Foreign students numbers rise, but few of them studying STEM
Published: 21 Nov. 2025, 18:06
Updated: 24 Nov. 2025, 14:27
![Foreign students pose for a photo during a graduation farewell ceremony at Dong-A University’s Bumin Campus in Seo District, Busan, on Aug. 21. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/24/e79ea773-6dbd-43f5-9343-6d64c3ddc3d0.jpg)
Foreign students pose for a photo during a graduation farewell ceremony at Dong-A University’s Bumin Campus in Seo District, Busan, on Aug. 21. [YONHAP]
The number of foreign students in Korea has grown over the past decade, but far fewer are studying natural sciences or engineering, according to new research. This trend is drifting away from Korea’s original goal of attracting highly skilled foreign talent in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields, including master’s and doctoral students.
At an online briefing on Thursday, Choi Jung-yoon, a senior researcher at the Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI), presented findings from a report titled “The Potential and Challenges of Attracting Foreign Students to Address Korea’s Population Decline” (translated).
KEDI data shows that the number of foreign students in Korea reached 208,000 last year — 4.2 times the 49,000 recorded in 2007. Degree-seeking students increased 4.5 times, from 32,000 to 145,000, while nondegree students in language programs and similar tracks rose 3.7 times, from 17,000 to 63,000.
Foreign-student enrollment at universities in the Seoul metropolitan area increased across four-year colleges, junior colleges and graduate schools. But nonmetropolitan universities saw declines. One exception was nondegree programs, whose share rose from 39.1 percent in 2014 to 45 percent last year — a sign that even when foreign students come to regional universities, many stay only for short-term language study.
At the undergraduate level, the share of foreign students majoring in natural sciences, engineering and medicine fell by 3.1, 1.2 and 0.6 percentage points, respectively, in the decade between 2014 and 2024. Meanwhile, during the same period, humanities and social sciences rose by 1.9 percentage points and arts and physical education climbed by 3.1 points.
The pattern was similar in graduate programs. The proportion of foreign master’s and doctoral students in natural sciences, engineering and medicine declined, while humanities, social sciences and arts continued to grow. The drop was most dramatic in engineering doctoral programs, where the foreign-student share plunged from 38.3 percent in 2014 to 18.5 percent in 2024.
![Foreign students in traditional dress gather for a photo during the “Ajou International Day” event at Ajou University in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 6. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/24/01668483-6238-4331-ac74-f599d61286a1.jpg)
Foreign students in traditional dress gather for a photo during the “Ajou International Day” event at Ajou University in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 6. [YONHAP]
“The Labor Ministry urgently needs skilled workers to address aging in core manufacturing industries,” Choi said. “But local governments are more focused on filling their working-age population, and universities are prioritizing financial survival. The sharp rise in foreign students majoring in humanities, social sciences and the arts reflects how these interests diverge across ministries, local governments and universities.”
BY KIM MIN-SANG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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