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.

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.

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.

Vietnam's universities have struggled to meet their PhD enrollment targets for three consecutive years, although the fulfillment rate rose from 47.16% in 2023-2024 to 62.61% in 2025-2026.

Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son has called on universities to shift their focus from enrollment numbers to quality, and explain why students choose their institutions and what value they create for society.

Vietnam's 2026 university admissions saw a notable shift toward STEM & strategic fields, with median admission scores reaching as high as 25 points in some disciplines, while the lowest stood at 15, according to the Ministry of Education & Training.

Vietnam had 95,198 university lecturers as of 2026, with 36.3% holding doctoral degrees. The proportion, however, varies widely among universities, ranging from just over 20% to as high as 70%.

Fourteen Vietnamese universities made THE’s 2027 World University Rankings, three more than last year, but none moved up and most fell, with some dropping by hundreds of places.

Many experts and universities support scrapping IELTS bonus points in university admissions, but argue that a transition period is needed so that those who have invested time and money in obtaining the certificate are not affected abruptly.

A 29.8 admission cutoff for two teacher-training majors in Vietnam exceeded the country’s top score in a key national exam combination, highlighting questions over how different university admission methods are compared.

Vietnam’s plan to end bonus points for IELTS and other international certificates would not diminish their role in university admissions, experts say, with applicants still able to use them in several ways.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training has proposed 11 university admission methods for 2027, down from 19 in 2026, as it seeks to simplify admissions and reduce the burden on applicants.

Vietnam plans to sharply reduce university admissions methods from 2027, potentially limiting each major to a single route by 2028 in a bid to simplify a system that students and educators say has become overwhelming.

Vietnam plans to allow universities just one admissions method for each major from 2028, but institutions warn the change could increase enrollment risks and narrow opportunities for students.

Vietnam aims to reduce the number of public higher education institutions by at least 20% from 2025 levels by 2035 as part of a broader drive to modernize its university system.

After years of growth driven by labor, investment capital and technology adoption, Vietnam now faces a fundamental transition from a user of knowledge to a creator of knowledge.