Kangwon National University
#1001-1200
QS Rank
3%
Intl. students
$3,100
Tuition/yr
38,264
Enrollment
20.1:1
Student:Faculty
About Kangwon National University
Kangwon National University is one of South Korea's ten flagship national universities, founded in 1947 in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, one hour from Seoul.
Kangwon National University (KNU) is a public research university established in 1947 as Chuncheon Agricultural College and elevated to national university status in 1978. It is designated as one of ten flagship national universities in South Korea and operates across campuses in Chuncheon, Samcheok, and Dogye. In March 2026, KNU merged with Gangneung-Wonju National University, significantly expanding its academic scope and resources.
KNU offers programmes across 19 colleges and 93 departments, with particular strengths in agriculture and life sciences, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, nursing, biomedical sciences, and engineering. The university added a medical degree programme in 1997 and a law school in 2009, and has research focus areas in precision medicine, bio-health, marine biology, and semiconductors. Its College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is one of the oldest and most established in the country, tracing directly to the university's founding.
The Chuncheon main campus sits in the capital of Gangwon Province, approximately one hour from Seoul by express train, surrounded by mountains and lakes. The city offers a lower cost of living than Seoul while keeping students within easy reach of the capital's job market and transport links. In the QS World University Rankings 2026, KNU is ranked in the 1001–1200 band, and in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 it sits in the 1201–1500 band.
World University Rankings
For Nepali students
- KNU is one of South Korea's most affordable national universities, with annual international undergraduate tuition of approximately 4,200,000 KRW (around USD 3,100), placing it among the lowest-cost options for a degree in South Korea compared with private universities that charge two to three times more.
- The university is a confirmed participating institution in the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), a fully funded government scholarship open to Nepali students that covers tuition, round-trip airfare, a monthly living stipend of approximately 1,000,000 KRW, and health insurance. KNU also offers its own first-year scholarships covering 35–100% of tuition based on Korean language proficiency (TOPIK level 3 and above).
- South Korea's D-10 job-seeking visa allows international graduates to remain in the country for up to one year after completing their degree, and the post-study work framework has expanded in recent years, giving graduates a structured pathway to employment in Korean industry, particularly in agriculture, biotech, manufacturing, and engineering sectors where KNU has strong industry links.
- KNU's strengths in agriculture, life sciences, veterinary medicine, and nursing align directly with fields in high demand in Nepal, and the university's relatively small international student community (around 3% of total enrolment at the time of recent rankings) means Nepali students are more likely to receive individual attention and to build strong academic connections with faculty.
Programs(4)
MSc Environmental Science
Arts & Social SciencesBA Tourism Management
Arts & Social SciencesMEng Information and Communication Engineering
Computer Science & ITBSc Forest Sciences
Arts & Social SciencesData last verified from official sources · Disclaimer
Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents
A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:
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