Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training has ordered universities to review second-degree programs, particularly English language courses, amid concerns over academic standards, credit exemptions and the quality of graduate qualifications.

Responsible AI use, teaching and assessment reform and stronger international education cooperation topped the agenda at the Global MOOC & Online Education Conference 2026 (GMC 2026), held at the VN National University (VNU)-Hanoi on November 3-4.

Vietnam has a record 33 universities in the QS Asia University Rankings 2027, eight more than last year. However, most institutions have slipped in the rankings, with VN National University, Hanoi remaining the country's highest-ranked university.

The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) said that administering common periodic tests in selected subjects and grades aims to improve objectivity, provide a basis for comparing results, and enhance the quality of education management.

Top graduates in individual university majors or faculties may qualify for Vietnam's government talent recruitment policies, the Ministry of Home Affairs has clarified.

Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training has released its 2027 university and college admissions timetable, with applications opening on July 1 and first-round admission results expected in August.

Vietnam is considering higher student loan limits and lower interest rates as more than 360,000 borrowers, including master's and doctoral students, carry nearly $1 billion in outstanding state-backed education loans.

High coursework scores, assessment methods that fail to distinguish ability and AI-assisted assignments may be driving up the share of graduates with top honors, raising questions about universities' responsibility.

Vietnam will reorganize university majors from 2027, merging many specialized disciplines into broader categories, including languages, literature, performing arts and natural sciences.

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.

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 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.