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SNU leads schools nationwide in 'impactful' alumni

Published: 27 Nov. 2025, 15:23 Updated: 27 Nov. 2025, 15:33

Seoul National University graduates attend their graduation ceremony at the university campus in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, on Feb. 26. [NEWS1]

Seoul National University (SNU), Korea University and Yonsei University claimed the top three spots in the “alumni impact” category of this year’s The JoongAng University Rankings, released on Wednesday.

They were followed by Hanyang University, Sungkyunkwan University, Pusan National University, Chung-Ang University, Kyungpook National University, Kyung Hee University and Ewha Womans University.

The alumni social impact metric was introduced last year to measure universities’ contributions to society by identifying graduates active in major sectors.

This year, the scope of the evaluation was expanded beyond specific professions used previously, encompassing all current professionals who registered information about their undergraduate alma mater in the JoongAng people database. Graduates were categorized by occupation and sorted by politics, law, the economy and business, academia and the arts.

SNU produced the largest number of socially influential graduates, totaling 22,034. In academics, including professors and researchers, it had 9,739 graduates, more than three times the 2,889 from second-ranked Yonsei University.

Korea University had 3,027 graduates in the legal field, including lawyers, judges and prosecutors, the second-highest after SNU. In politics and administration, which includes members of the National Assembly and high-ranking public officials, Korea University ranked second with 331 graduates.

In politics and administration, regional national universities were also fairly represented. Kyungpook National University had 129 graduates in this sector, ranking fourth after SNU, Korea University and Yonsei University, while Pusan National University and Chonnam National University each had 72, tying for eighth place.

In the legal field, Pusan National University ranked seventh with 416 graduates, Kyungpook National University eighth with 396, and Chonnam National University tenth with 277. Among regional private universities, Yeungnam University in North Gyeongsang Province had 59 graduates active in the politics and administration sector, ranking 13th among evaluated universities, and Dong-A University had 45, ranking 17th.

In the economy and business sector, universities with strengths in engineering and industry stood out. Sogang University, strong in business studies, ranked eighth with 684 graduates, and Inha University, which has produced many engineering-trained CEOs, ranked tenth at 569.

In the arts sector, universities with respected art and media departments performed strongly. Hongik University ranked second with 690 graduates in arts, and regionally, Chosun University, known for its College of Art and Design, ranked ninth. Dongguk University was placed 12th with 94 graduates, Dankook University at 13th with 83 graduates and Keimyung University at 18th with 59 graduates, were also among the top 20, reflecting strengths in film, performance and design.

Evaluation criteria

Now in its 33rd year, The JoongAng University Rankings has refined its indicators based on its expertise as Korea's comprehensive university evaluation framework.

This year, the rankings expanded the scope of the alumni impact on society metric, part of the student output indicator, using the JoongAng Ilbo's biographical database.

Unlike The JoongAng University Rankings by Subject released on Tuesday, the comprehensive ranking examines university reputation through a survey of 2,400 corporate hiring managers, high school teachers who handle admissions, parents and high school students. This year’s survey added questions on universities' social contributions and the potential for future contributions, aiming to evaluate universities’ societal responsibilities and long-term impact.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE HOO-YEON, HEO JEONG-WON AND OH SAM-GWON [[email protected]]