South Korea now hosts 307,464 international students, clearing a 300,000 target two years before its 2027 deadline and confirming how sharply the global market for higher education has tilted toward Asia.
The Ministry of Education in Seoul launched the Study Korea 300K project in 2023, when roughly 182,000 foreign students were enrolled in the country. Hitting the goal early amounts to growth of about 70% in three years, and officials are now redirecting the policy away from recruitment volume and toward graduate quality.
Seoul Reaches Its 300,000 Student Target Two Years Early
Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said the government will "focus on attracting and fostering outstanding talent so that international students can use their studies and experiences in Korea to play active roles both in our society and around the world," The Korea Herald reported.
The ministry is lifting the share of recruits required to meet Korean language standards from 40% this year to 60% by 2030, and will issue a standard contract for overseas recruitment agencies in October. Employment outcomes are improving but remain modest: 4,993 of 14,966 eligible graduates found work in South Korea in 2024, a rate of 33.4%, up from 21.7% a year earlier.
Seoul Ends London's Six Year Run In QS Ranking
The shift shows up in the league tables as well. Seoul placed first in the QS Best Student Cities 2026 ranking, ahead of Tokyo, London, Munich and Melbourne, ending six consecutive years in which London held the top spot. QS attributed Seoul's rise in part to an improved affordability score, and warned that weak affordability in the traditional destinations risks pushing international students outside the big four study markets altogether.
Europe's Room Rents Split Between Old And New Hubs
Cost is doing much of the sorting. Average room rents across 25 European cities fell 4.6% in the year to the second quarter of 2026, according to the HousingAnywhere International Rent Index, but the decline was far from uniform. Amsterdam rose 10.6%, Prague 8.9% and Barcelona 8.3%, while Paris fell 4.0%.
The Financial Times reported in September that students priced out of London, Paris and New York are increasingly choosing Seoul, Lisbon and Prague, where rents, visa routes and post study work rules are more forgiving. Fanta Aw, executive director of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, told the newspaper that influencers and video creators now shape how students picture a city, but may be paid to promote particular destinations, leaving applicants unable to separate marketing from fact.
Taiwan Nears Its Pre Pandemic Foreign Student Peak
Taiwan is competing in the same market. Foreign enrollment reached 123,188 in the 2024 academic year, a fourth consecutive annual rise and about 96% of the 128,157 recorded in 2019, Taiwan's Ministry of Education said in figures reported by the Central News Agency. Vietnam remains the largest single source of students, with 52,974 enrolled in 2025.
The island's pitch rests on the same arithmetic drawing students to Seoul and Lisbon: tuition and living costs well below Japan, South Korea or the English speaking markets, paired with access to a semiconductor industry few competitors can match. （Related： Exclusive | Taiwan Must Arm Faster, Says Former UK Defense Chief ｜ Latest ）
