International student dropout rates fall at Korean universities: data

What happened: Data from the Korean Educational Development Institute show dropout rates among international students at South Korean four-year universities and junior colleges fell between 2023 and 2025, though some regions stayed high. Key numbers: University and industrial college rate fell 1.25 Why it matters: KEDI partly credits the Education Ministry's IEQAS monitoring of visa overstay and dropout rates, under which universities lacking international education capacity could face visa issuance restrictions. A KEDI official called for stronger academic support in high-dropout regions.

Data from the Korean Educational Development Institute show dropout rates among international students at South Korean four-year universities and junior colleges fell between 2023 and 2025, though some regions stayed high.

KEDI partly credits the Education Ministry's IEQAS monitoring of visa overstay and dropout rates, under which universities lacking international education capacity could face visa issuance restrictions. A KEDI official called for stronger academic support in high-dropout regions.