Secondary

Overview

Information on key aspects of a country’s education system, including governance, instructional language, and other structural features defined by national or regional regulations.

Ministry Responsible

Ministry of Education

Language of Instruction

Korean

Duration

6 years (ages 12 to 18)

Grades 7 to 12

Levels

Junior secondary (middle school): Grades 7 to 9 (compulsory)

Senior secondary (high school): Grades 10 to 12 (non-compulsory)

Qualifications, Curriculum, Grading

Not all awards or study patterns are included.

Institutions

Types and number of officially recognized institutions providing secondary education.

Source: Ministry of Education, Republic of Korea

Grading System

Examples of the most commonly used grading scales.



Enrollment

Total Enrollment

Total enrollment in a specific level of education, regardless of age.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics

Gross Enrollment Ratio

Total enrollment in a specific level of education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the eligible official school-age population corresponding to the same level of education in a given school year.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics

International Benchmarks

PISA 2022 Mathematics

South Korea

527.3

Global Rank

6 of 81

International Average

472.4

Source: OECD

PISA 2022 Science

South Korea

527.8

Global Rank

5 of 81

International Average

484.6

Source: OECD

PISA 2022 Reading

South Korea

515.4

Global Rank

4 of 81

PIRLS Scale Centerpoint

475.6

Source: OECD

TIMSS 2023 Mathematics Grade 8

South Korea

596

Global Rank

3 of 44

International Average

478

Source: Boston College, TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center

TIMSS 2023 Science Grade 8

South Korea

545

Global Rank

4 of 44

International Average

478

Source: Boston College, TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center

Lower Secondary Mathematics: Percentage of Proficient Students

Proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in mathematics.

South Korea

83.8% (2022)

Global Rank

7 of 103

High Income Countries Average

70.9% (2019)

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics

Lower Secondary Reading: Percentage of Proficient Students

Proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in reading.

South Korea

85.3% (2022)

Global Rank

7 of 94

High Income Countries Average

80.5% (2019)

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics