History
Pusan National University was founded in May 1946 with the establishment ideology of truth, liberty and devotion. Although the University started initially with just two faculties, the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Fisheries, since then, it has grown into a major research level institution covering all the major disciplines within academia.
Education
The University now comprises fifteen colleges, one independent division, one general graduate school, four professional graduate schools and five special graduate schools, and contributes to the development of the nation by producing prominent experts and talented leaders:
- College of Humanities
- College of Social Sciences
- College of Natural Sciences
- College of Engineering
- College of Education
- College of Pharmacy
- School of Medicine
- College of Arts
- College of Human Ecology
- College of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
- College of Natural Resource and Life Sciences
- College of Nursing
- School of Business
- College of Economics and International Trade
- College of Information and Biomedical Engineering
- Division of Sport Science
Research
The university's research institutes and centers focus on areas such as: humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, medicine & pharmacy.
- PNU-RR University Technology Center - technology development and joint research in the aviation, marine, shipbuilding, and energy sectors
- PNU-IGB International Research Institute - industrial research and development, nanobiotechnology and medicine
- PNU-IFAM Joint Research Center - materials and production engineering
Career
The Mirae Human Resource Development Center is dedicated to providing counsel and support to students in their search for employment. It provides thorough career education and develops the vocational ability of students in a way that reinforces their competencies while offering a range of counseling programs that help students overcome interpersonal conflicts and career hurdles.
Pusan National University Key Statistics & Highlights
- #401 Ranking
- 25 Scholarships
- 1,187 Academic Staff
- 36,548 Students
- 1,547 Students (int'l)
- Public Institution Type
Pusan National University Overview
Pusan National University Scholarships
Pusan National University Scholarships
Below you will find scholarships related to Pusan National University. Distinction can be made between scholarships provided by the University and those provided by independent providers.
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Pusan National University Rankings
Study Portals Meta Ranking
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
Academic Ranking of World Universities
By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend Academic Ranking of World Universities
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 401 | 401 | 401 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
QS World University Rankings
By TopUniversities
Climbed 51 places compared to 2025
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend QS World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 611 | 524 | 473 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
World University Rankings
By Times Higher Education
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 501 | 501 | 501 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Best Global Universities Rankings
By U.S. News & World Report
This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2026 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
3 year trend Best Global Universities Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 718 | - | - |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Student services
Professional counselors provide advice on psychology, personality and other issues; services include regular group psychological testing, group counseling sessions by theme, and helping students to explore career options based on their aptitude and to conduct successful job searches.
Housing services
The PNU dormitories, also known as “college living halls”, accommodate 16% of the student body for a total of 4,436 students. The basic structure of the college living hall is 2 students to a room, with shared communal facilities such as showers, toilets, and a gym. The BTL (Built-Transfer-Lease) dormitories, Ungbi Hall (in Busan) and the Haengrim Hall (in Yangsan), both built in 2009, have individual heating systems, air conditioning, toilets, and showers to minimize the inconveniences of communal life.
Library services
The library has a collection consisting of 2,090,000 books, over 50,000 types of periodicals, and 30,000 domestic and foreign e-books. It operates numerous specialized data rooms such as the Classics Archives, the North Korean data room, the employment support materials room, and the center for foreign journals as well as other sections such as the international education section.
ICT services
- E-reading rooms (3 rooms, 115 seats)
- E-classrooms (3 rooms, 134 seats, classrooms for the practical use of computers)
- Supports education research and provides administrative support for practical computer training
- Information Security Training Center, a dedicated lecture room (1 room, 60 seats)
- Help Desk (state-of-the-art classroom, equipment operation, and consultation support for various problems)
Campus life
The university has four campuses: Busan, Yangsan, Miryang and Ami.
Busan is the second largest city in Korea with a population of 3.6 million people, and is a center of marine logistics in Northeast Asia with one of the world’s five super ports, which serves as gateway opening the Eurasian continent to the world.
Sports facilities
- A modern stadium and running track laid with artificial grass and urethane for various sporting events such as soccer, track, and football
- Kyungam Gymnasium: a state-of-the-art sports complex where research and sports occur simultaneously
- One of the most advanced university gymnasiums in Korea, spanning five stories with a total floor area of 12,572m^2
- Research Wing: research rooms, classrooms, and laboratories for experiments
- Sports Wing: gymnasium (1,600 seats), squash courts (first floor), fitness room, golf practice room, gymnastics studio, martial arts studio, dance studio (2nd floor), the main stadium (3rd floor), and gym (4th floor) with modern facilities
- Open to students, faculty, staff, and alumni
Student clubs
There are over 80 student clubs registered at the student club union, in addition to the clubs operated within departments and colleges in PNU. Student clubs can be divided into a range of categories, including academic and ideological clubs, general information and social services clubs, arts and culture clubs, sports clubs, literature and exhibition clubs, martial arts clubs, and religious clubs.
Accreditation
Pusan National University has IEQAS Accreditation (International Education Quality Assurance System).
Pusan National University Campus Locations
Pusan National University Student Reviews & Awards
Based on 12 reviews
- 5 Star 5 Reviews
- 4 Star 6 Reviews
- 3 Star 0 Reviews
- 2 Star 1 Review
- 1 Star 0 Reviews
I love the university
The professor’s are all helpful and overall is a great university
A journey!
My experience was good. The program was fun and interesting and the professor are so open minded and friendly.
PNU review
Pusan National University provides high-quality educational experience with various programs for personal growth and development