More than 9,000 students put graduation on hold
More than 9,000 students at 15 major South Korean universities had deferred graduation by September 2025, choosing to keep their student status while preparing for a difficult job market. The tally, drawn from data shared by Representative Jin Sun mi, was nearly 50 percent above the 6,138 recorded in 2022. Additional requests were still being processed, and the final count was expected to rise.
Contents
The figures cover nine major regional universities and six leading private institutions based in Seoul. Across South Korea, growing numbers of university seniors are staying enrolled even after completing their degree requirements. Many describe the decision as taking a voluntary fifth year, a way to gain more preparation time while keeping access to university support.
The employment backdrop helps explain that choice. The Ministry of Employment and Labor's job offer ratio fell to 0.42 in October, its lowest reading for that month since 1998. The ratio compares job openings with applicants. A figure below 1.0 means there are fewer openings than people seeking work; 0.42 means roughly 42 openings for every 100 applicants.
For students approaching graduation, the pressure comes from both the shortage of vacancies and the demands attached to them. Graduates describe employers seeking broader skills, internships, certificates and portfolios that show what an applicant can do. Building those records takes time, and continued enrollment gives students a way to prepare without immediately losing their connection to campus.
The extra year is therefore serving as a safety net. Students who have finished their studies can postpone the formal step of graduating while continuing to search for opportunities and use the services available to enrolled students.
Regional campuses record sharp increases
Pusan National University recorded 589 students deferring graduation in 2025, an increase of 36 percent and the highest number in four years. Across major campuses in Busan, more than 1,800 students delayed graduation during the year. At some universities in the city, as many as 13 percent of students who would otherwise have graduated stayed enrolled.
Gangwon province showed a similar pattern. Graduation deferrals rose 51 percent over three years, reaching 647 students in 2025. The totals differ by university and subject, but the direction is consistent: students are taking longer to enter the job market and using the extra time to prepare.
The rise was most pronounced outside the capital area. That makes the regional figures a central part of the story, even though the broader sample also includes six leading private universities based in Seoul. The decision to wait is occurring across different campuses rather than being confined to one institution.
The sample of 15 universities had already passed 9,000 deferrals by early autumn, compared with 6,138 in 2022. Universities said additional requests typically arrive through the end of the academic year. As of December 16, 2025, a final total was not given, and the count was expected to increase as further applications were processed.
What the dates and figures show
The graduation figures and the employment indicator describe different parts of the same difficult transition. University counts show how many students are postponing graduation within the institutions covered. The ministry's ratio describes the balance between openings and applicants in its employment measure.
- 2022: The sample of nine regional universities and six leading private universities based in Seoul recorded 6,138 graduation deferrals.
- September 2025: Deferrals at those institutions exceeded 9,000, nearly 50 percent above the 2022 total.
- 2025: Pusan National University recorded 589 deferrals, while major campuses across Busan recorded more than 1,800. Gangwon province recorded 647.
- October 2025: The Ministry of Employment and Labor's job offer ratio fell to 0.42, the lowest October reading since 1998.
A ratio near 0.4 signals intense competition because the number of available roles is far smaller than the number of applicants. Students also face the work of meeting employers' expectations before applying, which helps explain why some use an extra semester or year to strengthen their applications.
How a voluntary fifth year works
A student who has completed all required credits can pay a modest fee and remain enrolled for another semester or year. The fee is often between 100,000 and 200,000 won. Deferral allows the student to postpone graduation while retaining access to resources that can support a job search.
Campus career offices, alumni networks, internship notices and recruiting events held at the university remain available to enrolled students. These connections give students continued access to opportunities and help with preparing applications while they work toward meeting employers' requirements.
Enrollment also preserves university email accounts and the logins used for company information sessions, laboratory openings and research assistant positions. Such opportunities frequently go first to current students. Faculty recommendations and options for receiving academic credit for internships are easier to secure while a student remains on the university rolls.
The benefit is therefore wider than the extra preparation time itself. Students can continue to receive alumni mentoring, practice interviews and career guidance while responding to openings. For someone who has completed a degree but is still building practical experience, those services can make continued enrollment useful.
Hiring changes make timing less predictable
Large South Korean companies traditionally recruited in set seasons, with mass recruitment windows admitting thousands of new graduates at once. Major employers are increasingly shifting toward rolling recruitment, posting openings throughout the year and moving quickly when they find a suitable applicant.
Rolling recruitment means a student may need to respond whenever an opportunity appears, rather than prepare for one fixed intake period. In that environment, timing graduation around a particular hiring season matters less. Staying enrolled can make it easier to react quickly to an internship notice or an invitation to take a skills test.
A business major who deferred graduation in 2025 described the extra time as breathing room to meet changing hiring expectations. The student, who asked not to be named while discussing job search plans, said companies expected broader resumes and practical experience.
The student's explanation connects the two pressures behind the rise in deferrals: fewer openings relative to applicants, and more preparation needed to compete for those openings. Remaining enrolled gives students time to build skills and experience while maintaining access to the campus services and contacts that support that work.
The Essentials
- More than 9,000 students at 15 major universities had deferred graduation by September 2025, nearly 50 percent above the 6,138 recorded in 2022.
- Pusan National University recorded 589 deferrals in 2025, up 36 percent and the highest total in four years.
- Major campuses in Busan recorded more than 1,800 deferrals. At some universities, up to 13 percent of would be graduates stayed enrolled.
- Gangwon province recorded 647 deferrals in 2025, an increase of 51 percent over three years.
- The October job offer ratio was 0.42, or roughly 42 openings for every 100 applicants, the lowest reading for that month since 1998.
- Deferral often costs 100,000 to 200,000 won and preserves student status for another semester or year, including access to university career resources.
- Employers' move toward recruitment throughout the year and demands for broader skills and practical experience are encouraging students to spend longer preparing.
