The popularity of semiconductor contract programs—which guarantee employment at Samsung Electronics and SK hynix upon graduation—is surging. In this year's admissions, their cutoff scores have risen to the level of oriental medicine schools, with the admissions industry even forecasting they could surpass pharmacy schools.
According to preliminary scoring results from the June mock test for the 2027 academic year College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), analyzed by Megastudy Education, the qualifying score for semiconductor contract programs was tallied at 288 points or higher, combining the Korean language, mathematics, and exploration sections, the company said Sunday.
This is on par with oriental medicine schools, the top-tier programs in the natural sciences track. By the same standard, medical schools required 292 points, dental schools 290 points, and pharmacy schools 286 points.
The admissions industry believes that if this trend continues, the cutoff for semiconductor contract programs in the 2027 college admissions could be similar to that of oriental medicine schools or higher than pharmacy schools.
Semiconductor contract programs established at Yonsei University, Korea University, Hanyang University, and Sogang University are characterized by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix supporting the curriculum and linking it to employment after graduation. Until now, their cutoffs were typically lower than those of medical, dental, oriental medicine, and pharmacy programs, but the mood has recently changed.
Behind this is the strong performance of the semiconductor industry. As Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have recently paid large performance bonuses and high salaries, interest among test-takers and parents who prefer stable, high-income jobs has grown significantly.
In particular, unlike the medical field, where practitioners face fierce competition after opening their own practices, the ability to land a job at a major company immediately upon graduation is cited as an attraction.
Indeed, early admission cutoffs have also been steadily rising. The average academic record of students admitted through early admission to Yonsei University's Department of System Semiconductor Engineering, a Samsung Electronics contract program, was grade 1.47 for the 2026 academic year. This is a sharp rise compared to grade 3.1 in the 2021 academic year, when the department was first established.
Korea University's Department of Semiconductor Engineering, an SK hynix contract program, also had an average academic record of grade 2.68 among early admission students for the 2026 academic year. This is higher than grade 3.25 in the 2021 academic year.
Employment preference for these companies is also high. According to the "2026 Corporate Preference Report" released by JobKorea on Sunday, an analysis of surveys and behavioral data from 3,287 job seekers found that SK hynix ranked first as the "company people most want to work for right now." Samsung Electronics ranked second.
