Seoul learning programme reports record 914 university acceptances

A Seoul education support programme recorded 914 university acceptances in the 2026 admissions cycle, its highest annual total since launching five years ago. Seoul Learn now has more than 44,000 registered users, up from 9,069 in 2021, according to the city government.

Created to reduce education gaps linked to families’ financial circumstances, the programme provides online learning materials, mentoring and guidance on further education and careers. Participants have secured 2,840 university acceptances since the 2023 admissions cycle.

The results extend beyond admissions. A city-commissioned evaluation found that users’ learning-capability scores rose from 75 in 2022 to 83 in 2025, while learning-attitude scores increased from 75 to 85. Participating high school students’ grades improved by an average of 0.36 of a grade after joining. These figures describe changes among users and do not by themselves establish how much of the improvement was caused by the programme.

Access has also widened. Seoul raised the income threshold for support from 60 percent to 80 percent of median income and added groups including children from larger families, community child-centre users and residents of single-parent family welfare facilities. The city estimates that about 170,000 young people may now qualify, compared with 120,000 previously.