SKY (universities)

Unofficial grouping and acronym for three universities in South Korea

This article is about South Korean universities. For other uses of "SKY", see Sky (disambiguation).

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "SKY" universities – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

SNU

Yonsei

class=notpageimage|

Locations of 'SKY' universities in Seoul, South Korea

SKY is an unofficial grouping and acronym for the three most prestigious and academically competitive universities located in Seoul, South Korea. It consists of Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University.[1] Students enrolled in Yonsei University prefers to call it as 'Seo-Yeon-Ko' (Korean: 서연고).[2]

The term is widely used in South Korea, both in the media and by the universities themselves.[3][4] Being admitted to one of the SKY universities is frequently seen as important to one's career and social position in the country. [5][6] The acronym also implies that the universities are extremely difficult to get into (i.e., students are reaching for the sky).

## Members

[edit]

Institution  | Type  | Location  | Established  | Academic staff  | Undergraduate enrollment  | Postgraduate enrollment  | Rankings

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

QS World (2025)[7] | ARWU World (2023)[8] | THE World (2023)[9] | THE Asia (2023)[10] | QS Asia (2025)[11]
Seoul National University | Public (National) | Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul | 1946  | 2,278
(2022)[12] | 15,870
(2022)[12] | 12,394
(2022)[12] | 31  | 94  | 56  | 11  | 18
Korea University | Private | Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul | 1905  | 1,511
(2022)[13] | 19,598
(2022)[13] | 9,847
(2022)[13] | 67  | 201–300  | 201–250  | 27  | 13
Yonsei University | Private | Sinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul | 1885  | 1,712
(2022)[14] | 18,200
(2022)[14] | 11,632
(2022)[14] | 56  | 201–300  | 78  | 13  | 9

## History

[edit]

### Seoul National University

[edit]

* 1895: The year when the Beopgwan Yangseongso (Judicial Training Center), the first modern legal training institution in Korea established by King Gojong, was founded. It later became one of the ten schools integrated into Seoul National University, and 1895 is recognized as the university's symbolic founding year.

* August 1946: The official founding year of Seoul National University as a national university under the National Seoul National University Establishment Act.

### Korea University

[edit]

* 1905: Bosung College was established as the first modern private institution of higher education in Korea.
* 1932: Bosung College moved to its current location in Anam-dong, Seoul, expanding its facilities and academic programs.
* 1946 August: "Bosung College" was renamed "Korea University" and became a comprehensive university, expanding into various academic disciplines.

### Yonsei University

[edit]

* 1885: Former Institute of Severance Medical College and Hospital (later part of Yonsei University) was established. First modern hospital and academic institution built in Korea.
* 1915: Yonhi College established
* 1957 January: Severance Medical College and Hospital and Yonhi University merged into Yonsei University

## National recognition

[edit]

In 2010, it was reported that 46.3% of high government officials and 50% of CEOs of major financial industries were graduates of SKY universities.[15] Also, over 60% of the students who passed the 2010 Korean Bar examination were graduates of SKY universities.[16] Being admitted in one of these universities typically requires students to be within the top 1% of the Korean College Scholastic Ability Test[citation needed].

## Concerns

[edit]

There have been a number of SKY university students who have dropped out of school to protest against South Korea's overheated academic elitism.[17]

## In popular culture

[edit]

* SKY Castle, a 2018–2019 JTBC Friday-Saturday prime time drama, explores the employment of coordinators by parents who wish their children to enter one of the three colleges, which sometimes does not come without consequences.

## See also

[edit]

* Korea University–Yonsei University rivalry
* Oxbridge, referring to the UK's oldest universities, Oxford and Cambridge
* Golden triangle, informal grouping of universities in London and southeast England
* Russell Group, a self-selected association of twenty-four public research universities in the United Kingdom
* Ivy League, formal grouping of elite older private universities in the United States
* Big Three, informal term grouping Harvard, Yale, and Princeton
* Big Four, informal term grouping the four most prestigious universities in the Philippines
* TU9, alliance of nine leading Technical Universities in Germany
* Group of Eight, a group of Australia's top research universities
* National Institutes of Technology, 31 leading public engineering universities in India
* Imperial Universities, grouping of elite older universities in Japan
* C9 League, funding schemes for universities in China
* Double First-Class Construction, colloquially known as the Chinese Ivy League

