Number of International Students in Korea 2026 Hits 307,464: Basic Education Statistics by Nationality and Program Show Vietnam Overtaking China, Nepal Surging

The number of international students enrolled at higher education institutions in Korea stood at 307,464 as of April 1, 2026, up 54,030 (21.3%) from 253,434 a year earlier. The figures come from the 2026 Basic Education Statistics released on August 26, 2026, by the Ministry of Education and the Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI). By nationality, Vietnam, with 96,834 students, overtook China (78,890). In 2025, China had 76,541 students, more than Vietnam (75,144).

Breaking down the foreign student tables in the Basic Education Statistics (by program and by country of origin) gives a more detailed picture of international students in Korea in 2026. The differences between degree and non-degree programs, shifts in the nationality rankings, the surge in students from Nepal and the trend from 2010 through 2026 all show up directly in the numbers.

International students top 300,000, up 54,000 in a year

2026 is the first year the number of international students has exceeded 300,000. The figure rose sharply for a second straight year, from 208,962 in 2024 to 253,434 in 2025 and 307,464 in 2026.

Korea had 416 higher education institutions in 2026, five fewer than a year earlier. Total enrollment rose 1.8% to 3,072,261.

Students from Asian countries numbered 283,138, or 92.1% of all international students, compared with 91.8% in 2025. The top five countries, calculated after excluding 'Other' from the total (Vietnam, China, Uzbekistan, Nepal and Mongolia), together accounted for 233,907 students, or 76.1% of the total.

220,000 in degree programs: associate and bachelor's up, doctoral down

International students in degree programs numbered 223,191, up 44,001 (24.6%) from 179,190 a year earlier. Their share of all international students rose to 72.6% from 70.7% in 2025. International degree students make up 7.3% of total enrollment at higher education institutions (3,072,261).

By level, the size of the increase varied widely.

• Associate and bachelor's: 155,778, up 35,628 (29.7%) from 120,150 a year earlier.
• Master's: 51,106, up 9,828 (23.8%) from 41,278 a year earlier.
• Doctoral: 16,307, down 1,455 (8.2%) from 17,762 a year earlier.

International doctoral students declined for a second straight year, from 18,294 in 2024 to 17,762 in 2025 and 16,307 in 2026. Doctoral programs were the only degree level to shrink. The associate and bachelor's figure also includes junior college students, so four-year bachelor's programs cannot be broken out separately.

84,000 in non-degree programs: language trainees and other trainees

International students in non-degree programs numbered 84,273, up 10,029 (13.5%) from 74,244 a year earlier. Their share fell to 27.4% from 29.3% in 2025, because degree programs grew faster.

Non-degree programs are divided into language trainees and other trainees. Language trainees numbered 63,270, up 7.7%. Other trainees, a category that groups exchange students, visiting students, students in jointly operated programs and others, rose 35.7% to 21,003. Non-degree programs should therefore not be treated as another term for 'language trainees.'

Vietnam overtakes China for first place overall

The 2026 ranking by nationality was Vietnam with 96,834 (31.5%), China with 78,890 (25.7%), Uzbekistan with 20,876 (6.8%), Nepal with 20,118 (6.5%) and Mongolia with 17,189 (5.6%). All other countries combined, grouped as 'Other,' totaled 73,557 (23.9%).

The rankings changed in two places over the year. First and second place went from China and Vietnam to Vietnam and China, and fourth and fifth from Mongolia and Nepal to Nepal and Mongolia.

• Vietnam: 75,144 → 96,834, up 21,690 (28.9%)
• China: 76,541 → 78,890, up 2,349 (3.1%)
• Uzbekistan: 15,786 → 20,876, up 5,090 (32.2%)
• Nepal: 12,784 → 20,118, up 7,334 (57.4%)
• Mongolia: 15,270 → 17,189, up 1,919 (12.6%)

Of the overall increase of 54,030, Vietnamese students accounted for 21,690. The number of Chinese students also rose, by 2,349, but its growth rate of 3.1% was the lowest among the top five. The country with the smallest increase in headcount was Mongolia (1,919).

China still first in degree programs, Vietnam up 41.9%

The picture changes when the figures are broken down by program. In degree programs, China ranks first with 70,856 (31.7%), and Vietnam is second with 58,007 (26.0%). Over the year, however, Vietnam grew 41.9% (17,142), far faster than China's 4.1% (2,811). China's share of degree students fell from 38.0% in 2025 to 31.7% in 2026.

In non-degree programs, Vietnam accounted for 38,827 students, or 46.1%. Close to half of all international non-degree students are Vietnamese. Their number rose by 4,548 (13.3%) from a year earlier. Second-place China had 8,034 (9.5%), down from 8,496 in 2025. Myanmar ranks fourth in non-degree programs with 4,125 (4.9%).

