KAIST is the MIT of South Korea. It is a hyper-elite research institute focused entirely on STEM and tech-management. Because KAIST has a massive endowment and strong government backing, almost every international student who is admitted receives the KAIST International Scholarship automatically.
Quick Overview
Full Requirements & Details
Academic Requirements
- Min. CGPA
- 3.5
- Offer Degrees
- Bachelors, Masters, PhD
- Subjects
- Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics
- Seats Available
- Hundreds annually
- Study Gap Allowed
- No Restrictions (Gap Allowed)
- Research Publication
- Optional
- Work Experience
- No
- Age Range
- No Age Limit
Language Requirements
- IELTS
- Min. 6.5
- TOEFL
- Min. 83.0
- GRE
- Not Required
- Local Language
- Korean
- Local Lang Test
- No
- Study Languages
- English
Financial Details
- Type
- Full
- Fund Details
- 100% Tuition waiver, national health insurance, and monthly stipend (approx. KRW 350,000 undergrad; KRW 300k - 1M+ for graduate).
- Monthly Stipend
- KRW 350000/mo
- Tuition
- Full
- Living Costs
- Full
- Travel & Health
- No / None
- Application Fee
- 80
- Spouse Allowed
- No
What Matters Most
Required Documents
Why You Should Apply
You do not need to speak a word of Korean to attend KAIST; virtually all classes are taught in English. If you are admitted, the scholarship guarantees a 100% tuition waiver and provides health insurance. Undergraduates receive a living stipend of about 350,000 KRW per month.
Graduate students receive stipends funded by their supervising professor's research grants, which can range from 300,000 KRW to over 1,000,000 KRW depending on the lab's funding status.
Application Process
There is no separate scholarship application. During the online admissions process via the KAIST portal, you simply check a box requesting the KAIST Scholarship. Graduate applicants must secure an advising professor prior to admission, as that professor will be paying your living stipend out of their research budget.
How to Win This Scholarship
Because the scholarship is automatic upon admission, the real challenge is getting admitted. KAIST only cares about hard academic metrics. Your math and physics grades must be flawless.
If you are an undergrad applicant, high standardized test scores (SAT, AP, A-Levels) are practically mandatory, even if they say 'optional.' For graduate students, it is entirely about your research fit with a specific lab. Comb through the faculty directories, read recent publications, and cold-email professors asking if they have funding space for a new graduate researcher in the upcoming cycle.
Benefits After Completing Study
A KAIST degree is an absolute golden ticket into elite tech giants like Samsung, LG, and Hyundai, as well as global Silicon Valley companies.
To maintain the scholarship, undergraduates must keep a GPA of 2.7/4.3. Unlike the GKS scholarship, KAIST does NOT pay for your flight to Korea, so you must cover your own relocation expenses.
Official Source
For complete details and to verify all requirements, please refer to the scholarship provider's official website.
Visit Official Source