım and Amir have gotten admission and scholarships at Pukyoung National University.
No application fee for Pukyong National University
2. Kumoh National Institute of Technology
The Kumoh National Institute of Technology was established by Park Chung-hee, who was president of South Korea between 1963 and 1979. This college specializes in engineering, with 15 engineering departments. It also has departments of architecture, chemistry, and IT convergence. Besides the engineering college, KIT has a business administration college and a natural sciences college.
The two campuses of this university are full of life, having 45 student clubs and over 7,000 students. They have dormitories available for 2,500 students, and there are great facilities to enjoy college life, such as a little theater and a gallery.
If you’d like to study at KIT, the admission process is done in three steps. You’ll have to go to their website and make the online application. There you’ll find the list of 10 documents you have to submit, which must be in English or Korean. Once you have them, submit your documents by mail.
It is possible that you will be asked to make an interview if the department requires it, but it isn’t mandatory. Lastly, candidates will be chosen and notified by the admission committee.
When you visit their website, you’ll be able to see all the requirements in detail. The admission section explains that they have no application fees and that they offer scholarships for international students who are candidates for Master’s and Doctorates.
If you are interested, check out how Alivia and Hope have gotten admission and scholarships at Kumoh National Institute of Technology.
Kumoh National Institute of Technology No Application Screenshot
3. Korea University (SK Global Scholarships Only)
Korea University is one of the most prestigious universities in Korea. The university has launched a scholarship for international students looking to study Electrical and Computer Engineering, Physics, and AI / IT in partnerships with SK Group called SK Global Scholarships. This scholarship is open to 32 countries, including 19 European nations, 11 Southeast Asian countries, India, and Pakistan.
The application fee is waived for exclusively students applying for this scholarship, and students applying for other graduate programs or undergraduate programs will need to pay the application fee. SK Global Scholarships is waiving the application fee to get more students to apply for this scholarship since it is a new initiative launched in partnership with SK Group.
No Application Screenshot for SK Global Scholarships
There are only a handful of universities in Korea that do not charge application fees. Try applying to these universities, which are also well-known universities in Korea that provide quality education!
We hope this article will encourage you to submit your application to these Korean universities. Go over our Study in Korea Page for valuable tips and insightful articles about Korea! And if you are looking for available courses, head on over to our Available Programs for International Students page!
