South Korea vs Sweden (Comparing Education Systems 2026)

Explore full profiles:🏫 South Korea Education System 🏫 Sweden Education System

Updated: September 12, 2026 View update notes

September 12, 2026 Sweden – Country Data: Updated Sweden’s 2025 PISA results, higher-education figures, IB school count, and 2025–2026 school reforms.

September 12, 2026 South Korea – Country Data: Updated South Korea’s PISA 2025 scores to 522, 501, and 526 and refreshed 2026 higher-education figures.

This page compares the education systems of South Korea and Sweden.

Education System Overview

South Korea and Sweden education system comparison: Education System Overview
Category	South Korea	Sweden
System Type	Public/private mix; mixed governance combining national policy and standards with decentralized local education administration. The Ministry of Education operates at the national level, while 17 Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education oversee local education. [Korea MOE]	Public/private mix; governance is decentralized. Municipalities operate most public schools, while publicly funded independent schools (friskolor) may be run by private providers. National legislation, curricula and standards apply across the system.
Governing Body	Ministry of Education (MOE); 17 Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education; and local Offices of Education. [Korea MOE]	Ministry of Education and Research; Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket); municipalities; and the Swedish Schools Inspectorate for supervision and authorization of independent schools. [Swedish Schools Inspectorate]
Government Expenditure on Education (% of GDP)	5.4% (2022). [World Bank]	7.3% (2022, latest value in the World Bank/UNESCO UIS series). [World Bank]

Education Structure & Compulsory Schooling

South Korea and Sweden education system comparison: Education Structure & Compulsory Schooling
Category	South Korea	Sweden
Compulsory Age Range	Approximately age 6 to age 15, covering six years of elementary school and three years of middle school. [Korea MOE]	From the autumn term of the year a child turns 6 until completion of compulsory school, normally around age 16. Preschool class has been compulsory since 2018. [University Admissions]
Total Compulsory Duration (Years)	9 years: 6 years of elementary education plus 3 years of middle school. [Korea MOE]	10 years: one compulsory preschool-class year followed by nine years of compulsory school.
Pre-primary Education (ECE) Access	Optional; enrollment among children aged 3–5 was 95.7% in 2023. [OECD]	Optional before compulsory preschool class. In 2024, ECEC enrollment was 95% at age 3, 96% at age 4 and 96% at age 5. [OECD]
Primary + Secondary Education Structure (Years)	6 + 3 + 3: six years of elementary school, three years of middle school and three years of high school. The broader system is commonly described as 6-3-3-4 when the standard four-year university stage is included. [Korea MOE]	1 + 9 + 3: one year of compulsory preschool class, nine years of compulsory school and three years of upper-secondary education. [University Admissions]
Vocational vs. General Upper Secondary Split (%)	14.9% Vocational / 85.1% General (2023). [OECD]	Among students in national upper-secondary programs in 2024/25, approximately 33.2% were in vocational programs and 66.8% in higher-education preparatory programs, based on 110,900 and 223,600 students respectively. [Skolverket]

Academic Calendar & Instruction Time

South Korea and Sweden education system comparison: Academic Calendar & Instruction Time
Category	South Korea	Sweden
Academic Year Start (Typical Month)	March. The first semester begins in March. [Korea MOE]	August
Academic Year End (Typical Month)	February, following the second semester and winter vacation period. [Korea MOE]	June
Instruction Weeks per Year	—	—
Instruction Days per Year	At least 190 days per school year for elementary, middle and high schools, subject to limited statutory reductions in specified circumstances. [Korean Law]	At least 178 school days per academic year in compulsory school; compulsory activities may not exceed 190 days. [Skolverket]

Grading System

South Korea and Sweden education system comparison: Grading System
Category	South Korea	Sweden
Primary/Secondary Grading Scale	Assessment varies by school level. Middle-school achievement commonly uses A–E achievement levels. For students entering high school from 2025, the former nine-grade internal ranking system was replaced by a five-grade system under the 2028 university admissions changes. [Korea MOE]	A–F: A is the highest grade, E is the lowest passing grade and F is a failing grade. Upper-secondary students beginning education after 30 June 2025 receive subject-level grades under Gy25, while the A–F grading scale remains in use. [Skolverket]
Higher Education Grading Scale	Institution-specific; 4.5 and 4.3 GPA scales with letter grades are commonly used.	Institution-specific; common systems include U/G/VG (Fail/Pass/Pass with distinction) and other institution- or course-specific letter or numerical scales.

Language of Instruction

South Korea and Sweden education system comparison: Language of Instruction
Category	South Korea	Sweden
Primary Instruction Languages (K–12)	Korean is the main language of instruction in the national school system.	Swedish is the main language of instruction.
Other Official / Minority Instruction Languages (K–12)	—	Sweden's national minority languages are Finnish, Meänkieli, Romani Chib, Sami and Yiddish. Mother-tongue instruction and minority-language education are available under specific statutory conditions.

