The higher educational institutions of Korea generally consist of regular universities, normal universities, industrial universities, broadcasting and communication universities, technological academies and postgraduate colleges. The higher education aim is to teach individuals basic scientific theories necessary for social development within the international community so that they can play an leading role thereof.

Postgraduate colleges: courses are oriented towards master and doctorate students and those who want to engage in further study and also have a leadership aim.

Regular universities: they are the most common institutions of higher education in Korea.

Normal universities: they are state-funded special universities that train secondary school teachers with four-year courses. There are 11 normal universities nationwide designed for the fostering of teachers with morality, qualification and know-how. Educational Postgraduate Colleges are available for secondary school teachers to improve their know-how and for further study.

Industrial universities: these universities offer opportunities for the lifetime technical education of Korean citizens.

Broadcasting and communication universities: these universities offer four-year courses for all citizens who are interested in further study. By way of miscellaneous courses and remote education, these universities have contributed a great deal to the lifetime education of the Korean people.

Technological academies: these universities are the primary institutions that train professionals with 2 to 3-year courses. There are a total of 159 technological academies with 900-plus subjects and 600,000-plus students who account for 40% of Korean students of higher education. They play a very important role in Korea’s education.

Occupational universities: as special universities with 2-year courses, they were established with the support from the Korean Ministry of Labor. They aim to train technical personnel with multiple skills and award them with a diploma of “occupational and industrial bachelor”. There are a total of 23 occupational universities in Korea.