(C) Sangji University

WONJU, South Korea — Sangji University has solidified its reputation as a leading institution for career development, recording the second-highest employment rate among four-year universities in the Gangwon region. According to the "2024 Higher Education Institution Graduate Employment Statistics Survey" released on December 31, 2025, the university achieved a robust employment rate of 65.1%.

Resilience Amidst a National Downturn
The university’s performance is particularly noteworthy given the current economic climate. Data from the Ministry of Education and Statistics Korea reveal that the national average employment rate for higher education institutions fell by 0.8 percentage points compared to the previous year. In contrast, Sangji University successfully minimized its decline to a mere 0.1 percentage points. This means the university’s fluctuation rate was more than eight times lower than the national average, demonstrating remarkable stability and a "recession-proof" career support system.

Strategic Support and Local Integration
The secret behind Sangji University's success lies in its practical, result-oriented support measures. The university has aggressively expanded opportunities that lead directly to hiring, such as:

On-campus Job Fairs: Connecting students directly with regional and national recruiters.
Corporate Partnership Programs: Developing curricula tailored to the specific needs of industry leaders.
Customized Career Counseling: Providing personalized, one-on-one coaching throughout the entire job-seeking process.
Government Policy Alignment: Actively integrating national youth employment policies to offer students tangible financial and administrative benefits.

Beyond the numbers, Sangji University has been focusing on "regional-specialized human resource development." By aligning its academic programs with the strategic industries of Wonju—such as medical equipment, digital healthcare, and green energy—the university ensures that its graduates are exactly what local employers are looking for.

A Vision for Future Competitiveness
"These results are a testament to the collective efforts of our students, faculty, and staff, even amidst a challenging job market," said Shin Seung-yeop, Dean of Student Affairs and Employment. "Moving forward, we plan to further refine our support systems to reflect the evolving demands of regional industries and society, ensuring that our graduates continue to achieve measurable success in their professional lives."

Looking ahead to 2026, Sangji University plans to bolster its digital literacy programs and global internship opportunities. By diversifying career paths into emerging tech sectors and international markets, the university aims to maintain its upward trajectory and serve as a central hub for talent in the Gangwon area.

While many universities struggle with the "mismatch" between academic majors and industry requirements, Sangji University has bridged this gap through its "LINC+" (Leaders in Industry-university Cooperation) initiatives. Recent trends show that graduates from specialized fields such as Oriental Medicine, Health Sciences, and Social Welfare at Sangji consistently outperform national averages, contributing significantly to the university’s overall ranking in the province.