How to Apply for KAIST Scholarship 2026 | Fully Funded

If you are a student looking to study at one of Asia’s most respected science and technology universities, the KAIST scholarship is one of the most attractive fully funded opportunities you will find anywhere in the world. South Korea’s Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, commonly known as KAIST, has a long history of offering generous financial support to international students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and the scholarship programs available in 2025 and 2026 are no exception.

In this guide, we are going to walk you through everything you need to know about the KAIST scholarship, including the different programs available, what each one covers, who is eligible to apply, how the application process works, and practical tips to help you put together a competitive application. Whether you are a high school graduate looking for a bachelor’s degree opportunity in South Korea or a postgraduate researcher aiming for a Master’s or PhD program, this article will help you understand exactly what is available and how to go about applying.

About KAIST: Why This Scholarship Matters

Before getting into the scholarship details, it is worth understanding exactly what KAIST is and why earning a scholarship there is such a significant opportunity. KAIST, formally the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, is a national public research university located in Daedeok Innopolis, Daejeon, South Korea. It was established by the Korean government in February 1971 as the country’s first public, research-oriented science and engineering institution. Its founding structure was shaped by an international team that included Frederick Emmons Terman, an American electrical engineer and vice-president of Stanford University, which gives you a sense of the intellectual ambitions that have driven the institution from the very beginning.

KAIST has two campuses in Daejeon and one campus in Seoul. The main campus and the Munji campus are both located in the Daedeok Innopolis science district in Daejeon, which is the largest science and technology research and development cluster in South Korea. It is home to some 50 public and private research institutes, universities, and high-tech venture companies. Most lectures, research activities, and housing services are based at the Daejeon main campus. The Seoul campus is home to the College of Business and the Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI, which is also known as the Graduate School of AI or GSAI. Daejeon is located approximately 150 kilometers south of Seoul, or about 85 miles from the capital.

In terms of rankings, KAIST consistently performs at a level that puts it among the very best universities in Asia and in the global top 100. According to QS World University Rankings 2025, KAIST is ranked 53rd in the world. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the university reached position 70 as of October 2025. The university has also earned first place in Asia’s Most Innovative University Rankings according to both QS and Reuters, and it ranks fourth on the Nature Index for Young Universities. These are not just numbers on a page. They reflect a genuine culture of research excellence and scientific innovation that makes studying at KAIST a truly world-class experience.

As of recent figures, KAIST has around 10,500 full-time students, including approximately 4,000 undergraduates and 6,000 postgraduates. The university has over 1,100 faculty researchers and a total annual budget that was reported at US$765 million, of which a large proportion comes from research grants. Students from more than 90 countries are enrolled at KAIST, and up to 80 to 90 percent of courses are taught in English, which makes the institution highly accessible to international applicants who are not fluent in Korean.

KAIST is organized into five colleges, six schools, and 38 departments and divisions. The colleges cover Natural Sciences, Life Science and Bioengineering, Engineering, Liberal Arts and Convergence Science, and Business. It also has affiliated institutions including the Korea Institute of Advanced Study (KIAS), the National NanoFab Center (NNFC), and the Korea Science Academy (KSA). In 2007, KAIST adopted dual degree programs in partnership with institutions including Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Technical University of Munich, Technical University of Denmark, and Technische Universitat Berlin.

One important fact that is often highlighted in KAIST materials is that full scholarships are given to all students including international students across the bachelor, master, and doctorate programs. This is not a selective handful of awards. It is a structural commitment by the university to fund its students and make education accessible. Understanding this helps explain why the KAIST scholarship is so attractive to students from around the world.

Types of KAIST Scholarships Available in 2025 and 2026

KAIST offers several distinct scholarship programs depending on the level of study and the academic profile of the applicant. Here is a breakdown of all the main scholarship opportunities currently available.

1. KAIST International Undergraduate Scholarship

The KAIST International Undergraduate Scholarship is available to international students who are applying to study at KAIST at the bachelor’s degree level. This is a fully funded scholarship that covers the complete cost of tuition fees for the entire four-year duration of the undergraduate program, which amounts to tuition exemption for eight semesters. In addition to full tuition coverage, the scholarship provides a monthly stipend of 300,000 Korean Won to help with living expenses.

This scholarship is awarded automatically upon admission. There is no separate scholarship application. When you apply to KAIST as an international undergraduate student and are admitted, the scholarship is part of your admission package. This makes the undergraduate scholarship process significantly more straightforward than at many other universities where scholarship applications are handled separately from admissions.

