Vietnamese universities have earned notable placements in a range of academic disciplines in the newly released 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by subject.

Experts warn that the low percentage of high-level faculty could hinder Vietnam’s goal of developing world-class higher education.

Vietnam’s top 10 universities in 2026 include just one private school, as public institutions continue to dominate.

Seeing that many people had left their villages to seek work far from home, Na Ni realized that education was the only path to changing her life.

Many private universities currently have between eight and 10 vice rectors, reflecting a trend for personnel autonomy suitable to their scale.

Vietnam National University, HCMC (VNU-HCMC) has set a target of adding 1,500 PhDs over the next five years and is stepping up multiple initiatives to turn this goal into reality.

A more flexible, rather than prohibitive, approach, in using the words ‘national’ and ‘international’ when naming universities is needed, according to experts.

Public universities in Vietnam, whether they have 4,000 or 40,000 students, are currently allowed to appoint only three vice presidents at most, which is seen as a challenge for administration and management at large-scale institutions.

Experts say that rushing to register for “hot” majors does not guarantee young people will secure desirable jobs, due to the risk of saturation and the unpredictable volatility of the future job market.

On December 15, 2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh officially signed a decision appointing Professor Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, currently Vice President of Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCMC), as the institution’s new president.

The London College for Design and Fashion in Vietnam insists it had no intent to mislead students regarding the UK-issued degrees not recognized by Vietnam’s education ministry.

The Ministry of Education and Training, with support from the Ministry of Finance, is developing a special financial mechanism to enhance the operational efficiency of Vietnam–Japan University, Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Quoc Phuong has said.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) has confirmed that the London College for Design and Fashion has never been licensed to conduct any foreign education programs in the country.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son has said that pedagogical junior colleges (3-year training) will be merged with pedagogical universities (4-year training). Only three or four colleges will remain.

More than 1.59 million applications were processed in 2025, with a virtual rate nearly doubling from the previous year.

Vietnam will soon reduce its network of teacher training colleges to just 3–4 institutions, with most set to be integrated into pedagogical universities, according to Education and Training Minister Nguyen Kim Son.

A new wave of academic talent joins Vietnam National University HCM City under the VNU350 program.

With over 90 institutions offering law degrees and 30 training doctors, Vietnam faces a challenge: how to regulate these critical fields?

Despite their academic value, several social science disciplines are being discontinued due to lack of market demand.