Amid the ongoing restructuring of schools, which is expected to see around 11,000 principals and vice principals return to classroom teaching, admission scores for teacher training programs have remained exceptionally high this year, with some majors requiring applicants to score nearly 9.95 points per subject to secure a place.

At the main campus of HCMC University of Education, the admission scores for its 15 teacher education majors ranged from 23.26 to 29.83/30 points.

Chemistry Education topped the list at 29.83 points, equivalent to almost 9.95 points per subject. It was followed by Literature Education and History Education, both at 29.80 points, Physics Education at 29.78 points, and Mathematics Education at 29.49 points.

Nine of the university's 15 teacher training majors required at least 27 points, including five that exceeded 29 points, making it one of the institutions with the largest number of education majors approaching a perfect score.

At Saigon University, Mathematics Education posted the highest admission score at 28.89 points. Hanoi Pedagogical University 2 recorded its highest score of 27.51 points for Mathematics Education. At the VNU Hanoi University of Education, all 10 teacher training programs required more than 25 points, with Mathematics Education leading at 27.55 points.

Several other universities also reported high admission scores for teacher education. English Education at Hanoi Capital University required 27.25 points, while Mathematics Education at the University of Science and Education under the University of Danang required 26.93 points. 

Kien Giang University's Mathematics Education program led with 28.55 points under the national high school graduation exam admission method. At the University of Education under Hue University, English Education recorded the highest score at 27.77 points.

Overall, many teacher training majors at leading universities required between 27 and 29 points, highlighting the continued competitiveness of the field in the 2026 admissions season.

High admission scores not solely driven by top-performing applicants

Huynh Trung Phong, Director of the Student Support and Entrepreneurship Development Center at HCMC University of Education, said this year's high admission scores for teacher training programs were not solely the result of stronger exam performance but were also influenced by the number of students admitted through direct admission and priority admission schemes.

He said the university admitted a large number of students this year through direct admission or priority admission based on achievements and awards in international, national, provincial, and municipal academic competitions.

Meanwhile, teacher training enrollment quotas are allocated according to workforce demand. Some majors were assigned only a few dozen places, yet students admitted through direct and priority admission already accounted for a significant share. 

As a result, the number of seats available for applicants using national high school graduation exam scores or specialized competency assessment results was substantially reduced.

"As a result, admission scores inevitably rose, and in some cases climbed even higher. This is one of the reasons why HCMC University of Education had five majors with admission scores approaching the perfect 30-point mark this year," Phong said.

Regarding the number of students admitted through direct and priority admission, he said the university was still reviewing its data and could not yet provide exact figures.

Pham Thai Son, Director of Admissions at HCMC University of Industry and Trade, said the high admission scores for teacher training programs this year were not unusual.

"Teacher education programs benefit from government support covering tuition fees and living expenses, while training is linked to workforce demand. At the same time, enrollment quotas are tightly controlled, with many majors admitting only a limited number of students. A large number of direct admissions also reduces the seats available for applicants using exam scores, pushing admission scores even higher," Son said.

According to Son, Vietnam's education workforce challenge is no longer simply a shortage of teachers but rather shortages by subject, locality, and professional capability.

One locality may have a surplus of teachers in one subject but face shortages in another. Some areas have enough experienced teachers but still lack instructors for Information Technology, English, STEM, or teachers capable of integrating technology into classroom teaching.

As a result, government support policies for teacher education students are increasingly designed to link benefits with professional obligations. Students receive tuition and living expense support, but those who fail to fulfill their required service commitments in the education sector may have to repay the funding.

"The government is not simply trying to increase the number of teacher education students. It wants to invest in a workforce that will actually enter the education system," Son said.

Le Huyen