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Top Public Universities in Korea

What are the top public Universities in Korea? uniRank answers this question by publishing a complete list of 43 public South Korean higher education institutions ranked by the 2026 uniRank University Ranking and meeting uniRank's :

  • Official Recognition: institutions must be officialy chartered, licensed or accredited by the appropriate higher education-related organization in Korea.
  • Degree Authority: they must be authorised to grant bachelor's degrees of at least three years' duration and/or postgraduate master's or doctoral degrees.
  • Delivery Mode: they must deliver courses predominantly in a traditional, face-to-face, non-distance education format.

The uniRank University Ranking aims to provide a non-academic league table of the top public South Korean Universities based on valid and unbiased web metrics provided by independent web intelligence sources rather than data submitted by the Universities themselves, which might not be independently audited.

Top Public Universities in Korea


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List of South Korean public universities by university country ranking position
# University Town/City
1 Seoul National University Seoul
2 KAIST Daejeon
8 Kyungpook National University Daegu
11 Pusan National University Busan
16 Kangwon National University Chuncheon
17 University of Seoul Seoul
20 Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology Eonyang
25 Chonnam National University Gwangju
26 Chungnam National University Daejeon
29 Pukyong National University Busan
32 Jeonbuk National University Jeonju
34 Gyeongsang National University Jinju
35 University of Incheon Incheon
36 Chungbuk National University Cheongju
40 Kongju National University Gongju
47 Seoul National University of Science and Technology Seoul
52 Jeju National University Jeju
53 Changwon National University Changwon
66 Sunchon National University Suncheon
69 Mokpo National University Muan
70 Kunsan National University Gunsan
71 Kumoh National University of Technology Gumi
76 Korea Maritime and Ocean University Busan
78 Korean National University of Arts Seoul
79 Hanbat National University Daejeon
81 Korea National University of Transportation Chungju
92 Korea National University of Education Cheongju
93 University of Science and Technology Korea Daejeon
94 Gangneung-Wonju National University Gangneung
105 Kyungkuk National University Andong
117 Hankyong National University Anseong
128 Seoul National University of Education Seoul
132 Korea National Sport University Seoul
134 Mokpo National Maritime University Mokpo
135 Gyeongin National University of Education Incheon
137 Busan National University of Education Yeonje
142 Daegu National University of Education Daegu
154 Gongju National University of Education Gongju
155 Cheongju National University of Education Cheongju
156 Gwangju National University of Education Gwangju
158 Chinju National University of Education Jinju
165 Chuncheon National University of Education Chuncheon
168 Jeonju National University of Education Jeonju
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Source: uniRank data

Frequently Asked Questions

How many public universities are there in Korea?

There are 43 officially chartered, licensed or accredited public South Korean higher-education institutions that meet uniRank's selection criteria.

Related South Korean University Lists

Since 2005, uniRank has provided original research, valuable information and useful resources to help you explore and make informed decisions about the best public South Korean universities and their online presence. Check out these additional resources:


Related South Korean University Resources

Since 2005, uniRank has provided original research, valuable information and resources to help you explore and make informed decisions about South Korean universities and their online presence.