High School Students to Earn College Credits Starting Next Year

Beginning next year, high school students will have the opportunity to take college courses and receive high school credit for them. These courses will also count towards college credits if the students enroll in the respective universities later on.

On December 10, 2024, the Ministry of Education announced a plan to establish and operate a 'High School and University Credit Recognition System.' This initiative is aligned with the full implementation of the 'High School Credit System' next year, allowing students to take subjects that are difficult to offer in high schools at universities. The High School Credit System enables students to select courses they wish to take and graduate by accumulating the required credits, starting with the incoming first-year students in 2025.

The Ministry plans to pilot this credit recognition system at 15 universities in the Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Ulsan, and Jeonbuk regions next year, with a broader rollout planned for the following year. The courses offered will be developed in collaboration between the universities and local education offices.

For instance, Pusan National University is preparing to offer courses in mathematics and science, while Jeonju Vision University (a vocational college) will provide classes related to health, machinery, beauty, and physical education. This initiative is designed to cater to a wide range of students, from high achievers seeking advanced studies in subjects like mathematics to those who wish to secure employment early by defining their career paths. Students will gain hands-on experience through experiments and practical training under university professors, which is not typically available in high school. Any student can enroll regardless of their grades, although it is expected that mainly those confident in their ability to handle advanced subjects will apply. Students can earn up to 8 credits over three years.

High school students who complete these university courses will have their credits recognized when they enroll in the respective universities. While the evaluation methods will be determined by the universities, the students' grades will not be recorded in their academic records; instead, only the content of the courses taken will be noted.

This system bears similarities to the Advanced Placement (AP) program in the United States, where high school students can earn college credits. However, unlike the AP program, which is limited to high-achieving students and includes grades in their academic records for college admissions, the Korean initiative is more inclusive and focuses solely on the learning experience.