Pet daycare, English kindergarten more costly than private four-year colleges: report

The annual tuition to a private South Korean university last year was lower than that of pet daycare and English kindergarten, according to research published Tuesday.

A report analyzing private education costs at different levels of schooling published by the Korean Association of Private University Presidents found the average annual school fee for private four-year colleges in 2023 was 7.32 million won ($5,283.67), or an average of 610,000 won per month. The cost of daycare facilities for pets in Seoul exceeded that of university costs, ranging from 600,000 to 900,000 won per month.

The report also found that the average monthly fee for English-language kindergartens was approximately 1.74 million won. The figure is nearly three times higher than private universities' tuition, reflecting the growing parents' zeal to give their children an English-speaking environment to foster their language skills.

The monthly average for private elementary schools was 765,000 won, and for private international middle schools, it was 1.06 million won. The corresponding figure for autonomous private high schools -- schools that are financially independent of the government and granted more freedom in choosing students and developing their curriculum and tuition-- stood at 754,000 won, according to the data.