Korean Cultural Experience Program

- Ranks 4th nationwide in student support, climbs four places overall despite expanded evaluation pool

Incheon National University (INU), led by President Injae Lee, ranked 19th overall with a total score of 94.87 in the “2027 Evaluation of Leading Universities for Internationalization” announced by The Korea Times. Despite the number of universities evaluated increasing from 54 last year to 60 this year, INU rose four places from 23rd to 19th overall. Its student support ranking surged from 34th to 4th, serving as a key driver of the University’s overall improvement.

The evaluation, announced by The Korea Times on September 18, was conducted to assess the level of internationalization at Korean universities and provide international students with useful information when selecting a university. A total of 19 indicators across four categories—education (70 points), research (50 points), student support (40 points), and graduate outcomes and impact (40 points)—were assessed, with the top 30 institutions designated as leading universities for internationalization.

INU scored 23.69 out of 40 in student support, ranking 4th among the 60 universities evaluated. This marked a significant improvement from last year, when the University scored 14.13 points and ranked 34th.

The University ranked 3rd in the proportion of international students accommodated in university housing, at 51.46%, meaning that more than half of its international students were provided with on-campus housing. INU also ranked 6th in donations per enrolled student at KRW 1,809,059 and 9th in the ratio of scholarships to tuition at 74.84%.

In the education category, INU ranked 5th in the diversity of international students’ nationalities. It also ranked 6th in the proportion of international students meeting Korean- or English-language proficiency standards, at 84.76%, demonstrating strong performance in both international student diversity and language proficiency.

In the research category, INU ranked 5th in the proportion of international research funding, which accounted for 0.73% of its total research funding. Internationally co-authored papers accounted for 35.96% of its international research publications, placing the University 14th in that indicator. INU ranked 23rd overall in the research category.

This year’s evaluation framework was partially revised, with the number of universities assessed increasing to 60 and the proportion of international full-time faculty added as a new indicator. The assessment period for research publication indicators was also expanded from the previous one-year period to three years, covering 2023 through 2025.

Despite these changes, INU improved its overall ranking and demonstrated competitiveness in student support, international student diversity, international research funding, and international research collaboration.

According to the 2026 Basic Educational Statistics, the number of international students in Korea surpassed 300,000 for the first time, reaching 307,464. As the international student population continues to grow, universities’ capacity to provide an environment in which international students can pursue their studies and campus life successfully is becoming increasingly important.

President Injae Lee said, “This evaluation confirmed INU’s strengths in supporting international students, fostering diversity within the student body, and advancing international research.” He added, “We will continue to strengthen our internationalization infrastructure so that international students can pursue their studies and university life in a stable and supportive environment.”