Dong-A University

What Dong-A University does

Dong-A University is a private higher-education institution headquartered in Busan, South Korea, with three campuses in Seo-gu and Saha-gu: the Bumin Campus (administration), Guduk Campus (College of Medicine, College of Nursing, and the affiliated Dong-A University Hospital), and Seunghak Campus (humanities, engineering, natural sciences, and arts). Founded in 1946 by Dr. Jeong-Jae Hwan Seokdang as a Korean private university, the institution is the No. 1 private university in Busan, is ranked 13th in South Korea by undergraduate enrollment, and claims an alumni base of 230,000. It operates undergraduate, general graduate, and specialized graduate schools spanning approximately 15 colleges, with notable newer programs in Artificial Intelligence (Department of AI established 2021), Software, Computer Engineering, and Semiconductors.

The university's core technology and product surface comprises three notable offerings: the E-Class Learning Management System (eclass.donga.ac.kr) for course management, lecture scheduling, and academic administration; the DongA Cloud Service providing institutional cloud storage and computing resources to students, faculty, and staff; and the Dong-A Korean Language Institute, which runs Korean language courses on a four-semester-per-year calendar with rolling admissions and capped class sizes of 15 students. Identity, email, and collaboration are delivered through Microsoft Office 365 and institutional Google Workspace accounts at @donga.ac.kr/@dau.ac.kr, and the campus participates in the global eduroam Wi-Fi roaming service.

Dong-A's revenue is generated primarily through tuition and academic fees for undergraduate and graduate programs, Korean Language Course tuition (KRW 1,300,000 per semester), and government-funded scholarships including the Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP). Enrollment is sourced domestically through the admissions office and internationally through the Office of International Affairs, which manages 334 partner-institution relationships across 39 countries and 1,526 international students from 47 countries. Distribution is direct-to-consumer: students apply via the international admissions portal (dongaoia.donga.ac.kr), supported by marketing through the university's English and Korean websites, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and international education fairs. The affiliated Dong-A University Hospital provides an integrated clinical training and employment channel for nursing and medical students, contributing to a reported 90%+ graduate employment rate in the College of Nursing.

Name

Dong-A University

Legal name

Dong-A University (동아대학교)

Website

https://english.donga.ac.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Dong-A University is a private South Korean university in Busan founded in 1946, offering undergraduate and graduate programs across roughly 15 colleges to domestic and international students (1,526 from 47 countries), with revenue from tuition and KGSP scholarships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Universities with Specialized Engineering Domains (EDAHAEAI)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate programs
• Korean language courses
• International student admissions

Headquarters

HQ city

Busan

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition, Korean Language Course fees (1,300,000 KRW per semester), and specialized graduate school programs.
2. Korean Language Institute Programs: Semester-based tuition fees for Korean language education programs serving international students and learners.
3. Government Grants and Scholarships: KGSP (Korean Government Scholarship Program) and other government-funded educational grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dong-A University is a private higher education institution that delivers undergraduate, graduate, and specialized graduate degree programs across 15 colleges spanning humanities, natural sciences, engineering, medicine, business, nursing, and arts. It also operates a Korean Language Institute that provides semester-based Korean language training to international learners and administers international student admissions and exchange programs through its Office of International Affairs.

Product overview

Dong-A University operates as a comprehensive private university in Busan, South Korea, with three campuses (Seunghak, Bumin, and Gudeok). The university's technology-enabled educational services include the E-Class Learning Management System (LMS) for online course delivery and academic administration, and the DongA Cloud Service for institutional cloud computing. The Dong-A Korean Language Institute provides dedicated language education programs for international students. Founded in 1946 with approximately 230,000 alumni, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs across 14 colleges including Engineering, Medicine, Natural Sciences, and Software, with notable programs in Artificial Intelligence (established 2021), Computer Engineering, and Semiconductors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs Degree programs across 15 colleges including humanities, sciences, engineering, medicine, business, arts, and sports, delivered to Korean and international undergraduate students across three campuses.
• Graduate Degree Programs Master's, doctoral, and specialized graduate programs covering law, business, education, social welfare, international studies, and other disciplines, available to domestic and international students.
• Dong-A Korean Language Institute Korean language education program for international students and foreigners, offering beginner through advanced level courses across 4 semesters per year at 1,300,000 KRW per semester with approximately 200 hours of instruction over 10 weeks; class size limited to 15 students.
• College of Seokdang Honors Honors college established in 2010 to develop talented individuals representing the local community and Korea, continuing the founder Dr. Jeong-Jae Hwan Seokdang's educational philosophy.
• Dong-A University Hospital Clinical Training Clinical training and hands-on practice provided through Dong-A University Hospital for College of Medicine and College of Nursing students, supporting a 90%+ employment rate for College of Nursing graduates.
• Department of Artificial Intelligence Program AI-focused academic program covering deep learning, natural language processing, computer vision, data science, and digital twin, preparing students for AI development and research careers. Established 2021.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90%+ employment rate for College of Nursing graduates
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 334 Partner Institutions WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner334 international partner institutions across 39 countries for student exchange, research collaboration, and academic partnerships. This network supports the university's internationalization strategy and provides mobility opportunities for both incoming and outgoing students.
• University of Illinois ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer program partnership where selected nursing students from Dong-A University participate in short-term training at University of Illinois Chicago, experiencing global nursing education and healthcare systems.
• Korean Government (KGSP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKorean Government Scholarship Program partnership for recruiting and supporting international scholarship students. Dong-A University is an official participating institution.
• Gaya National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (NRICH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research partnership in archaeological DNA studies, specifically ancient Korean dog genome sequencing research published in PLOS ONE.
• Japan's Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration partner in ancient DNA studies of Korean Peninsula archaeological specimens.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Inje University: Private Korean university headquartered in Gimhae near Busan, with medical and engineering programs; directly competes with Dong-A for the Busan/Gyeongnam student catchment and international Korean-language learners.
• Pusan National University: Premier public research university in Busan serving the same regional student base; competes with Dong-A in Busan-specific recruitment though differentiated by public status and larger research portfolio.
• Kyungsung University: Private university in Busan competing with Dong-A for the same metropolitan student pool; comparable in scale and program breadth at the regional tier.

Broad incumbents

• KAIST: Elite Korean public research university focused on science, engineering, and AI; overlaps with Dong-A's AI/Software/Semiconductor program expansion as a higher-prestige competitor in the same STEM-adjacent space.

Direct peers

• Hanyang University: Major private Korean research university with engineering, medicine, business, and humanities colleges; comparable as a comprehensive private institution with strong industry ties.
• Yonsei University: Top-ranked private Korean research university with extensive international exchange networks, medical facilities, and comprehensive programs — comparable multi-disciplinary private structure, though at higher tier of prestige.
• Dongguk University: Private Korean research university offering multi-disciplinary programs with established international partnerships; structurally similar private comprehensive institution.
• Sungkyunkwan University: Private Korean research university offering multi-disciplinary programs and strong international partnerships; comparable in scale, private-status, and comprehensive structure to Dong-A.
• Kyung Hee University: Comprehensive private Korean university with broad undergraduate/graduate programs across humanities, sciences, engineering, business, and arts, plus a global network and large international student population — directly comparable in scope and positioning to Dong-A.
• Konkuk University: Private Korean university with broad program portfolio including engineering, medicine, business, and arts, plus a large international student body — comparable comprehensive structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/DongAUniversity1946
• Facebookfacebook.com/dongauniv
• Instagraminstagram.com/donga_univ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Dong-A University