10 Best K-Dramas Set In A School

Hugely addictive, K-dramas have captured fans’ imaginations worldwide. Gripping storylines, well-developed characters, high-stakes romances, and beautiful underlying themes compel viewers to hit the “next episode” button every time they start watching. South Korean shows take place in all kinds of settings, and the high school demographic is a popular one in the K-drama universe.

The high school TV genre is by no means a vacuous one — these K-dramas touch upon themes of bullying, body dysmorphia and class divisions, along with lovable romances, teenage rivalries, coming-of-age plots, and a phantasmagoria of horror and the supernatural too. Tune into these high school K-dramas for a hit of nostalgia and lots of fun.

10 True Beauty (2020) – Available On Rakuten Viki

The extremely popular True Beauty focuses on 18-year-old Im Jukyung, a young girl who discovers the magic of makeup while in high school as a means to cope with bullying. With a few clever strokes of the brush, she transforms into a goddess, of sorts, but hides behind her makeup, too ashamed to show her real face.

She meets SuHo, a young man who has hidden scars himself, and Seojun, both of whom fall in love with her. The theme of self-love and the butterflies-inducing love triangle makes this a must-watch.

9 Extraordinary You (2019) – Available On Rakuten Viki

The perfect mix of fantasy and innocent romance, this show has a very unique premise. Eun Dan-0 is a wealthy and beautiful student of Seuli High School, but she soon realizes that she’s actually living inside a comic book. What’s more, she’s nowhere close to being a protagonist — she is but a minor character in the book.

Things get complicated when she falls in love with another character in the comic, who is only an extra and barely makes any appearances in the course of her life. Eun Dan-0 sets out to change the story so she can get her happy ending, and there are plenty of heartbreaking plot twists too.

8 Love Alarm (2019) – Available On Netflix

If viewers are looking for a heart-wrenching mix of emotions, drama, angst, and some technological love, Love Alarm has all of this and more. In the show, characters have a mobile app that alerts them if they’re within 10 meters of someone who likes them, but it doesn’t reveal their identity. Love Alarm is a typical K-drama, yet also unique.

Caught between the attentions of two handsome boys, Kim Jo Jo takes the decision to get the love alarm. For fans of love triangles, this is show is full of feelings and high school histrionics.

7 Boys Over Flowers (2009) – Available On Prime Video

Known as the gateway K-drama to all other K-dramas, Boys Over Flowers has a rabid fan following, and with good reason. Adapted from the Chinese and Japanese shows, Meteor Garden and Hana Yori Dango, the Korean show follows Geum Jan Di, a girl of limited means who lands a scholarship at a swanky private school.

She catches the attention of a group of popular boys known as F4, and not in the best way possible, but soon enough, there are romantic entanglements galore and many squeal-worthy moments.

6 Reply 1997 (2012) – Available On Netflix

The first of the three-part Reply series, Reply 1997 features cool retro vibes and old-school K-pop for fans to enjoy. Yoon Yoon Jae has been besotted with his childhood best friend Sung Shi Won for as long as he can remember, and going to high school only intensifies his love for her.

The show tackles themes of loss, friendship turning to love, brotherhood, and the importance of family. Heartwarming and relatable, this K-drama is for people who love watching warm moments and sequels to shows.

5 Angry Mom (2015) – Available On Rakuten Viki

A twist on the high school genre, Angry Mom gets the parents involved but in the best way possible. Oh Ah Ran gets bullied in her school, and her mother decides to intervene — disguised as a high schooler herself. The fighter mom protects her daughter at all costs, and in the course of the show, audiences learn about the lives of other students too.

This show is quite different compared to other K-dramas set in school, where romance is the main plot point. Even in the absence of romantic love, the show still delivers on high emotions, wholesomeness, and mother-daughter affection.

4 The School Nurse Files (2020) – Available On Netflix

Fantasy lovers rejoice because The School Nurse Files blends the supernatural with the student genre. Streaming on Netflix, the fantasy show depicts Eun Young, a nurse who has the divine ability to see and slay jelly-like monsters which are made of negative human emotions and desires.

Eun Young is joined by another teacher who also has the ability to protect the students from these creatures, and together they keep the high school safe by banishing the monsters with their iridescent swords.

3 The Heirs (2013) – Available On Netflix

Living vicariously through rich kids is a winning formula for teen shows, as is evident from the success of shows like Gossip Girl. The Heirs follows a similar premise, with a star-studded cast that includes Lee Min-ho, Park Shin-Hye, Kim Woo-bin, and Kim Ji-won.

The show follows the lives of extremely wealthy children who are being trained to take over their massive family businesses, and how they navigate the choppy seas of love, friendship, sibling rivalries, and broken friendships while in school. Watch for lots of twists and cheesily dramatic turns.

2 Cheer Up! (2015) – Available On Kocowa

If viewers want to tune into a school drama with a strong, sassy female lead, Cheer Up! is a good bet. When two rival clubs, the street dance group and honor students, are forced to merge into a cheerleading club, there are bound to be some sparks.

Jung Eun Ji plays the spirited leader of the dance troupe, who initially butts heads with the other club. Eventually, love takes over and she gets caught between two boys in a cute love triangle. This show is the ideal light-hearted watch.

1 Hi! School – Love On (2014) – Available On Kocowa

For a bit of celestial fun mingled with teenage antics, tune into Hi! School – Love On. Lee Seul Bi is a guardian angel who discovers that she’s turned into a human after a car crash. She learns the ropes of being human first hand in high school, with Woo Hyun at her side.

Endearing and supremely charming, this show also tackles some serious issues in its latter half. The angelic plotline is complemented by the ever-present love triangle to keep things interesting and unpredictable.

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