Bachelor's in Korea without GKS: requirements and deadlines

The GKS scholarship is not the only way to study in Korea. Most international students start a bachelor's degree at their own expense, through a separate admission track for foreigners (외국인 특별전형). You do not compete with Korean school leavers, and many universities do not cap the number of places: Korea University and Ewha say plainly in their guides that there is no quota per major.

This track has its own rules, though, and they are easy to get wrong, starting with the deadlines. We go through them using the universities' own admission guides.

Who can apply

There are three requirements: nationality, school and language. Language gets its own section below; the other two are simpler.

Nationality. You and both of your parents must be foreign nationals. Dual nationality that includes Korean does not count, for your parents either. That is why you submit copies of both parents' passports and a document proving your relationship to them, usually a birth certificate.

School. You need a completed high school diploma. Korea University and Ewha say directly that they do not accept a GED, homeschooling or online schooling.

If your country's school system is shorter than 12 years, as in Russia and several other post-Soviet countries, read this carefully. Korea University asks for education "equivalent to Grades 1 to 12 in the Korean education system". Under Korean law, however, a student who completed their entire schooling in one country is treated as equal to a Korean high school graduate, even if that system is shorter than 12 years. The rule does not apply if you studied in schools in more than one country: then your schooling must add up to 12 years, as Sejong states explicitly. The final decision is the university's, so if your case is unusual, ask the admissions office before you apply.

Age. None of the guides we read sets an age limit. GKS does: for the 2027 undergraduate call, applicants must be born on or after 1 March 2002. See how to apply for the GKS scholarship 2027.

When to apply: earlier than you think

The Korean academic year starts in March, the second semester in September, and universities admit students for both. The main trap is timing. For a March start you apply in the summer or autumn of the year before, and the top Seoul universities take applications as early as July.

This is how the spring 2027 intake looked:

Some universities take applications in two rounds. For spring 2026, Konkuk accepted them on 4–11 September and 6–20 November 2025.

For a September start you apply in the spring of the same year. For fall 2026, Korea University took applications from 2 to 27 March, and Sejong in two rounds: 9–24 March and 27 April – 15 May.

The simple conclusion: decide on a spring start almost a year ahead. By the time you apply, you should already have a language certificate and authenticated documents. More on both below.

How much Korean you need

There is no single standard, but Korean-taught programs most often ask for TOPIK level 3. Beyond that, universities differ.

• Sejong: TOPIK 3 for most majors, TOPIK 4 for Korean language and literature, media and business administration, TOPIK 2 for creative, arts and sports majors.
• Korea University: from spring 2027 it has dropped its own online Korean test. You now need an official document: TOPIK, a certificate from a language institute at an accredited university, the intermediate level of the King Sejong Institute, or an English score (TOEFL, IELTS).
• Ewha: no language requirement for freshmen. Instead, almost all freshmen spend their first year in a general education college, which includes Korean, and can enter their major only with TOPIK 3.

Your level decides more than admission; it shapes your first year. At Korea University:

One more rule: you need TOPIK 4 to graduate. That is the case at Ewha and at Sejong, where TOPIK 3 is enough for creative and arts majors. At Ewha it applies to students admitted with English too.

TOPIK results are valid for two years: Korea University will not accept a score that is more than two years old on the day you apply. If you have no Korean yet, there are two routes. The first is a university language program, covered in Korean language programs at Korean universities. The second is an English-taught program.

English-taught programs

There are fewer of them than Korean-taught ones, but most large universities have some. The English requirements look like this:

• Sejong: IELTS 5.5 or TOEFL iBT 71 for international affairs, business, economics, computer science, media and several other majors;
• Ewha: IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 80 for international studies, where all major courses are taught in English;
• Yonsei: a separate college, Underwood International College, with its own admission round.

At Ewha, even an English-taught major includes some compulsory general courses taught in Korean, and the TOPIK 4 graduation rule is waived only for the Division of International Studies. Daily life without Korean is hard too, so you will end up learning it anyway.

