13 corporate-linked programs at major universities recieve highest number of applications
Contract majors affiliated with major conglomerates such as Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and Hyundai Motor drew nearly 9,000 applicants in the 2027 early admissions cycle, marking the highest number on record.
According to Jongno Academy, a private education institute, on Tuesday, 13 contract majors affiliated with seven major companies received a combined 8,994 applications for 383 available spots, an 18.2 percent increase from a year earlier.
The most competitive program was Sogang University’s Department of System Semiconductor Engineering, affiliated with SK hynix, which drew 1,323 applicants for 20 spots, for a competition rate of 66.15 to 1.
A semiconductor-related major backed by Samsung Electronics at Sungkyunkwan University followed, with 36.84 applicants per spot.
The surge reflects a growing preference among top STEM students for majors that offer guaranteed employment at large conglomerates after graduation, as the job market weakens.
Lim Sung-ho, CEO of Jongno Academy, explained that the popularity of individual corporate-backed programs reflects college applicants’ perceptions of current industry and corporate performance trends.
"Preferences are clearly rising for chips, smart home appliances, automobiles and information security, while battery and telecommunications majors are seeing the opposite trend," Lim said.
The institute's data showed that applications to semiconductor-related majors rose 19.4 percent, while information and automotive majors grew 15.1 percent and 10.3 percent, respectively.
Battery-related majors, on the other hand, saw applications plunge 36.2 percent, telecommunications fell 11 percent, and artificial intelligence and display majors dipped 2.7 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively.
seoy@heraldcorp.com
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