About 1,200 students and parents attended admissions briefings for Seoul Semiconductor High School, which will recruit its first class of students next year. The school has only 64 places, yet each of the five briefings drew a steady stream of visitors. As expectations grow for jobs at large companies after graduation, high schools that train semiconductor specialists are drawing attention as a new path after middle school.
Chungbuk Semiconductor High School in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, the country's first Meister high school specializing in semiconductor equipment, is also attracting intense interest. About 1,800 middle school students and parents from across the country attended this year's admissions briefing at the school, which will select 96 students next year. That is roughly five times the 370 who attended last year. The New York Times' description of the school in June as the hottest high school in the country is also cited as a reason interest has grown.
Chungbuk Semiconductor High School maintains employment partnerships with more than 120 semiconductor companies, including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, and has posted an employment rate above 95% every year. Seoul Semiconductor High School has signed memorandums of understanding with major companies including Samsung Display, Samsung SDI, Amkor Technology and Hana Micron, and employment commitments so far cover 217 positions. The school has set a goal of 100% employment after graduation.
The popularity of semiconductor high schools is spreading beyond the Seoul metropolitan area to the rest of the country. Yongin Semiconductor High School, which opens in March next year, closed applications for its August admissions briefing quickly, and the school fielded a stream of calls asking about dormitory arrangements and admission standards. The school plans to operate as a specialized vocational high school in the 2027 academic year before converting to a Meister high school from the 2028 academic year. Applications will be accepted online from the 3rd to the 5th of next month.
Daegu Semiconductor Meister High School has invested 30.1 billion won ($21 million) over the past four years to build semiconductor training facilities and a job placement office. The school runs tailored employment programs and provides all second-year students with 30 hours of hands-on training on the eight major semiconductor processes at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST). It will recruit 96 students for the 2027 academic year, with applications accepted from the 19th to the 22nd of this month.
At Korea Semiconductor Meister High School in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, the ratio of applicants to places rose to 1.68 to 1 for the 2026 academic year from 0.92 to 1 for 2025. For the 2027 academic year, it will select 64 students across four classes in its semiconductor convergence department.
Interest is also building in North Jeolla Province ahead of a conversion to a semiconductor high school. Jeongeup Jeil High School, which will be renamed Jeonbuk Semiconductor High School next year under a provisional title, has been receiving dozens of admissions inquiries a day, prompting the school to assign two teachers solely to counseling. About 60 people have already signed up for an admissions briefing on the 17th, and the school expects around 200 visitors from across the country. Enrollment has filled only about 70% of available places each year, but the school expects the ratio of applicants to places to reach roughly 3 to 1 this year.
Incheon Semiconductor High School will hold school briefings on Nov. 7 and Nov. 21 as it begins recruiting students for the 2027 academic year. A briefing held in July drew 130 people, about twice the usual turnout. Selected by the Ministry of Education as a partnership-based specialized vocational high school, it has received 12 billion won ($8.4 million) in support over three years and will select 128 students next year.
Busan Electronics Technical High School plans to convert to Busan Semiconductor Meister High School, a provisional name, in March 2028. Its semiconductor department, which recruited its first class last year, recorded a ratio of 2.7 applicants per place, the highest among specialized vocational high school departments in Busan.
Chungnam Semiconductor Meister High School also drew about 180 students and parents to a recent admissions briefing. Second-year middle school students attended alongside third-year students. The school, converted in 2025 from the former Yesan Electronics Technical High School, teaches semiconductor manufacturing processes and equipment operation, and will select 48 students next year. Applications will be accepted from the 19th to the 22nd of this month.