Documents

The list is much the same from one university to the next:

• the online application form and a photo;
• a personal statement, usually typed into the form;
• your high school diploma and transcripts for all high school years;
• a language certificate;
• copies of your passport and both parents' passports;
• a document proving your relationship to your parents, such as a birth certificate;
• a bank statement, requested either with the application or only after admission.

Your diploma and transcripts need an apostille. Most countries belong to the Apostille Convention; if yours does not, you need consular authentication from the Korean embassy instead. Documents in a language other than Korean or English must come with a notarized translation.

You first upload everything as scans. The authenticated originals go by post, usually after preliminary admission, and the deadline is strict. Ewha warns that a delay in getting an apostille is not accepted as a reason and no extension will be given. So get the apostille before you apply.

Money in the bank. Ewha, Korea University and Sejong ask you to show at least ₩20,000,000; Sejong also accepts $16,000. The statement must be recent: at Sejong, issued no more than 30 days before your visa application, with the money kept in the account until the semester starts. The university needs it to issue your certificate of admission, and you need that for a D-2 student visa. How the visa works is covered in Korean student visa: D-2 vs D-4.

How applicants are selected

There is usually no exam: the decision is made on your documents. Universities look at grades, language, readiness for the major, motivation and achievements. Arts majors may have auditions. If something is unclear, the university may invite you to an online interview.

Two rules people discover too late:

• One major per application. At Ewha and Korea University, once the fee is paid you cannot change the major or withdraw the application.
• No studying at two universities at once. If you are already a student at home, you must withdraw before the Korean semester starts. Ewha says so in its guide, and it revokes admission for breaking the rule.

What it costs

The application fee at Ewha, Korea University and Sejong is ₩150,000; Korea University charges ₩200,000 for art and design.

Tuition is charged per semester, and in Seoul it is higher than national averages suggest:

That comes to ₩9,000,000–₩13,000,000 a year. The national average of about ₩6,820,000 a year is much lower because it includes regional and public universities, which are cheaper. The full budget, housing included, is in the cost of studying and living in Korea.

University scholarships bring the price down, and good Korean pays off directly. Ewha waives half of the first semester's tuition for TOPIK 5 submitted with the application and all of it for TOPIK 6. Korea University waives half or all of the tuition for the first four semesters for its strongest admits.

If it does not work out straight away

• Your Korean is not there yet. A year at a university language program is the most common route. Some universities, Korea University among them, accept a level completed at a language institute instead of TOPIK. Sejong also runs a prep course for applicants who fall short on language.
• You are already at university. After two years of study you can apply to transfer into the third year (편입). At Ewha you need at least half of the credits required to graduate at your current university.
• You want to study for free. Then look at GKS: what it covers and how selection works and Embassy Track vs University Track. Check the university against the IEQAS lists too: they decide how easily you get a visa.

How to plan

When we checked the dates, at the end of September 2026, most Seoul universities had already closed applications for March 2027. If you are starting now, a realistic target is September 2027 or March 2028. In order:

• pick 3–5 universities and check them against the IEQAS lists;
• download their latest admission guides and write down the dates;
• take TOPIK or an English test early enough for the result to arrive before you apply;
• get the apostille on your diploma and transcripts, and the translations done;
• prepare the bank statement, checking the amount and issue date against the guide;
• write a personal statement for each major.

If you would like support along the way, leave a request. We will help you choose universities that fit your profile, put the documents together and keep to the deadlines.

Sources

• Ewha Womans University: admission guide for international applicants, spring 2027
• Korea University: undergraduate application guide for international students, fall 2026
• Sejong University: undergraduate admission guide for international students, fall 2026
• Hanyang University: admission guide for international students, spring 2027 (in Korean)
• Konkuk University: admission guidelines for international students, spring 2026
• SNU: spring 2027 undergraduate admissions for international students
• Korea JoongAng Daily: spring 2027 admissions for international students
• Embassy of the Republic of Korea: recognition of school systems shorter than 12 years