School Provision & Access (K–12)

South Korea and Sweden education system comparison: School Provision & Access (K–12)
Category	South Korea	Sweden
Public School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students)	Primary: approximately 98% / Secondary: approximately 72% (2024). [World Bank] [World Bank]	Compulsory school: 83% attended municipal schools in 2024/25. At upper-secondary level, the latest verified national ownership comparison showed approximately 69% in municipal or other public provision. [Skolverket]
Public School Tuition Fee (Annual, Local Currency)	$0 standard tuition for public elementary and middle education; nationwide free high-school education was extended to all grades from 2021, covering admission fees, tuition, school operation support fees and textbooks within the statutory scheme. [Korea MOE]	$0. Municipal and publicly funded independent compulsory schools are tuition-free for students.
Public Schools Nationwide Availability	Yes. Public schools operate nationwide under the metropolitan, provincial and local education administration system. [Korea MOE]	Yes; municipalities are responsible for providing access to compulsory education throughout Sweden.
Private School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students)	Primary: approximately 2% / Secondary: approximately 28% (2024). [World Bank] [World Bank]	Compulsory school: 17% attended independent schools in 2024/25. The independent-school share at upper-secondary level was approximately 31% in 2022/23. [Skolverket]
Private Schools (Geographic Concentration)	—	—

International Schools (K–12)

South Korea and Sweden education system comparison: International Schools (K–12)
Category	South Korea	Sweden
Number of International Schools (Total)	45 government-listed foreign/international K–12 institutions: 38 foreign schools, 3 foreign educational institutions at elementary/secondary level and 4 Jeju international schools. [ISI]	—
Number of IB World Schools	134 schools are listed by the International Baccalaureate school finder for the Republic of Korea. [IB]	46 IB World Schools. [IB]
Main International Programmes Offered	International Baccalaureate (IB), American, British, Canadian and other authorized foreign curricula, depending on the school. [ISI]	International Baccalaureate (IB) and school-specific international or bilingual curricula.

Resources & Learning Environment (K–12)

South Korea and Sweden education system comparison: Resources & Learning Environment (K–12)
Category	South Korea	Sweden
Minimum Teacher Qualification (Public Schools)	A recognized teacher qualification certificate is required. Standard Grade 2 regular-teacher routes are completed through approved university-level teacher education with prescribed major and teaching coursework; public-school recruitment also follows the applicable appointment process. [Korean Law]	A recognized teaching degree and teacher certification are required for permanent employment and independent grading in most teaching positions. Requirements vary by school level and subject. [Skolverket]
Average Class Size (Primary)	18.6 students (2026). [KEDI]	20.5 students (2023, OECD comparable measure). Swedish national legislation does not define a standardized class-size measure. [OECD]
Average Class Size (Lower Secondary)	24.5 students (2026). [KEDI]	—
Average Class Size (Upper Secondary)	23.1 students (2026). [KEDI]	—

System Performance & Learning Outcomes (OECD/PISA)

South Korea and Sweden education system comparison: System Performance & Learning Outcomes (OECD/PISA)
Category	South Korea	Sweden
PISA Participation Years	2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD]	2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD]
PISA 2018 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science)	526 / 514 / 519 [OECD]	502 / 506 / 499 [OECD]
PISA 2022 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science)	527 / 515 / 528 [OECD]	482 / 487 / 494 [OECD]
PISA 2025 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science)	522 / 501 / 526 [OECD]	464 / 466 / 485 [OECD]
PISA Performance Trend 2000–2025	Korea has participated in every PISA cycle since 2000. Between 2022 and 2025, mathematics and science performance was about the same, while reading was lower. Compared with a decade earlier, mathematics and science were about the same in 2025, while reading was lower. [OECD]	Sweden has participated in every PISA cycle since 2000. Between 2022 and 2025, mathematics and reading performance was lower, while science was about the same. Results in all three core domains were below their 2018 levels and among the lowest observed for Sweden across its PISA participation. [OECD]
Strongest Subject Area (PISA 2025)	Science — 526 points. [OECD]	Science — 485 points. [OECD]

