SKY (universities) explained
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]
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 |
---|
data-sort-type="number" width="12%" | QS World (2025)[6] | data-sort-type="number" width="12%" | ARWU World (2023)[7] | data-sort-type="number" width="12%" | THE World (2023)[8] | data-sort-type="number" width="12%" | THE Asia (2023)[9] | data-sort-type="number" width="12%" | QS Asia (2023)[10] |
---|
Seoul National University | Public (National) | Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul | 1946 | 2,278 (2022)[11] | 15,870 (2022) | 12,394 (2022) | 31 | 94 | 56 | 11 | 17 |
Korea University | Private | Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul | 1905 | 1,511 (2022)[12] | 19,598 (2022) | 9,847 (2022) | 67 | 201–300 | 201–250 | 27 | 15 |
Yonsei University | Private | Sinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul | 1885 | 1,712 (2022)[13] | 18,200 (2022) | 11,632 (2022) | 56 | 201–300 | 78 | 13 | 12 | |
History
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
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.
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
- Web site: Asia Times Online :: Korea News and Korean Business and Economy, Pyongyang News. December 4, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20051204085223/http://atimes.com/atimes/Korea/GK30Dg01.html. 2005-12-04.
-
-
- New York Times, "A Taste of Failure Fuels an Appetite for Success at South Korea’s Cram Schools" https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/world/asia/13cram.html
-
- Web site: QS World University Rankings 2025 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240606215337/https://www.qschina.cn/en/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2025 . 6 June 2024 . 9 June 2024.
- Web site: Academic Ranking of World Universities 2023 . 16 August 2023 . 29 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230829174229/https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2023 . live .
- Web site: World University Rankings 2023 . 12 October 2022 . 14 October 2022 . 25 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230225204846/https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2023/world-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats . live .
- Web site: Asia University Rankings 2023 . 22 June 2023 . 27 June 2023 . 6 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230706230752/https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2023/regional-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats . live .
- Web site: QS Asia University Rankings 2023 . 9 November 2022 . 26 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230326031007/https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/asia-university-rankings/2023 . live .
- Web site: Facts . Seoul National University . June 28, 2023 . February 27, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200227131910/http://en.snu.ac.kr/facts . live .
- Web site: About KU . . June 28, 2023 . May 8, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210508155559/http://www.korea.ac.kr/mbshome/mbs/en/subview.do?id=en_010106000000 . live .
- Web site: Yonsei at a Glance . Yonsei University . June 28, 2023 . November 28, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221128154512/https://www.yonsei.ac.kr/en_sc/intro/status1.jsp . live .
- Web site: 금융권 CEO 출신대학..서울대>고려대>연세대 順. Naver News. 2013-08-11. 2019-10-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20191013112109/https://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=101&oid=013&aid=0002007480. live.
- Web site: 사법시험 로스쿨 행외시 수험의 동반자. 2013-08-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140101231836/http://news.lec.co.kr/gisaView/detailView.html?menu_code=10&gisaCode=L001012006090001&tblName=tblNews . 2014-01-01 .
- News: Kim . Gyeong-su . ko:명문대 줄잇는 ‘공개 자퇴’ 왜? . 2011-11-17 . http://www.fnnews.com/view?ra=Sent1501m_View&corp=fnnews&arcid=0922468861&cDateYear=2011&cDateMonth=11&cDateDay=17 . . 2011-11-20 . Korean . 2014-01-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140104185657/http://www.fnnews.com/view?ra=Sent1501m_View&corp=fnnews&arcid=0922468861&cDateYear=2011&cDateMonth=11&cDateDay=17 . live .
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