True
Thirteen university departments operated under contract with major companies, including semiconductor employers, posted an average competition rate of 23.48 applicants per opening in the early-admissions round, according to an analysis by private education institute Jongro Academy. The figure highlights the intensity of demand for degree programs that link coursework directly to corporate hiring pipelines as large employers compete to secure engineering talent.
Contract departments are degree programs established under agreements between universities and corporate partners, typically offering scholarships or employment consideration in exchange for post-graduation service commitments. The 13 departments examined in the analysis are tied to large companies, with semiconductor firms among the affiliated employers.
The average ratio of 23.48 to 1 means that, across the group, each available seat drew nearly two dozen applicants in the early-admissions process, the less restrictive of Korea's two main university entry channels. For students aiming at semiconductor and other technology careers, such programs function as a semi-guaranteed route into industry, which has kept applicant volumes high even as overall university admissions competition elsewhere has softened.
The 23.48-to-1 figure originates in a press release issued by Jongro Academy, which tracks admissions data across Korean universities. The release was not posted on the publicly accessible web at the time of review; searches did not surface it, though it was not blocked. The claim was nonetheless checked against a pool of 12 primary sources as part of the verification process.
Following that review, the claim that 13 contract departments affiliated with major companies, including semiconductor employers, recorded an average early-admissions competition rate of 23.48 to 1 is True.