The undergraduate scholarship application has two periods each academic year. For the 2026 intake, the early admission deadline was October 23, 2025, and the regular admission deadline is January 6, 2026. Applications for future cycles will follow a similar pattern. The application fee is USD 80 or 80,000 Korean Won, and it is non-refundable. Fee waivers are available for students from Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen, as well as for students who rank in the top 5 percent of their high school class. Applicants who believe they qualify for a fee waiver must submit the relevant forms before the application window opens.

An interesting feature of KAIST’s undergraduate program is the open major system. Undergraduate students can enroll in a general education year before choosing their specific major, which gives them time to explore different disciplines before committing. Students who already know which major they want to pursue can select it from day one. However, the scholarship does not cover medical-related fields, so students interested in medicine should check alternative programs before applying.

2. KAIST International Graduate Student Scholarship

For Master’s and PhD international students, the KAIST scholarship system is slightly more complex because there are multiple scholarship tiers that students are automatically considered for based on their program, their college, and their academic profile. When you apply for graduate admission and select the KAIST Scholarship as your financial resource, you are automatically considered for one of three main scholarship programs: the KAIST Global Presidential Scholarship (KGPS), the KAIST Prestige Scholarship for International PhD Students (KPS), or the KAIST Centre of Excellence PhD Fellowship. Here is how each of these works:

KAIST Global Presidential Scholarship (KGPS)

The KAIST Global Presidential Scholarship, commonly abbreviated as KGPS, is available to international applicants applying for Master’s programs or Master’s-PhD Integrated programs. It is open to all departments at KAIST, with the exception of the Global Technology Innovation Program track known as the GDI-GTIP Track.

The KGPS provides full tuition coverage for four regular semesters, which covers the standard two-year duration of a Master’s degree at KAIST, plus a monthly stipend of 1,000,000 Korean Won. This stipend is meant to help cover accommodation and daily living expenses. Graduate students at KAIST are generally expected to use their monthly stipend to cover housing costs, as the scholarship itself does not pay for accommodation separately.

Master’s and Master’s-PhD Integrated program applicants who select the KAIST Scholarship option are automatically considered for the KGPS, but only the most competitive applicants will receive a recommendation from their department head. The KGPS is therefore not guaranteed to every admitted student. It is awarded to a select group of the strongest applicants within each department’s admitted cohort.

KAIST Prestige Scholarship for International PhD Students (KPS)

The KAIST Prestige Scholarship, or KPS, is targeted specifically at PhD applicants. It is available across all departments within the College of Engineering. Eligible applicants are automatically considered for this scholarship as part of the admissions process. Students who demonstrate outstanding academic and research achievements will receive a recommendation from their department head, with the final selection decision made by the college dean.

The KPS provides full tuition coverage for eight semesters, which corresponds to the standard duration of a PhD program at KAIST, along with a monthly stipend of 300,000 Korean Won. The recommendation process for the KPS is handled entirely at the departmental and college level and does not require any additional action from the applicant.

KAIST Centre of Excellence PhD Fellowship (CoE PhD Fellowship)

The KAIST Centre of Excellence PhD Fellowship is the most prestigious and financially generous of KAIST’s internal scholarship programs. It is available only to applicants for Master’s-PhD Integrated programs and PhD programs. Highly qualified candidates with exceptional academic records are automatically considered for these fellowship positions.

The CoE PhD Fellowship provides full tuition coverage for four years, which is the standard fellowship period, plus a monthly fellowship payment of 2,500,000 Korean Won. This stipend is funded 50 percent by the Centre of Excellence and 50 percent by the individual department or professor. The fellowship is conditioned on satisfactory progress toward degree requirements, and recipients are required to commit full-time to their laboratory and cannot receive other financial aid concurrently while holding the CoE PhD Fellowship.

To put the stipend figures in context, 2,500,000 Korean Won per month translates to approximately USD 1,900 per month at typical exchange rates. For a PhD student living in Daejeon, where the cost of living is considerably lower than Seoul or major Western cities, this is a genuinely livable income that covers accommodation, food, transportation, and other personal expenses with room to spare.

3. The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS)

In addition to KAIST’s own internal scholarship programs, international students can also apply for the Global Korea Scholarship, commonly known as GKS, which is a Korean government scholarship administered by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED). The GKS is a separate and fully funded scholarship that can be used to study at KAIST among other Korean universities.

