Admissions are now open for the Spring 2026 semester at KAIST University, one of the world's top-ranked educational institutions. Ready to begin your journey in South Korea? Inspired by the Korean lifestyle and college life? Applications are now open for the KAIST Graduate Scholarship for International Students for the Spring 2026 semester . The KAIST Graduate Scholarship is open to international students from all countries pursuing master's , master's leading to doctoral , and doctoral programs . KAIST welcomes students from all over the world . Final-year undergraduate students are also eligible to apply. Below are more details about the application process, scholarship benefits, and requirements for the KAIST Graduate Scholarship.
Details about the KAIST Graduate Scholarship for 2026 (Early Track Spring 2026)
- Host country : South Korea
- University Name : Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
- Who can apply : Master's and PhD
- Study begins : March 2, 2026
- Financial Benefits : Fully Funded
- Application deadline: September 2, 2025
Scholarship Benefits
KAIST University offers various types of scholarship programs. Selected students will automatically be considered for a doctoral fellowship from KGPS, KPS, or KAIST CoE.
- KAIST University Scholarship
- KAIST Presidential Global Scholarship (KGPS)
- Prestigious KAIST Scholarship for International Doctoral Students (KPS)
- Doctoral Fellowship at the Center of Excellence of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
- The application timeline for the GKS (Korean Government) Scholarship varies.
KAIST University Scholarship Benefits
- Total tuition fee waiver for 4 semesters for Master's degree candidates, 10 semesters for Integrated Master's and Doctoral candidates, and 8 semesters for Doctoral candidates.
- Monthly Stipend : Students will cover their accommodation and other expenses from their monthly stipend.
- National Health Insurance Premium
Benefits of the KAIST Presidential Global Scholarship (KGPS)
- Full scholarship: 4 semesters (Master's, PhD)
- Monthly salary guarantee: 1,000,000 KRW for 4 semesters
Benefits of the Prestigious KAIST Scholarship for International Doctoral Students (KPS)
- Full scholarship: 8 semesters (Master's, PhD)
- Monthly salary guarantee: 300,000 Korean won
Benefits of the Doctoral Fellowship at the Center of Excellence of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
- Full scholarship: 4 academic years
- Monthly salary guarantee: 2,500,000 Korean won
Benefits of the GKS Scholarship at KAIST (Global Korean Scholarship)
- Full tuition fees
- monthly salary
- stay
- flight tickets
- insurance
- books
Degrees and Programs Offered at KAIST
- Faculty of Natural Sciences
- Life Sciences and Bioengineering
- College of Engineering
- College of Arts and Related Sciences
- College of Business Administration
Eligibility criteria
- The scholarship is open only to international students who do not hold Korean citizenship.
- You must show a bachelor's degree if you are applying for a master's program.
- You must show proof of your master's degree if you are applying for a doctoral degree program.
- Final year students can also apply.
- More than 80 to 90% of lectures are delivered in English.
- Required grades for English language proficiency:
- TOEFL iBT Test: 83
- IELTS: 6.5
- Test of English for International Communication: 720
- TEPS: 326
English Language Proficiency Exemption Request
You can apply for an exemption from the English language test if you meet one of the following conditions:
If you are from one of the countries listed below or completed your previous education from the countries listed below, you do not need to submit an EPT score.
- Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States of America
You do not need to submit an EPT score if you are a citizen of one of the following countries and have completed an academic qualification from one of these countries.
- Botswana, Cameroon, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Federated States of Micronesia, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Republic of South Africa, Sudan, Republic of South Sudan, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
- Read the Eligibility
Required documents
All documents must be submitted in Korean or English:
- A secondary copy of your national ID card.
- Scanned copies of your parents' national ID cards.
- A family registration certificate proving your relationship with your parents.
- Certificates for all completed degrees.
- If the degree is incomplete, submit a certificate or official letter stating your expected graduation date.
- English Proficiency Report (conducted within two years from September 2024).
- Two letters of recommendation from your academic advisors.
- If the letters of recommendation are from your employer, submit your resume.
- Badges, awards, and proof of employment.
How to apply for KAIST Graduate Scholarship 2026?
- Complete the online application form. The online application system is available at the following link:https://gradapply.kaist.ac.kr/intergradapply/
- Pay the $80 application fee, which is non-refundable.
- Read FAQs
- Read Eligibility Criteria
- The link to the official scholarship announcement is below.