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Asia Times Online :: Korea News and Korean Business and Economy, Pyongyang News". December 4, 2005. Archived from the original on 2005-12-04.
2. ^ 기자, 이강모 (2025-07-13). "'IN SEOUL' 서연고 검정고시 입학생 37% 증가". 전북일보 인터넷신문 (in Korean). Retrieved 2025-07-14.
3. ^ * [1] Archived 2007-12-25 at the Wayback Machine
* [2]
* "- [특목고 진학 열풍]명문대·국가고시 '보증'…'신 귀족층' 통로로 전락 - 드림위즈 뉴스". Archived from the original on 2007-12-25. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
* [3]
* [4]
* [5]
4. ^ * "QS Top Universities: Korean international postgraduate study - a dramatic transformation". Archived from the original on 2008-04-10. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
* [6] Archived 2013-06-22 at the Wayback Machine
* [7] Archived 2015-04-20 at the Wayback Machine
* [8] Archived 2008-04-11 at the Wayback Machine
* [9] Archived 2011-06-08 at the Wayback Machine (articles in English)
5. ^ Sang-Hun, Choe (2008-08-13). "A Taste of Failure Fuels an Appetite for Success at South Korea's Cram Schools". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
6. ^ Online, Asia Time. "Asia Times Online :: Korea News and Korean Business and Economy, Pyongyang News". atimes.com. Archived from the original on 2005-12-04. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
7. ^ "QS World University Rankings 2025". Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
8. ^ "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2023". Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
9. ^ "World University Rankings 2023". 12 October 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
10. ^ "Asia University Rankings 2023". 22 June 2023. Archived from the original on 6 July 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
11. ^ "QS Asia University Rankings 2023". Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
12. ^ a b c "Facts". Seoul National University. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
13. ^ a b c "About KU". Korea University. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
14. ^ a b c "Yonsei at a Glance". Yonsei University. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
15. ^ "금융권 CEO 출신대학..서울대＞고려대＞연세대 順". Naver News. Archived from the original on 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
16. ^ "사법시험 로스쿨 행외시 수험의 동반자". Archived from the original on 2014-01-01. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
17. ^ Kim, Gyeong-su (2011-11-17). 명문대 줄잇는 ‘공개 자퇴’ 왜？. The Financial News (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2014-01-04. Retrieved 2011-11-20.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Jambor, Paul Z, "Why South Korean Universities Have Low International Rankings", Academic Leadership: Volume 7, Issue 1, February 20, 2009
* Jambor, Paul Z, "Why South Korean Universities Have Low International Rankings - Part II: The Student Side of the Equation", Academic Leadership: Volume 7, Issue 3, August 10, 2009
* Park, Chung-a, "Students Hold Anti-Exam Festival", The Korea Times, November 24, 2005, retrieved December 18, 2005

* v
* t
* e

SKY

* Seoul National University
* Korea University
* Yonsei University

* v
* t
* e

Seoul National University

Facilities|

* Gymnasium
* Hospital
* Bundang Hospital
* Kyujanggak
* Library
* Museum
* Museum of Art

People|

* List of Seoul National University people

Related|

* Keijō Imperial University
* Korean Language Education Center
* Seoul National University station
* Seoul National University Hospital massacre
* SKY universities
* TEPS

* v
* t
* e

Korea University

Academics|

* Law School
* Business School
* Liberal Arts
* Life Sciences and Biotechnology
* Political Science and Economics
* Science
* Engineering
* Medicine
* Education
* Nursing
* Information and Communications
* Art and Design
* International Studies
* Media and Communication
* Health Science
* Interdisciplinary Studies
* Graduate School

Research|

* Battelle@KU Laboratory
* Ilmin International Relations Institute
* Center for Information Security Technologies
* Institute of Biotechnology
* Research Institute for Information and Communication Technology
* Korean Language Center

Places|

* Library System
* University Museum
* Medical Center
* LG-POSCO Hall
* Centennial Memorial Samsung Hall
* Dongwon Hall

Athletics|

* Rivalry: Yonsei University

Affiliates|

* Universitas 21
* Association of Pacific Rim Universities
* Asia-Pacific Association for International Education

* Category
* Commons

* v
* t
* e

Yonsei University

Administration

* President: Kim Hanjung

Undergraduate colleges

| Sincheon|

* Business
* Business and Economics
* Dentistry
* Engineering
* Law
* Liberal Arts
* Life Science and Biotechnology
* Medicine
* Music
* Natural Science
* Nursing
* Sciences in Education
* Social Sciences
* Theology
* Underwood International College
* University College

|

Wonju|

* East Asia International College
* Government and Business
* Health Sciences
* Humanities and Arts
* Medicine
* Science and Technology

Graduate schools

* Graduate School
* Business
* Communication and Arts
* Economics
* Education
* Engineering
* Government and Business
* Health and Environment
* Human Environmental Sciences
* Information
* International Studies
* Journalism and Mass Communication
* Law
* Nursing
* Public Administration
* Public Health
* Social Welfare
* Theology

Categories

* Alumni Category

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template