Which university students in Seoul pay the most for a studio apartment?

This year, those near Sungkyunkwan University’s campus in central Seoul’s Jongno District face the highest rents, after prices in the area surged over the past year to overtake former champion Ewha Womans University.

The average monthly rent for dwellings of 33 square meters (355 square feet) or smaller near Sungkyunkwan University's humanities and social sciences campus stood at 738,000 won ($510) last month, based on a security deposit of 10 million won, according to data released by real estate platform Dabang on Tuesday. That marked an 18.1 percent jump from 625,000 won a year earlier.

One-room apartments, as they are called in Korea, are self-contained studio units with a single multifunctional space that combines sleeping, living and cooking areas, and are commonly located near universities or office districts.

The area around Ewha Womans University in western Seoul's Seodaemun District, ranked second at 711,000 won, followed by Yonsei University in Seodaemun District at 683,000 won and Korea University in central Seoul's Seongbuk District, at 663,000 won.

Hanyang University in eastern Seoul's Seongdong District recorded an average of 642,000 won, while Kyung Hee University in Dongdaemun District, also in eastern Seoul, stood at 622,000 won.

Sogang University in western Seoul's Mapo District and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Dongdaemun District both posted 599,000 won. Seoul National University in central Seoul's Gwanak District averaged 489,000 won and Chung-Ang University in southern Seoul's Dongjak District 469,000 won.

Across the 10 university areas, the average monthly rent reached 622,000 won, up 2 percent from 609,000 won a year earlier. The figure marked the highest level since Dabang began compiling the data in 2019.

By rate of increase, rents near Sungkyunkwan University rose the most, followed by Hanyang University at 11.3 percent, Korea University at 9.8 percent, Yonsei University at 6.2 percent and Seoul National University at 1.9 percent.

In contrast, rents fell near several campuses. Monthly rents around Chung-Ang University dropped 11 percent from a year earlier, while those near Sogang University fell 6.7 percent, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies 5.1 percent and Ewha Womans University 4 percent. Rents near Kyung Hee University were unchanged.

The average monthly utility fee across the 10 areas stood at 82,000 won, up 5.1 percent from 78,000 won a year earlier.

Utility fees near Chung-Ang University climbed 21.4 percent on-year to 102,000 won, tying for the highest among the surveyed districts. The area around Ewha Womans University also recorded 102,000 won, despite a 2.9 percent decline from a year earlier, leaving the two districts tied for the top spot.

“Average monthly rents for one-room apartments in major university districts in Seoul, which had been rising since August 2024, edged down slightly in July last year before rebounding," a Dabang official said. "The strength in the monthly rental market appears to have affected university areas as well.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY KIM JUN-YOUNG [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]