Education in The Joseon Dynasty

Education in the Joseon Dynasty of Korea was largely aimed at preparing students for government service. The ultimate goal of most students was successful passage of the state examinations, known as gwageo.

Educational institutions were extremely widespread in the country, and can be divided into public and private. The highest public institution was the Seonggyungwan, located in Seoul. Below this were the Sahak, four schools providing technical training, and the hyanggyo, schools supported by each of the Eight Provinces. The hyanggyo soon fell into neglect, and for most of the Joseon period education was dominated by the private schools, seowon and seodang.