Vietnam's 96,834 students consist of 58,007 in degree programs and 38,827 in non-degree programs. China's 78,890 students comprise 70,856 in degree programs and 8,034 in non-degree programs. The program mix of students from the two countries differs markedly.

Table 1. Top 5 countries of origin by program (unit: persons; figures in parentheses are % share within each program)

Myanmar and Japan are grouped under 'Other' in the overall and degree-program tables, so their individual figures are not shown there. Individual figures for countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India do not appear in this press release or its attached tables.

Nepal: from 2,975 in 2023 to 20,118 in 2026

Nepal stands out for the speed of its growth. There were 2,975 Nepali students in 2023. The number then rose sharply every year, to 6,135 in 2024, 12,784 in 2025 and 20,118 in 2026. Growth from 2025 to 2026 was 57.4%, the highest among the top five.

Nepal's share of the total also rose from 1.6% in 2023 to 6.5% in 2026. As a result, Nepal passed Mongolia in 2026 to rank fourth, and its gap with third-place Uzbekistan (20,876) is not large. Most Nepali students are in degree programs. In 2026, 19,445 Nepali students were in degree programs, fourth among degree students. By calculation, 96.7% of Nepali students are in degree programs.

Long-term trend 2010–2026: from China-centered to multinational

The long-term trend makes the change even clearer. There were 83,842 international students in 2010. The number reached 91,332 in 2015 and 153,695 in 2020 before hitting 307,464 in 2026.

The number did not rise every year, however. There were periods of decline along the way; one example is the drop from 160,165 in 2019 to 153,695 in 2020 and 152,281 in 2021. Over 2019–2021, degree programs actually grew, from 100,215 in 2019 to 120,018 in 2021. The decline came in non-degree programs, which fell from 59,950 in 2019 to 32,263 in 2021; within that, language trainees dropped from 44,756 to 23,442. The total began rising again from 2022.

The nationality mix also changed significantly. In 2010, there were 59,490 Chinese students, 71.0% of the total. In 2026, the number of Chinese students was higher, at 78,890, but their share fell to 25.7%. Over the same period, Vietnamese students grew from 1,919 (2.3%) to 96,834 (31.5%).

Table 2. Long-term trend in international student numbers (unit: persons; as of April 1 each year)

Figures by nationality combine degree and non-degree programs. The years 2011–2014 and 2016–2019 are left out of the table entirely, because the Ministry of Education's attached tables do not include figures by nationality for those years.

How to read the numbers: counting criteria and differences from Ministry of Justice statistics

When looking at the number of international students in the Basic Education Statistics, it is important to understand how they are counted.

• Reference date. April 1 each year. The survey is a full census in which higher education institutions enter their data directly with KEDI, and the results are published every August.
• Coverage. Students enrolled at higher education institutions in Korea. Degree students at universities, junior colleges, graduate schools, cyber universities, open universities and similar institutions are counted together with non-degree students such as language trainees and other trainees. Students at private language academies that are not higher education institutions are not included.
• Nationality. Figures by country of origin include overseas Koreans from that country.
• Asia. The number of students from Asian countries, excluding South Korea and North Korea.
• Rounding. Percentages are rounded individually, so the sum of sub-items may differ from 100.

The Ministry of Justice also publishes its own international student statistics. The two sets of statistics differ from the very basis on which international students are counted. The Ministry of Justice's analysis "International Students Explained Through Data," released on September 4, 2026, counted international students based on the student visa (D-2) status of stay. The Basic Education Statistics count anyone with foreign nationality as an international student, regardless of status of stay. In that analysis, the Ministry of Justice explained that its count of international students may differ from the Basic Education Statistics because of the difference in criteria.

The Ministry of Justice's monthly immigration and foreigner policy statistics are compiled as of the last day of each month. They count foreigners holding any student visa (D-2) status, as well as Korean language training (D-4-1) and foreign language training (D-4-7) status, as 'international students.' The remaining sub-categories of general training (D-4) are not included. The Ministry of Education's statistics are as of April 1, so the reference dates differ as well. The two sets of statistics should not be compared as if they were the same figures.

If you are preparing to study in Korea, use the numbers above as reference material showing which countries' students come in large numbers for which programs. To choose a school, see How to find Korean universities that accept international students; if you are weighing whether to start with language training or a degree program, see Language training (D-4) vs. going straight to a degree program (D-2). Visa procedures after admission are covered in the guide to applying for a D-2 student visa after admission.

--- The number of international students and the figures by nationality and program are based on the Ministry of Education and KEDI's 2026 Basic Education Statistics (as of April 1, 2026, released August 26, 2026) and 2025 Basic Education Statistics.