The decline in undergraduate enrollment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs at Korean universities is accelerating. As the school-age population continues to shrink due to low birth rates, projections suggest that STEM graduate student numbers will also decrease over the medium to long term.
The Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI) on Monday released Issue No. 60 of its "Science and Technology Policy Brief" containing these findings. The report analyzed trends in STEM graduate student numbers over the past five years and presented future projections and policy directions.
According to an analysis of higher education statistics, the number of STEM undergraduate students fell from 898,047 in 2024 to 888,627 in 2025. The year 2024 marked the first time STEM undergraduate enrollment dropped below the 900,000 threshold. The average annual decline rate from 2021 to 2025 was 1.1%, widening from the 0.3% average annual decline recorded during the preceding five-year period of 2016 to 2020.
In contrast, the number of STEM graduate students rose from 87,642 in 2021 to 101,293 in 2025, surpassing 100,000 for the first time. The average annual growth rate over the past five years was 3.7%. Master's program enrollment, which had declined by an annual average of 1.3% from 2016 to 2020, rebounded to an annual average increase of 4.9% from 2021 to 2025, driving the overall growth.
The expansion of national research and development (R&D) funding and the creation and expansion of support programs for STEM graduate students were cited as key factors behind the increase in graduate enrollment. Growing labor market demand for developers and other tech professionals boosted demand for STEM graduate programs, and a rise in international students also contributed, the report found.
STEPI had previously projected that STEM graduate student numbers would begin declining around 2025 due to the shrinking school-age population, but revised the timeline later to reflect the recent upward trend. According to the latest projections, master's program enrollment is likely to shift to a decline after 2027, while doctoral program enrollment is expected to follow after 2030. By 2050, the total number of STEM graduate students is projected to shrink to approximately 60% of current levels.
STEPI noted that given the population decline trend, restructuring of uncompetitive universities can no longer be postponed. The institute called for a policy shift away from simply increasing the volume of talent produced, toward expanding quality employment opportunities and strengthening the matching of talent supply and demand. "University R&D expansion has been a key driver of graduate student growth, so going forward, policy efforts should focus on considering and improving the employment environment for the talent actually produced, rather than simply producing more graduates," said Lee Hye-sun, a research fellow at STEPI.