Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training has instructed universities, academies and teacher-training colleges to expand foreign-language instruction across courses and degree programs currently taught in Vietnamese.

Dam Phuong Chi, a Business Chinese major, has graduated with honors from Foreign Trade University (FTU) with a GPA of 3.7/4.0. During her four years at university, she won four Chinese-language competitions.

With only two members in the family, the day Le Canh Hai entered university, his mother Sau decided to travel alone to Gia Lai to work as a hired farmhand. Despite hardships, she encouraged her son against dropping out. 

All four Vietnamese students won medals at the 2026 Al-Fergani International Physics Olympiad, securing one gold, two silvers and one bronze to place Vietnam fourth overall among 15 participating countries and territories.

Vietnam has around 100 teacher-training institutions, including about 65 universities and a number of colleges. All of them also offer non-pedagogical academic majors.

Vietnam will host the International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad in Da Nang in 2027, a first for Southeast Asia. National preliminary exams begin on October 18 to select students for the country's competing team.

The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City recorded revenue of more than VND 2.23 trillion (US$85 million) in 2025, up 18.4% year on year, while its income exceeded expenditure by nearly VND 569.1 billion (US$21.6 million).

Vietnam has approved a nationwide digital learning system that will give students and teachers free access to standardized educational resources, with priority support for disadvantaged and remote communities.

Vietnam has reduced its public education institutions by 50.6%, or 18,975, after all 34 provinces and cities completed restructuring plans. More than 28,000 education administrators have been reassigned to teaching positions.

With a GPA of 3.98 out of 4, Nguyen Thanh Binh was named the graduating valedictorian of the Advanced Program in International Economics at Foreign Trade University (FTU) in 2026.

For over 20 years, Ngo Van Dung carried his daughter to school by motorbike, with a wheelchair carefully strapped behind.

Vietnam has nearly 22,000 international students, but officials lack a breakdown by study level, making it harder to gauge the country's appeal as a higher education destination.

Tuition at Vietnam's major universities ranges from under $700 to more than $10,000 a year, depending on the course and program, with international partnerships often costing far more than standard degrees.

A survey of 375 companies in Vietnam reveals that new graduates meet employers' expectations only in digital literacy, falling short in six other key competencies. Meanwhile, 94% of employers are demanding stronger digital and AI skills.

Only 36.3% of Vietnam's university lecturers hold doctorates, below a 40% target for 2030. Yet thousands of PhD training places remain unfilled even as universities step up efforts to recruit highly qualified academics.

Many experts argue that restricting each major to a single admissions method from 2028 will place pressure on universities to create reliable, comprehensive evaluation tools that ensure fairness for applicants.

Thousands of PhD places remain unfilled in Vietnam as stricter academic requirements, limited research resources and uncertain career returns deter potential candidates, experts say.

Vietnam's education ministry is drafting stricter rules for school meals after concerns over food quality, portion sizes, deliveries and oversight, shifting its focus toward managing safety and quality across the entire meal supply chain.

Nearly 17,000 people are pursuing doctoral degrees at Vietnamese higher education institutions, with business, management and law attracting the largest number of PhD students.