More Vietnamese apply to study at US universities
The number of applications from Vietnamese students to U.S. universities has surged by 38% compared to the previous academic year, placing Vietnam among the top 10 countries globally in terms of growth.
This increase was highlighted in the « Spring 2024 Snapshot on International Educational Exchange » report released by the Institute of International Education (IIE) Thursday, which surveyed 662 higher education institutions ranging from colleges to doctoral programs.
The report found that 53% of these institutions recorded an increase in applications for the 2024-2025 academic year compared to previous years.
Among the countries with the highest growth rates, applications from Vietnam saw a 38% increase, ranking sixth. However, the report did not provide specific figures.
Additionally, 72% of the surveyed institutions indicated a preference for Vietnamese students at the undergraduate level, while this figure was 36% at the graduate level. IIE predicts that Vietnam will continue to be a key source of international students, alongside India, China, Canada, and South Korea.
In IIE’s 2030 Vision Report released in March, 92% of the 630 institutions surveyed stated their intention to increase international student enrollment over the next five years. Furthermore, 85% plan to maintain or enhance financial support to attract more international students.
In the 2022-2023 academic year, the U.S. hosted over one million international students from more than 200 countries and territories. Among them, 21,900 were Vietnamese students, contributing approximately $816 million to the U.S. economy. The majority, 47.6%, of these students pursued degrees in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
Vietnam is currently among the top 10 global markets for student mobility, according to ICEF Monitor, an international education information platform. Vietnamese students rank among the top 5 for international students in the U.S., top 2 in Japan, top 6 in Australia, and number 1 in Taiwan.
Over a quarter, 28%, of the Vietnamese population is aged 16 to 30, and education is a top priority for Vietnamese families. A survey conducted by HSBC in 2018 revealed that education accounted for 47% of total family expenditures in Vietnam. The bank also noted that Vietnam’s middle class is the fastest-growing in Southeast Asia, suggesting that more families could afford to send their children abroad for education.
By Doan Hung – VnExpress.net – September 6, 2024