A total of 144 students who were accepted to contract programs at Korea University and Yonsei University—which guarantee employment at Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix upon graduation—declined to enroll, according to data released Monday.
The figure represents a 39.8% increase from 103 students last year, according to Jongno Academy's analysis of 2026 academic year admissions. The exodus comes despite the semiconductor industry posting record profits amid an AI-driven supercycle and companies paying out bonuses exceeding 100 million won.
By company affiliation, 74 students declined Samsung Electronics-linked programs, 37 declined SK Hynix programs, 27 declined Hyundai Motor programs, and 6 declined LG Display programs. Yonsei University's System Semiconductor Engineering department saw 27 of 32 admitted students—84.4%—decline enrollment.
Industry observers called the trend "unprecedented."
"Students are looking at market conditions at graduation, not the current business cycle," one admissions expert said. "There's a growing tendency to make more versatile choices given uncertainty in industry cycles."
Students Prioritize Long-term Stability Over Current Boom
Contract programs effectively determine students' career paths upon enrollment, guaranteeing employment at partner companies after graduation. However, uncertainty about whether the current boom will persist four years from now appears to be influencing decisions.
Most students who declined are believed to have enrolled at Seoul National University or medical, dental, oriental medicine, and pharmacy programs, according to Jongno Academy.
"If they went to Seoul National University, they prioritized university brand value. If they chose medical fields, they chose job security," the academy explained.
Medical School Preference Already Evident in First Waitlist Results
Seoul National University and Yonsei University's first waitlist announcements showed similar patterns.
At Seoul National University, 107 of 1,408 admitted students (7.6%) declined enrollment. Natural science dropouts numbered 86, still higher than 76 in the 2024 academic year before medical school quota expansion. Dropouts occurred in electrical and computer engineering, forest sciences, and nursing. No students declined enrollment in the medical program.
At Yonsei University, 435 of 1,685 admitted students (25.8%) declined enrollment. Major dropouts in natural sciences included electrical and electronic engineering (48), system semiconductor engineering (27), and advanced computing (26). The LG Display contract program also lost more than half its admitted students.
Medical program dropouts at Yonsei rose to 18, attributed to overlapping acceptances with Seoul National University's medical school and other top programs.
"Dropouts from Seoul National University and Yonsei natural science programs decreased slightly from last year, but preference for medical schools remains strong," said Lim Sung-ho, CEO of Jongno Academy. "When students are accepted to both medical school and major corporate contract programs, almost all choose medical school."