The GKS typically covers full tuition, a monthly stipend, round-trip airfare, accommodation, health insurance, Korean language training fees, and a settlement allowance upon arrival. The application timeline for the GKS varies and is separate from KAIST’s own admissions process. Students can pursue the GKS alongside their KAIST admission application to maximize their chances of securing full funding.

It is worth noting that students cannot hold both KAIST’s internal scholarship and the GKS simultaneously in most cases. If you win the GKS, it typically replaces KAIST’s internal funding arrangements. However, both pathways lead to a fully funded experience at KAIST, so pursuing both applications is still a smart strategy for maximizing your opportunities.

What the KAIST Scholarship Covers

Here is a clear summary of what the KAIST scholarship covers at each level:

Undergraduate Level

The undergraduate scholarship covers complete tuition fee exemption for eight semesters, which is four academic years. It also includes a monthly living stipend of 300,000 Korean Won. Students are responsible for their own accommodation costs, food, travel, and other personal expenses, which they typically fund from their monthly stipend and any part-time work they take on.

Master’s Level

At the Master’s level, the scholarship under the KGPS provides full tuition coverage for four semesters and a monthly stipend of 1,000,000 Korean Won. National health insurance fees are covered by the recipient’s academic advisor or department. Students cover accommodation and daily living costs from their monthly stipend.

PhD Level

For PhD students, coverage depends on which scholarship tier they receive. The KPS provides full tuition for eight semesters and a monthly stipend of 300,000 Korean Won. The CoE PhD Fellowship provides full tuition for four years and a monthly stipend of 2,500,000 Korean Won. National health insurance is covered by the department or advisor. PhD students in research programs typically also receive additional research assistantship funding from their laboratory or advisor, which can supplement the base scholarship stipend significantly.

It is also worth pointing out something that several scholarship sources note about the variation in stipend figures. KAIST funding is not one single fixed stipend for everyone. The base monthly allowance described at admission is the guaranteed floor, but the actual monthly support a student receives can vary based on degree level, college and department, research involvement, and any additional lab funding they receive from their advisor. Many graduate students at KAIST end up receiving more than the base stipend once research assistantship payments are added on top.

Eligibility Requirements for the KAIST Scholarship

The eligibility conditions for the KAIST scholarship differ slightly between the undergraduate and graduate programs, but here are the core requirements that apply across the board:

For the Undergraduate Scholarship

You must be an international student, which means you cannot hold Korean citizenship. Applicants of Korean ethnicity who were born abroad must additionally demonstrate that neither of their parents holds Korean citizenship, or satisfy a separate set of requirements specified by the university. You must have a high school diploma or its equivalent from your home country. You must meet the university’s minimum academic admissions criteria, which includes a strong academic record in mathematics and science subjects. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 out of 4.3 is required to maintain scholarship eligibility after your freshman year at KAIST. Submission of English proficiency test scores is optional for the undergraduate program but highly recommended. If you studied at a high school where English was the primary language of instruction, you can request an exemption and provide a letter from your school confirming this.

For the Graduate Scholarship

You must be an international student without Korean citizenship. For a Master’s program, you must hold or expect to hold a bachelor’s degree before enrollment at KAIST. For a PhD program, you must hold or expect to hold both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree before enrollment. Students in their final year of a bachelor’s or master’s program can apply, provided they will have completed the degree before the enrollment date.

English proficiency is generally required for the graduate scholarship. KAIST accepts TOEFL iBT scores of 83 or above (equivalent to PBT 560 or CBT 220), and IELTS scores are also accepted. KAIST’s TOEFL institution code is 0195. Students from English-speaking countries or students who completed their previous degree at an institution where English was the full medium of instruction can apply for an English proficiency test waiver. The waiver conditions depend on your citizenship and the country where you studied, and you will need to provide official documentation confirming English as your medium of instruction.

Applicants holding dual citizenship where one of those citizenships is Korean face additional and more complex conditions. If you are of Korean ethnicity regardless of your place of birth, you must additionally satisfy one of two specific requirements: neither of your parents holds Korean citizenship, or another condition specified by the university’s international admissions office. Students who do not meet these conditions cannot apply through the international admissions route and must instead apply through KAIST’s general domestic admissions process.

