Official school and student statistics as of 1 April 2025.
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Education in South Korea
DATAEducation profile
Education profile 路 Reference periods shown
South Korea's 2025 Basic Education Statistics counted 2,345,488 elementary pupils, 1,370,356 middle-school pupils and 1,299,466 high-school pupils as of 1 April 2025. South Korea's current Ministry release provides direct 2025 student counts across school and university levels.
South Korea education snapshot
South Korea's current Ministry release provides direct 2025 student counts across school and university levels.
Elementary pupils
2,345,488
Middle-school pupils
1,370,356
High-school pupils
1,299,466
General-university students
1,837,620
* Reference years and benchmark labels are shown with the figures.
How the education pathway works
The system section follows the elementary, middle, high-school and higher-education sequence used by national statistics.
| Stage | When | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary school | Primary | Elementary education precedes middle school. |
| Middle school | Lower secondary | Middle school follows elementary education. |
| High school | Upper secondary | High school follows middle school and includes several programme types. |
| Universities and colleges | Higher education | Higher education includes universities, junior colleges and graduate study. |
Key evidence
The first three figures are school-level pupil counts, while the university total refers to higher education.
| Measure | Value | Year | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary pupils | 2,345,488 | 2025 | Elementary schools |
| Middle-school pupils | 1,370,356 | 2025 | Middle schools |
| High-school pupils | 1,299,466 | 2025 | High schools |
| General-university students | 1,837,620 | 2025 | General universities |
* Reference years and benchmark labels are shown with the figures.
How to read the South Korea evidence
The university figure should not be added to the school counts to describe one cohort.
All values use the 2025 national education-statistics framework.
Frequently asked questions
How many elementary pupils were in South Korea in 2025?
The Ministry reports 2,345,488.
How many middle-school pupils were reported?
The 2025 total is 1,370,356.
How many high-school pupils were reported?
The Ministry reports 1,299,466.
How many students were enrolled in South Korea's general universities in 2025?
The Ministry reports 1,837,620 students in general universities.
Sources and methodology
Both visible sources are South Korea Ministry of Education statistical releases.
Official 2025 national education indicator publication.
Methodology: South Korea figures retain their official 2025 sector definitions and are not merged into a synthetic total.