Vietnamese universities strive to attract international students
Over recent years, the number of international students studying at Vietnamese universities has steadily increased, reflecting a growing recognition of Vietnam’s higher education quality. This rise is attributed to universities focusing on quality assurance.
According to the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET)'s International Cooperation Department, there were approximately 22,000 international students in Vietnamese institutions, with nearly 4,000 studying under bilateral agreements and the remainder on a self-funded basis or through university-specific partnerships, for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Vietnamese universities are actively promoting student exchange and full-time enrollment options for international students, with notable growth at several institutions.
The International University under the Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCMC) has nearly doubled its international exchange students over the last five years, primarily in Business Administration, Biotechnology, Biomedical Engineering, and Information Technology. Currently, 612 international students are enrolled in both full-time and exchange programmes, with 52 full-time students registered for the first semester of 2024-2025. Alongside academics, the university organises cultural and academic exchange events.
The Ton Duc Thang University has enrolled around 10,000 international students for studies, internships, and cultural exchanges in the past five years. For 2023-2024, it attracted 2,065 international students, with over 400 enrolled in full-time programmes in diverse fields. These students came from countries across Asia, such as Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, and the Republic of Korea (RoK).
The MoET emphasises that these exchanges foster cultural ties, academic cooperation, and stronger international relationships.
Currently, self-funded international students comprise a substantial proportion of international enrollees at prominent institutions.
Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, Head of Communications at the VNU-HCMC’s International University, acknowledged that its status as a public institution teaching entirely in English has contributed to its broad appeal among international students, supporting its role in integrating Vietnamese education with global standards and fostering a multicultural academic environment.