How to Apply for the KAIST Scholarship

One of the most reassuring aspects of the KAIST scholarship system is that for most programs, there is no separate scholarship application. The scholarship consideration is embedded directly into the admissions process. Here is how the application process works step by step for both undergraduate and graduate applicants:

For Undergraduate Applicants

Step one is to visit the official KAIST undergraduate international admissions portal and complete the online application form with the required personal and academic information. Step two is to pay the application fee of USD 80 or 80,000 Korean Won. This fee is non-refundable, though students in eligible categories can apply for a waiver before the application period opens. Step three is to upload all required documents on the application portal. These documents must be certified by your school principal or the head of your institution and must be clear and legible. Required documents typically include official high school transcripts, a recommendation letter from your school principal, proof of citizenship and identity, and any English proficiency test scores if you are submitting them. Step four is to wait for the admissions decision. If you are admitted, your scholarship is automatically awarded as part of your admission package.

For Graduate Applicants

Step one is to visit the KAIST graduate admissions portal and begin the online application. For the graduate process, it is strongly recommended that you reach out to potential faculty advisors before submitting your application, particularly if you are applying for a PhD program. PhD applicants must identify one specific faculty member as their desired academic advisor and register that faculty member’s name in the Faculty section of the application. Master’s program applicants can list up to three faculty members in their research area. Step two is to select the KAIST Scholarship option in the Statement of Financial Resources section of the online application. This is the step that flags your interest in scholarship consideration. If you do not check this box, you will not be considered for the KAIST scholarship programs. Step three is to pay the USD 80 non-refundable application fee. Step four is to upload all required documents. These include official academic transcripts from all institutions you have attended, your English proficiency test scores unless you qualify for a waiver, two letters of recommendation, a personal statement, a study or research plan, and a scanned copy of your national ID and related documents. Step five is to ensure that your recommendation letters are submitted by the recommendation letter deadline, which is typically set a few days after the main application deadline. Recommenders submit their letters through the online portal directly, so you should request letters well in advance.

For the Fall 2025 intake, the graduate application deadline was March 25, 2025 at 5 PM Korea Standard Time, with recommendation letters due by April 2, 2025 at 6 PM. For the Spring 2026 intake, the application deadline was September 2, 2025. For future intakes, always check the official KAIST admissions calendar at kaist.ac.kr for the most current deadlines.

Scholarship Maintenance Requirements

Receiving the KAIST scholarship is the beginning of the journey, not the end. There are academic conditions you must maintain to keep your scholarship active throughout your time at the university.

For undergraduate students, the primary condition is maintaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 out of 4.3. This requirement applies from after your freshman year onward. If your GPA drops below this threshold, your scholarship eligibility may be affected. The calculation is based on your academic record at KAIST itself, not your pre-admission grades.

For graduate students receiving the CoE PhD Fellowship, the conditions are more specific. Fellowship recipients must make satisfactory progress toward their degree requirements as evaluated by their department, must remain in enrolled academic status, and must commit full-time to their laboratory. They are also not permitted to hold other financial aid concurrently with the CoE PhD Fellowship, which is designed to be the primary source of funding for those who receive it.

Graduate students receiving the base KAIST scholarship through the KGPS or KPS are expected to maintain academic standing appropriate to their program. Exact GPA or progress requirements are communicated by the department upon enrollment.

Life at KAIST as a Scholarship Student

Understanding what daily life looks like at KAIST is important when you are deciding whether to apply. The university provides a comprehensive living environment on its main Daejeon campus. There are 29 dormitories on campus for undergraduate and graduate students, with separate facilities for male and female students and apartment-style accommodations for married students located nearby. The dormitories are an affordable and convenient housing option, and most scholarship students choose to live on campus at least for the first year or two.

The Daedeok Innopolis area where the main campus is located is a purposefully built science and technology district. It is quieter and more focused than Seoul, which some students find ideal for research and study. If you need the energy of a major city, Seoul is accessible by KTX high-speed rail in under an hour. The Seoul campus provides students in the College of Business and the Graduate School of AI with access to Korea’s capital and its business and tech ecosystem directly.

KAIST places a strong emphasis on research, and even undergraduate students are encouraged to participate in research activities through the Undergraduate Research Participation (URP) Program, which provides both research experience and financial support to around 200 students per year. Graduate students at KAIST are expected to publish research in internationally recognized academic journals as a condition of graduation, which reflects the institution’s deep commitment to research output.

In terms of campus life beyond academics, KAIST has clubs and societies covering a wide range of interests, and the university holds regular cultural events including opera, drama, pop concerts, dance, and classical recitals. Life at KAIST is intellectually intensive but not without its social dimensions, especially for students who make an effort to get involved in the campus community.

