People walk past the Samsung Electronics headquarters in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, May 22.
Yonhap University departments guaranteeing jobs at Samsung Electronics and SK hynix posted higher admissions scores than Seoul National University's (SNU) natural sciences track this year, reflecting surging student demand for chipmaker careers amid record bonus packages at the two companies.
According to an analysis released Sunday by Jongno Academy, a private university admissions prep institution, five semiconductor departments partnered with the two semiconductor giants averaged 96.2 in admission scores based on Korea's College Scholastic Ability Test, also known as Suneung, outpacing SNU's natural science track by 0.4 points.
The university-corporate partnership model, introduced in 2003, pairs companies with universities to shape curricula around industry needs.
Companies support tuition costs, and most graduates are guaranteed jobs upon completing their degrees.
