On September 21st, the result of the University notification data, which the Jong-lo academy analyzed, shows that Pusan National University (PNU) dropout students’ rate is 4% in the 2021 academic year. This data is the all-time high result, following 3.3% of students who went out the school in 2019 academic year and 2020 academic year. For the first time, the number of recorded dropout students have surpassed four figures (1,098), followed by 949 students in the 2019 academic year and 942 students in the 2020 academic year. These dropout numbers include students who are unregistered, not going back to school, dropping out of school, and those with academic warnings.

The dropout students’ rate has been high for all schools around in Korea. The number of dropout students of four-year universities including general universities, education universities, and industrial universities in the 2021 academic year was 94,326, which accounts for 4.9% of the students enrolled. This is an 0.3% increased result compared to last year, and the total amount and the rate of dropouts are both the most significant numbers since the disclosure of university notifications began in 2008 (2007 academic year). 

Popular universities in the Seoul metropolitan area and regional base national universities were also unable to avoid this. A total of 1,971 (2.6%) students dropped out of school, from Seoul National University (405 students, 1.9%), Korea University (886 students, 3.2%) and Yonsei University (700 students, 2.6%), which is called "SKY" in Korea, and number is the most considerable amount ever recorded amongst these universities. The average dropout rate in 2021 around the 9 regional base national universities, except PNU, was 4.3%, and this result is an increase of 0.6%p compared to 2020.

This issue is analyzed as a phenomenon that students are leaving the school because they were not satisfied with the university life of COVID-19. Jong-lo academy has notified "Channel PNU" in writing that "The classes have been processed through non-face-to-face classes, and this caused students to decline their attachment for school. However, the conditions for preparing for the College Scholastic Ability Test again (non-face-to-face attendance and so on) have been better. The status of the regional base university has been declining more than in the past. Many students are transferring to universities located in Seoul or the medical majors through the College Scholastic Ability Test."

Reporter Kim Min-Sung

Translated by Choi Ye-Won