Higher Education System

South Korea and Sweden education system comparison: Higher Education System
Category	South Korea	Sweden
Number of Higher Education Institutions (Total)	416 higher education institutions (2026). [KEDI]	50 higher education institutions (2025), including universities, university colleges, arts institutions and independent higher education providers. [UKÄ]
Number of Universities (Research Universities)	188 general universities in the official 2026 higher-education classification. [KEDI]	18 universities (2025), of which 16 are public-sector institutions. [UKÄ]
Number of Universities of Applied Sciences / Colleges	126 junior colleges (2026). [KEDI]	12 university colleges (2025), plus 5 university colleges of fine, applied and performing arts classified separately. [UKÄ]
Main Institution Types	General universities, universities of education, junior colleges, graduate-school universities, cyber universities and other specialized higher education institutions. [Korea MOE]	Universities, university colleges, university colleges of fine, applied and performing arts, and independent higher education providers. [UKÄ]
Tertiary Enrollment Share by Ownership	Public: 20.3% / independent private: 79.7% (2023). [OECD]	—
English-Taught Degree Programmes (Bachelor + Master, Total)	—	—
Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in National Languages (%)	—	—
Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in English (%)	—	—
Main Global Ranking Used	QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS]	QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS]
Universities in Top 100 (Selected Ranking)	4 in QS 2027: Seoul National University (#38), Yonsei University (#42), Korea University (#=52) and KAIST (#65). [QS]	3 in QS 2027: Lund University (#71), KTH Royal Institute of Technology (#=82) and Uppsala University (#=87). [QS]
Universities in Top 500 (Selected Ranking)	17 South Korean universities are ranked within the top 500 in QS 2027. [QS]	8 in QS 2027. In addition to the three top-100 institutions, Stockholm University, Chalmers University of Technology, University of Gothenburg, Linköping University and Umeå University ranked within the top 500. [QS]
Universities in Top 1000 (Selected Ranking)	31 South Korean universities are ranked within the top 1000 in QS 2027. [QS]	8 in QS 2027. [QS]
National Accreditation / QA Agency (Higher Education)	Korean University Accreditation Institute (KUAI), affiliated with the Korean Council for University Education, is the recognized institutional accreditor for four-year universities. [KCUE]	Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ), responsible for quality assurance, legal supervision, degree-awarding powers and analysis of Swedish higher education. [UKÄ]
International Students (Total)	307,464 foreign students in higher education (2026), including 223,191 degree students and 84,273 non-degree students. [KEDI]	46,920 incoming students studied in Swedish higher education in 2024/25, including exchange students and independently mobile students. [UKÄ]
International Students Share of Total Tertiary Enrollment (%)	10.0% in 2026 (307,464 foreign students among 3,072,261 higher-education students). [KEDI]	—

Education Costs (Indicative)

South Korea and Sweden education system comparison: Education Costs (Indicative)
Category	South Korea	Sweden
Public University Tuition Fees – Domestic / Regional (Annual, Local Currency)	Approximately $3,180 average annual undergraduate tuition at national/public universities, based on the official national/public average of KRW 4,265,841.8. [Study in Korea]	$0 for Swedish, EU/EEA and Swiss citizens under the general tuition-fee rules. [UKÄ]
Public University Tuition Fees – International / Non-EU (Annual, Local Currency)	—	Typical national range approximately $8,250–$30,420 per academic year for fee-paying students, equivalent to SEK 80,000–295,000 at the 12 September 2026 exchange rate. The exact fee is set by the institution and program. [European Education Area]
Typical Tuition Fees for English-Taught Programmes (Annual, Local Currency)	—	Approximately $8,250–$30,420 per academic year for fee-paying international students, with an average around $13,300; fees vary by field and institution. [European Education Area]
Language School Costs (Monthly, Local Currency)	—	—