One additional benefit worth mentioning for students who are concerned about military service requirements: doctoral students at KAIST receive military-exemption benefits from South Korea’s compulsory military service. This applies to Korean citizens enrolled in PhD programs and is one of the practical benefits that makes doctoral study at KAIST especially attractive for Korean male students. International students are not subject to Korean military service requirements in any case.

Why the KAIST Scholarship is Worth Applying For

There are several strong reasons why the KAIST scholarship deserves serious consideration from any student interested in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or business at the graduate level.

First, the financial support is genuinely comprehensive. A full tuition waiver combined with a monthly stipend and health insurance coverage means that most scholarship recipients can study at KAIST without needing support from their families or taking on significant debt. For students from developing countries in particular, this is a life-changing level of financial support.

Second, the academic and research environment at KAIST is among the best in Asia and in the world. KAIST graduates account for 20 percent of all engineering doctorates in South Korea and 10 percent of all engineering professionals in the country. Nearly 25 percent of the research and development personnel at Samsung Electronics are KAIST graduates. Many KAIST alumni have also gone on to establish their own businesses, with over 800 startups founded by KAIST graduates as of recent counts. This track record reflects the career-level value of a KAIST degree and makes the scholarship even more impactful in the long run.

Third, the English-language instruction policy makes KAIST genuinely accessible to international students who do not speak Korean. With 80 to 90 percent of courses conducted in English and strong support systems for international students, the transition to studying in South Korea is far easier than at many other Asian universities.

Fourth, KAIST’s dual degree partnerships with institutions like Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Tech, Technical University of Munich, and Technische Universitat Berlin mean that ambitious students can work toward degrees from two world-class institutions simultaneously, opening doors that would not otherwise be accessible.

Tips to Strengthen Your KAIST Scholarship Application

Given how competitive admissions are at KAIST, here are some practical things you can do to improve the strength of your application:

For graduate applicants, contact potential faculty advisors before submitting your application. This is especially important for PhD applicants, who must identify a specific faculty advisor in their application. Reaching out early to a professor whose research aligns with your interests demonstrates initiative and helps you understand whether your research goals are a good fit for that lab. A faculty member who already knows you and your work is much more likely to support your application internally.

Write a strong and specific research or study plan. The study plan is one of the most important documents in your graduate application. It should not be generic. Write clearly about your specific research interests, the faculty member or research group you want to work with at KAIST, and how your previous academic and research experience has prepared you for this path. The admissions committee at KAIST is evaluating your potential as a researcher, and a clear, focused research plan is one of the strongest signals you can send.

Choose your recommenders carefully. Two letters of recommendation are required, and they should come from people who can speak in detail about your academic ability and your research potential. A letter from a professor who supervised your thesis or research project will carry significantly more weight than a generic character reference.

Apply to the early deadline if you are an undergraduate applicant. Two application periods are available each year, and applying during the first period gives you a longer runway to sort out any issues with your documents and also signals strong commitment.

Make sure your academic transcripts clearly show your grades in math and science subjects. KAIST places particular weight on performance in quantitative and scientific disciplines, and these are the grades that selection committees pay the most attention to.

Final Thoughts

The KAIST scholarship is one of the most generous and accessible fully funded study opportunities available to international students in Asia. Whether you are applying for the undergraduate scholarship that covers your complete four-year tuition and provides a monthly living allowance, the graduate KGPS scholarship for Master’s study, the PhD-level KPS, or the prestigious CoE PhD Fellowship with its substantial monthly stipend, the financial support available at KAIST is designed to let you focus entirely on your research and studies without the distraction of financial stress.

What makes KAIST particularly special is the combination of serious financial support and a genuinely world-class academic environment. This is not a scholarship to a second-tier institution. KAIST is ranked in the QS top 100 globally, operates powerful research programs in fields from artificial intelligence and robotics to bioscience and sustainable energy, and connects its graduates to careers at leading organizations across Korea and around the world.

If you are serious about applying, start by visiting the official KAIST admissions pages at apply.kaist.ac.kr for undergraduate applications and gradapply.kaist.ac.kr for graduate applications. Check the latest application deadlines, review the program offerings, and if you are a prospective graduate student, start reaching out to faculty members whose research interests align with yours. The earlier you start preparing, the stronger your application will be.

Opportunities like the KAIST scholarship do not come around every day. If you have the academic foundation and the drive to study at one of Asia’s finest research universities, this is the time to take it seriously and apply.

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