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Pohang University of Science and Technology is a multidisciplinary educational institution. Choose the direction and study program that are perfect for you.
POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) is a private science and technology university in Pohang, founded by POSCO in 1986. It is in the QS top 110 and among Korea's top 5 universities, known for materials science, physics, chemistry and engineering.
Stage | Spring 2027 (for reference) | Fall 2027 |
|---|---|---|
Applications | August 25 — September 2, 2026 (closed) | March–April 2027; guidelines will be posted in January 2027 |
Recommendation letter | by September 3, 2026 | — |
Preliminary decision | November 18, 2026 | — |
Apostilled originals by post | by December 8, 2026 | — |
Final decision | December 17, 2026 | — |
Registration | December 18–22, 2026 | — |
Start of studies | February 22, 2027 | Fall 2027 |
Selection is by documents only: math and science grades, school profile, English, motivation and activities. There is no quota. GED, homeschooling and distance learning are not accepted.
Round | Application | Results | Start |
|---|---|---|---|
Round 2 for Spring 2027 | July 6 — September 11, 2026 (closed) | November 19, 2026 | Spring 2027 |
Round 1 for Fall 2027 | expected late February — early April 2027 (February 24 — April 3 in 2026) | expected early June 2027 | Fall 2027 or Spring 2028 |
The department reviews documents and may hold an online interview or a written test.
Bachelor's: 60,000 KRW or 60 USD, non-refundable.
Master's and PhD: 80,000 KRW or 80 USD, non-refundable; free for graduates of POSTECH partner universities.
The campus is in Pohang, a coastal city in eastern Korea and home to the POSCO steelworks. POSTECH is Korea's first bilingual campus (Korean and English). It has the Pohang Accelerator (Korea's only synchrotron), over 100 research centers, residential colleges, graduate apartments, a daycare center and the Apple Developer Academy. There are 2.9 undergraduates per faculty member, and 97% of students receive a scholarship.
Item | Bachelor's (KRW a year) | Master's and PhD (KRW a year) |
|---|---|---|
Tuition | 5,580,000 (2,790,000 per semester) | 10,608,000 |
Dormitory | about 1,400,000 | 2,246,000 |
NHI health insurance | 951,840 (79,320 a month) | at NHI rates |
Food | about 5,475,000 | — |
Phone | about 360,000 | — |
Matriculation fee | — | 898,000, once |
With scholarships, bachelor's students pay about 2,187,000 KRW a year (about 182,000 KRW a month) after free tuition and the 500,000 KRW monthly allowance.
Bachelor's students live in on-campus residential colleges (RC); master's and PhD students live in graduate dormitories and apartments.
Option | Price (KRW) |
|---|---|
Bachelor's, RC, double room | 175,000 a month, about 700,000 per semester (paid in two installments of 350,000) |
Master's and PhD, dormitory for single students | 2,246,000 a year |
Apartment for single graduate students | 2,232,000 — 5,604,000 a year |
Apartment for married graduate students | 3,108,000 a year |
Apartment deposit | 250,000 — 900,000, once |
All international bachelor's students receive scholarships automatically — no separate application is needed.
Scholarship | What it covers | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
Tuition Scholarship | 100% of tuition (5,580,000 KRW a year) for up to 8 semesters | 1st semester for all; then GPA 3.0/4.3 or higher in the previous semester |
Living Allowance | 500,000 KRW a month, 12 months a year including vacations | All international bachelor's students, no GPA requirement |
Arrival Scholarship | One-way economy airfare and travel within Korea, up to 2,500,000 KRW, once | New students who have not lived in Korea for 6 months before studies |
Pathfinder Voucher | 11,000,000 KRW for personal development | After completing 3 semesters |
Korean Proficiency Scholarship | 300,000 KRW once | For TOPIK level 4 or higher during studies |
Work-Study | Paid on-campus work | By selection during the semester |
GKS (embassy track) | Airfare, 1 year of Korean, tuition and a monthly allowance | Separate competition through the Korean embassy |
Scholarship | What it covers | Duration and conditions |
|---|---|---|
TA/RA (teaching or research assistantship) | Master's: 884,000 KRW a month for tuition plus 966,000 KRW living — 1,850,000 KRW a month in total. PhD: 884,000 + 1,316,000 — 2,200,000 KRW a month; covers tuition, dormitory and living costs | Assigned by the advisor; at least the basic amount in the 1st semester, then based on performance; labs may add more |
Settlement Allowance | Settlement allowance and partial airfare | New international students who have not lived in Korea for 6 months |
Ruth L. Satter Scholarship | 5,000,000 KRW a year | New Asian female international students, 3 a year; master's 1 year, PhD 2 years |
POSCO Global Scholarship | 100% tuition, monthly allowance, 1,000,000 KRW settlement allowance, health insurance, online Korean classes | Citizens of countries on the POSCO TJ Park Foundation list; master's up to 4 semesters, PhD up to 6; apply after admission |
GKS (university track) | Airfare, 1 year of Korean, tuition of 5,000,000 KRW a year and a monthly allowance; master's 2 years, PhD 3 years | Applications in February–March (February 10 — March 25 in 2026) |
K-GKS (Gyeongsangbuk-do) | Airfare, TOPIK support, tuition of 5,000,000 KRW a year, allowance, job support | Must live in the province for 3 years after graduation; 2026 applications ran February 25 — March 25 |
There are no separate quotas or UNT, ORT or EGE requirements — all international applicants compete together and receive scholarships on the same terms. UNT results can be added to a bachelor's application as a supplementary document.
Year | Event |
|---|---|
1986 | Founded in Pohang by the steel company POSCO, modeled on the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) |
1994 | The Pohang Accelerator, Korea's only synchrotron, begins operation |
2002 | 1st in the JoongAng Ilbo ranking of Korean universities (3 years in a row) |
2007 | 1st again in the JoongAng Ilbo ranking |
2009 | The first overseas office opens in Beijing |
2020 | The Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence opens |
2021 | The Department of Semiconductor Engineering is created |
2022 | The Apple Developer Academy opens; agreement with Samsung Electronics |
2023 | Selected for the Glocal University 30 program and ranked 2nd in THE World's Best Small Universities |
2024 | First Korean university to rank 2nd in THE small universities ranking two years running |
2026 | First intake of international bachelor's students in the university's history (Fall 2026) |
Ranking | Publisher | Rank |
|---|---|---|
World University Rankings 2027 | QS | 106 |
World University Rankings 2026 | QS | 102 |
QS 2027, rank in Korea | QS | 5 |
Asian University Rankings | QS | 18 |
World University Rankings 2027 | THE | 143 |
Engineering 2026 | THE | 69 |
Materials Science 2026 | QS by Subject | 26 |
Physics & Astronomy 2026 | QS by Subject | 52 |
Mechanical Engineering 2026 | QS by Subject | 57 |
Chemical Engineering 2026 | QS by Subject | 57 |
Chemistry 2026 | QS by Subject | 58 |
World's Best Small Universities 2024 | THE | 2 |
POSTECH opened its bachelor's program to international students for the first time in Fall 2026. It has about 3,600 students, 62% of them at master's and PhD level. International students are supported by ISSS: visas, orientation and insurance.
