In 2023, I spent several weeks travelling across South Korea, visiting universities in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Daejeon, and Ulsan. I was not there for a government-organised promotional tour or an education fair. I was there to answer a specific question: what is it actually like to study in South Korea as an Indian student, and which institutions are genuinely worth recommending?
I walked through more than 60 campuses. I sat with international admissions officers. I attended open days. I spoke with Indian students who were already enrolled — not in a structured Q&A but in canteens, on campus benches, and in dormitory common rooms. I met Indian professors who have built their academic careers within the Korean university system. I assessed hostels, classroom infrastructure, library resources, and the surrounding cities those campuses sit within.
This article is an account of what I found. It is written for Indian students and parents at the research stage who want an honest assessment, not a promotional one.
South Korea Is Not What Most Indian Students Imagine
The most consistent finding across my visit was a gap between perception and reality — and almost always, the reality was better.
Indian students who have heard of South Korea typically associate it with Samsung, K-pop, and a language barrier. What they do not know is that South Korea has invested significantly in English-medium programmes over the past decade, that its leading universities rank alongside institutions in the UK and Australia in global rankings, and that the cost of a full degree in Korea — including tuition and living expenses — is a fraction of what a comparable education costs in those Western destinations.
The Korean government is actively working to increase its international student population. That policy intent translates into scholarships, institutional support structures, and a genuine welcome for Indian students that I have not encountered to the same degree at comparable price points elsewhere.
What the Campuses Are Actually Like
Korean universities, particularly mid-tier and upper-mid-tier institutions, have invested substantially in infrastructure. The campuses I visited across Seoul and Busan were well-maintained, well-connected by public transport, and had dormitory facilities that I would describe as functional and clean — the honest standard, not the promotional one.
The universities in Daejeon deserve particular mention for students considering STEM fields. Daejeon is South Korea's science and technology hub. KAIST is the institution most Indian students know, but several others in that city offer rigorous engineering and technology programmes with strong scholarship support and an internationally connected research environment.
Busan surprised me most. It is South Korea's second city and, in my assessment, one of the most underrated study destinations in Asia. The universities are strong, the cost of living is meaningfully lower than Seoul, and the city itself — coastal, well-connected, with a distinct character — offers a quality of life that a student spending two to four years there would genuinely value.
Ulsan, which most Indian students will not have encountered, is home to UNIST — one of Korea's four national science and technology institutes — and is deeply connected to Korea's industrial and research ecosystem. For students with a serious interest in engineering or applied sciences, it belongs on the shortlist.
What Indian Students Already There Told Me
The conversations I had with Indian students already studying in Korea were the most useful part of my visit, and the least available to students who rely solely on university websites and online videos.
The consistent themes that came through:
- Adjustment to Korean academic culture takes roughly a semester. Expectations around attendance, submission deadlines, and in-class participation are taken seriously. Students who arrive aware of this settle in quickly.
- Language is less of a barrier than most Indian students fear, in English-medium programmes. Outside the classroom, basic Korean is helpful, and most universities offer Korean language support to international students.
- The Indian student community in Korea is smaller than in the UK, Canada, or Australia. Some students find this isolating initially; others find it an advantage for building a genuinely international peer network.
- Food requires adjustment. Korean cuisine is excellent, but access to familiar Indian food varies significantly by city. Seoul has reasonable options. Smaller cities require more planning.
- Part-time work is legally permitted on a student visa, though hours are capped and opportunities are typically campus-based or in English-language settings.
The Indian Professors I Met
Several Korean universities have Indian faculty members in science, engineering, and business departments. I spent time with a few of them during my visit, and their perspective was more candid than anything available through official university communications.
Their shared assessment: Korean universities are meritocratic, research-intensive environments where a motivated Indian student will find real opportunities. The challenge is the first year — administratively and culturally. Once settled, the academic environment is supportive, and the research infrastructure at the science and technology institutions is genuinely world-class.
The GKS Scholarship: What I Observed
The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) is the most visible funding pathway for Indian students, and it is genuinely substantial. It covers tuition, accommodation, a monthly stipend, airfare, and Korean language training. The competition is real — for India, the annual slots are limited — but the scholarship is not out of reach for a well-prepared applicant.
What I observed at universities is that the GKS is only one of several funding routes. Most Korean universities offer institutional scholarships, some merit-based and available to self-funded students who meet academic thresholds. These are less publicised in India but are worth pursuing alongside or instead of the GKS depending on the student's profile.
Who South Korea Is Right For
South Korea is not the right destination for every student. It suits those who are academically motivated, adaptable, and genuinely interested in an experience that differs from the well-worn path to the UK, Canada, or Australia.
It suits students whose families are working within a constrained budget but do not wish to compromise on the quality or international credibility of the degree.
It suits students in engineering, technology, business, and applied sciences. It is a more limited destination for students in creative fields or humanities, or those whose primary motivation is post-study immigration — Korea's post-study work pathways are developing but not yet comparable to Canada or Australia.
For the students it suits, South Korea is one of the best-value, most academically serious options available today. My 2023 visit confirmed that, which is why I built studyinkorea.in around it.