4,822 applicants for 808 slots; Biomedical Engineering tops the list at 14.2:1

Strong competition seen in Human Services, Education, and Environmental Engineering

YU’s commitment to strengthening youth competencies earns strong recognition

[December 31, 2025]

Yeungnam University (YU, President CHOI Oe-chool) announced that as of 6:00 p.m. on December 31, the application period for 2026 regular admissions had closed with 4,822 applicants competing for 808 on-quota seats, resulting in an average competition rate of 5.97:1.This marks the highest competition rate on record, surpassing last year’s rate of 5.28:1 (4,508 applicants for 854 seats), with increases seen in both the number of applicants and the overall ratio.

 Under the General Student Track, the Department of Biomedical Engineering recorded the highest competition rate at 14.2:1, followed by the Department of Human Services (10.75:1), Department of Education (10.4:1), Department of Environmental Engineering (9.86:1), Department of Horticultural Life Science (9.71:1), French Language and Literature Major, School of European Languages and Cultures (9.6:1), School of Global Education (9.0:1), Department of Forest Resources (8.83:1), German Language and Culture Major, School of European Languages and Cultures (8.67:1), Department of Statistics (8.63:1), and Department of Mathematics (8.5:1), all showing notably high competition rates. 

President CHOI Oe-chool of YU stated, “Following a 100% freshman enrollment rate for the 2025 academic year and a 99% registration rate among successful applicants in the recent 2026 early admissions cycle, achieving the highest competition rate ever in regular admissions indicates that applicants and parents continue to place trust and confidence in YU’s sustained efforts to enhance student competencies, even amid a challenging admissions environment.” He added, “In particular, securing the largest-scale funding in the region through the RISE project and being selected for various financial support programs that provide strong backing for student capacity building have also served as important factors in students choosing YU.” He continued, “Going forward, we will continue to meet the expectations of students and parents by nurturing talent capable of leading the era of advanced industries such as AI and robotics, further strengthening YU’s differentiated educational competitiveness, and dedicating ourselves to cultivating individuals who contribute to making Korea a more refined nation and to the advancement of human society.”

 Meanwhile, YU will conduct practical skills tests for applicants in the arts and physical education tracks on a scheduled basis: January 20 (Tue) for Group “Na” (School of Physical Education, Department of Visual Communication Design, Department of Industrial Design, and Department of Living Product Design), and January 21 (Wed) for Group “Da” (Department of Special Physical Education). Final admission results will be announced on February 2, 2026 (Mon).