Major Education Updates & Policy Changes

South Korea and Sweden education system comparison: Major Education Updates & Policy Changes
Category	South Korea	Sweden
2000–2010: Key Updates & Reforms	Universal compulsory middle-school education: Compulsory middle-school education, introduced regionally from 1985, was extended to all three middle-school grades nationwide in 2004. [Korea MOE] National Education Information System: NEIS became a nationwide digital system linking education administration across schools, education offices and the Ministry during the 2000s. [Korea MOE] Second-stage BK21: The second phase of Brain Korea 21 began in 2006, funding graduate education and university research teams through 2012. [Korea MOE]	Preschool fee ceiling and expanded access: A national maximum preschool fee was introduced in 2002, followed by universal free preschool provision for children aged four and five from 2003. [Government of Sweden] Swedish Schools Inspectorate: A separate national inspection authority began operating on 1 October 2008, separating inspection functions from the National Agency for Education. [Swedish Schools Inspectorate] Higher vocational education: A new national system for higher vocational education was introduced during the late 2000s to combine post-secondary study with labor-market needs. [Government of Sweden]
2010–2020: Key Updates & Reforms	Nuri Curriculum: A national common early-childhood curriculum for ages 3–5 was implemented in 2013. [Korea MOE] Free Semester: After pilot implementation beginning in 2013, the test-free Free Semester programme was extended to all middle schools in 2016. [OECD] Software education: Compulsory software education began in first-year middle schools in 2018 and was extended to elementary schools from 2019 under the 2015 revised curriculum. [Korea MOE]	Education Act and curriculum reform: The Education Act adopted in 2010 and reforms implemented from 2011 revised school governance, pupil rights, curricula and knowledge requirements. A–F grading: The six-step A–F grading scale replaced the previous grading system as part of the reforms introduced from 2011. Compulsory preschool class: From the autumn term of 2018, children normally became subject to compulsory schooling from the year they turn six. [Skolverket]
2020–2024: Key Updates & Reforms	Free high-school education: The nationwide rollout reached all high-school grades in 2021. [Korea MOE] 2022 Revised National Curriculum: The revised curriculum was finalized in 2022 and began phased implementation with elementary grades 1–2 in 2024, followed by additional grades from 2025. [Korea MOE] Neulbom School: The after-school education and care programme expanded to all elementary schools nationwide in the second semester of 2024. [Korea MOE]	Lgr22: Revised curricula and syllabuses for compulsory school, preschool class and school-age educare were introduced, with clearer subject content and revised assessment criteria. [Skolverket] Digital-device rules: Education legislation strengthened schools' authority to restrict student use of mobile phones and other electronic communication devices during instruction. Textbook investment: Government funding increased for printed teaching materials while national policy began placing greater emphasis on reading and more selective use of digital tools. [Government of Sweden]
2025–2026: Key Updates & Reforms	High School Credit System: The system was fully introduced for new high-school students in 2025. From the 2026 school year, credit-completion rules were adjusted so elective subjects use the attendance requirement without the previous minimum achievement threshold. [Korea MOE] AI education materials: The Ministry's 2026 plan expanded support for AI-based educational materials and AI-focused schools while allowing schools to select teaching materials according to their needs. [Korea MOE] University AI curricula: In 2026, the Ministry selected 20 universities for a new programme supporting general AI curricula for students across academic fields. [Korea MOE]	Gy25 subject grades: Students beginning upper-secondary education after 30 June 2025 moved from course-based grading to subject grades organized in progressive levels. [Skolverket] Preschool digital-tool changes: Curriculum amendments effective 1 July 2025 removed requirements to use digital learning tools and specified analogue materials for children under two, with digital use restricted for older preschool children. [Government of Sweden] Mobile-free compulsory schools: From 1 August 2026, pupils' mobile phones must generally be collected at the start of the school day and returned at the end, with specified exceptions. [Skolverket] Future compulsory-school and grading reforms: Parliament approved new curricula, a ten-year compulsory-school structure and a new 1–10 grading system with national final tests; major implementation stages are scheduled after 2026 rather than being treated as current practice. [Skolverket]

General Overview (Narrative)

South Korea and Sweden education system comparison: General Overview (Narrative)
Category	South Korea	Sweden
Overview	South Korea uses a 6-3-3-4 education structure with national policy led by the Ministry of Education and local administration carried out through 17 Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education and their local offices. Elementary and middle school provide nine years of compulsory education, while free high-school education has applied nationwide across all grades since 2021. The school year begins in March, and elementary, middle and high schools normally provide at least 190 instructional days. Korean is the main language of instruction. The system includes general and vocational high-school pathways, with vocational programmes accounting for 14.9% of upper-secondary enrollment in 2023. In PISA 2025, Korea scored 522 in mathematics, 501 in reading and 526 in science, with science recording the highest of the three scores. Higher education included 416 institutions in 2026, while the number of foreign students reached 307,464. Current school changes include the High School Credit System, the five-grade high-school internal ranking system for cohorts entering from 2025 and revised credit-completion rules from 2026. The Ministry is also expanding AI-related teaching support in schools and funding general AI curricula at selected universities.	Sweden operates a decentralized public/private education system under national legislation and curricula, with municipalities responsible for most public-school provision and publicly funded independent schools providing an alternative. Compulsory education currently begins with preschool class in the year a child turns six and continues through nine years of compulsory school, giving a standard compulsory duration of 10 years. Upper-secondary education normally lasts three years and includes both vocational and higher-education preparatory programs. Publicly funded schooling is tuition-free, while independent schools enrolled 17% of compulsory-school pupils in 2024/25. In PISA 2025, Sweden scored 464 in mathematics, 466 in reading and 485 in science; mathematics and reading were lower than in 2022, while science was about the same. Higher education includes 50 institutions in the broader official 2025 classification, including 18 universities and 12 university colleges. Incoming international students reached 46,920 in 2024/25. Current school changes include Gy25 subject grading, reduced digital-tool use in preschool and the nationwide mobile-free rule for compulsory schools introduced in August 2026.