Seoul is One of the Best Cities for College Students
I’ve previously done a posting on top 10 universities in Korea, as ranked by a British firm Quacquarelli Symonds, or QS for short. It had a side ranking called QS Best Student Cities 2023. London topped the list and Seoul and Munich were tied for 2nd.
The ranking was based on 6 general categories, and let me briefly go over each of them with respect to Seoul and paint a general picture of what it’d be like for college students there.
university rankings: 4 of the world’s top 100 universities are located in Seoul, same number as London (although Imperial, UCL, King’s College, and LSE rank a lot higher than Seoul National, Yonsei, Korea, and Sungkyunkwan), whereas Munich has 2.
student mix: I’m sure London schools have a very diverse student class, a lot more diverse than Seoul schools, but the percentage of international students in Seoul is going up every year, with Yonsei at the forefront—it’s a very popular school with foreign students.
desirability: Desirability has to do with how safe the city is, and the survey of where students want to study. Seoul is one of the safest cities around and apparently, it ranked very high in the student survey.
employer activity: As far as employer activity is concerned, I doubt this was a strong point for Seoul schools. Korean companies are notoriously reluctant to hire non-Koreans although I do see the trend shifting a bit.
affordability: London isn’t very affordable for college students, is it? The living costs in Seoul are quite high as well, but the school tuitions are considerably lower than schools in US or Europe. And to my knowledge, the tuitions are the same for Korean and foreign students. Also, I’m willing to bet that dining for students in Seoul is better than London and Munich.
student voice: This category was a little vague, but it had something to do with whether the students want to keep living in those cities after they graduate, and what they think of the city’s sustainability. Once you get a taste of what Seoul is like, I think Seoul would receive favorable scores.
With that, I thought it would be interesting to look at some of the college districts within Seoul that are popular with not only the native Seoulites but also with the foreign tourists.
Sharosu-gil (샤로수길): area near Metro Green Line Seoul National University Station.
The name Sharosu-gil is a combination of Sha + rosu-gil.
Sha comes from the main entrance to Seoul National University that looks like the Korean letter 샤. rosu-gil is borrowed from the famous garosu-gil, which is a fashion-centric, upscale area near Shinsa Station (Orange Line) where the “see-and-be-seen” hipster crowd hangs out.
Not really known for shopping, the Sharosu-gil area supposedly has a ton of reasonably priced and excellent eateries in all major cuisine styles. The following is a YouTube video from the creator “Trip Korea.”
Hong-dae (홍대): area near Metro Green Line Hongik University Station.
This might be, or probably is, the most happening and popular tourist place in all of Korea, especially for the younger people. Hong-ik University (홍익대학교), known for its visual arts department, is very nearby and the area is a shopper’s heaven. I myself have spent a few hours doing nothing but shopping as a 50-something old ahjussi (아저씨) who does not like to shop.
Tons of places to eat, shop, cafes, clubs for parties and indie bands, street performers, and a whole bunch of other fun things as well. A lot of the places here are artsy, with unique interiors, reflective of the reputation of Hongik Art Department. A must visit for anyone.
Something rueful for me personally. I won’t be allowed in to the clubs for indie bands at Hongdae area because of age. This is something my daughters are really looking forward to, however.
BTW, “dae” refers to “dae-hak-gyo (대학교),” meaning “university.” Koreans usually call the universities by their shortened names, like Yonsei University as “Yon-dae,” Korea University as “Go-dae,” Hong-ik University as “Hong-dae,” Ehwa Women’s University as “Ee-dae,” Kon-kuk University as “Gun-dae.” Seoul National is probably the only exception. It’s Seoul-dae.
This is another one from YouTube creator “Trip Korea.”
And the thing about Hongdae area is that it’s adjacent to another very popular destination called “Yeon-nam-dong (연남동)” area, with a walkway lined with trees and out-of-service train track that adds to the ambience. From “Seoul Travel Walker.”
Shin-chon (신촌): area near Shinchon and Ehwa Women’s University Stations along the Metro Green Line.
Shinchon Station might as well be called Yonsei University Station. The campuses of Yonsei and Ehwa are right next to each other (see map below), with Hong-ik University Station just one subway station away. Again, student-oriented inexpensive restaurants and shopping galore.
In the following Google map, the small circle number 1 is Hongdae Station, 2 is Shinchon Station (for Yonsei University), and 3 is Ehwa University Station, all on the same line, one right after another, meaning they’re all in walking distance, albeit quite a walk. Large circle 4 is the “Hongdae Streets” and large circle 5 is the “Yeon-nam-dong” area.
Kon-dae (건대): area near Kon-kuk University Station again on the Metro Green Line.
I am not familiar with this area but it is nonetheless quite popular with the cool and hip kids. Nearby Seongu-dong area is famous for its cafe streets with some of the best bakeries, desserts, and coffee in all of Seoul.
Dae-hak-ro (대학로): area near Hye-Hwa Station on the Metro Blue Line.
Literally, “University Street,” this is where Seoul National University was originally, before they moved to the current location in 1975. SNU’s famed medical school and hospital is still here, though. There are Catholic University, Korea National Open University, and the original campus (and half) of Sungkyunkwan University nearby. And it is in close proximity to downtown Seoul and the Royal Palaces.
But this area is now known more as the cultural center of Seoul, for more than 100 small to medium sized theaters for musicals and plays are said to be in the area (not sure about the current number post-pandemic). It’s Seoul’s version of the Theater Districts like the Broadway in New York or West End in London, although smaller scale.
A long-running Korean musical 빨래 (pallae, “laundry”), a story of the lower class common folk in the outskirts of Seoul, is staged here.