SKY (universities)

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

SKY is an unofficial grouping and acronym for the three most prestigious and academically competitive universities located in Seoul, South Korea. It includes Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University.^[1]

SNU

Yonsei

KU

Locations of 'SKY' universities in Seoul, South Korea

The term is widely used in South Korea, both in the media and by the universities themselves.^[2][3] Being admitted to one of the SKY universities is frequently seen as important to one's career and social position in the country. ^[4][5] The acronym also implies that the universities are extremely difficult to get into (i.e., students are reaching for the sky).

Members

Institution	Type	Location	Established	Academic staff	Undergraduate enrollment	Postgraduate enrollment	Rankings
							QS World (2025)[6]	ARWU World (2023)[7]	THE World (2023)[8]	THE Asia (2023)[9]	QS Asia (2025)[10]
Seoul National University	Public (National)	Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul	1946	2,278 (2022)[11]	15,870 (2022)[11]	12,394 (2022)[11]	31	94	56	11	18
Korea University	Private	Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul	1905	1,511 (2022)[12]	19,598 (2022)[12]	9,847 (2022)[12]	67	201–300	201–250	27	13
Yonsei University	Private	Sinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul	1885	1,712 (2022)[13]	18,200 (2022)[13]	11,632 (2022)[13]	56	201–300	78	13	9

History

Yonsei University

• 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
• 1946 August: "Yonhi College" changed to "Yonhi University"
• 1957 January: Severance Medical College and Hospital and Yonhi University merged into Yonsei University

Seoul National University

• 1895: Former Institute of Seoul National University College of Law was established.
• 1924: Headquarters and preparatory departments of Keijō Imperial University was founded by Japan. This university is the main predecessor to Seoul National University.
• 1926: Three departments (namely the departments of Law, Medical Sciences, and Human Sciences) of Keijō Imperial University were opened by Japan. These were the first official higher education institution during the colonial period. This university was the only university in Korea at the time due to oppression by Japan. The Japanese government did not approve the establishment of any university except Keijō Imperial University.
• 1946 August: Seoul National University founded by merging several Japanese institutions of higher education around Seoul, including Keijō Imperial University

Korea University

• 1905: Bosung College established
• 1946 August: "Bosung College" renamed "Korea University"

National recognition

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.^[14] Also, over 60% of the students who passed the 2010 Korean Bar examination were graduates of SKY universities.^[15] 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

There have been a number of SKY university students who have dropped out of school to protest against South Korea's overheated academic elitism.^[16]

In popular culture

• 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

• 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
• Double First-Class Construction, funding schemes for universities in China

References

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. • Archived 2007-12-25 at the Wayback Machine
   • "- [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. • "QS Top Universities: Korean international postgraduate study - a dramatic transformation". Archived from the original on 2008-04-10. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
   • Archived 2013-06-22 at the Wayback Machine
   • Archived 2015-04-20 at the Wayback Machine
   • Archived 2008-04-11 at the Wayback Machine
   • Archived 2011-06-08 at the Wayback Machine (articles in English)
4. New York Times, "A Taste of Failure Fuels an Appetite for Success at South Korea’s Cram Schools" Archived 2020-11-15 at the Wayback Machine
5. • "Life and death exams in South Korea" by James Card, Asia Times Online, November 30, 2005, retrieved December 18, 2005.
6. "QS World University Rankings 2025". Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
7. "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2023". Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
8. "World University Rankings 2023". 12 October 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
9. "Asia University Rankings 2023". 22 June 2023. Archived from the original on 6 July 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
10. "QS Asia University Rankings 2023". Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
11. "Facts". Seoul National University. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
12. "About KU". Korea University. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
13. "Yonsei at a Glance". Yonsei University. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
14. "금융권 CEO 출신대학..서울대＞고려대＞연세대 順". Naver News. Archived from the original on 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
15. "사법시험 로스쿨 행외시 수험의 동반자". Archived from the original on 2014-01-01. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
16. 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

• 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