Vietnam University Rankings: Difficult but still have to do

The goal of any university when participating in rankings is to improve the quality of training, scientific research and promote integration with world education.

Students of Hung Thang High School (Hai Phong) visit Phenikaa University. Photo: NTCC.

The Vietnam University Ranking Organization has just announced the results of the 2025 university rankings (VNUR-2025). In the top 100 of VNUR-2025, there are 6 universities that maintain their rankings compared to 2024, in which Hanoi National University and Ho Chi Minh City National University continue to hold the first two positions. There are a total of 11 medical universities in this top 100.

If we look at the number of universities in the top 100 VNUR-2025 distributed by economic region, there is not much change compared to 2024. Specifically, the schools with high rankings are most concentrated in the Red River Delta and the Southeast. From the perspective of training groups, the number of schools of the groups in the top 100 of VNUR-2025 has not changed much compared to 2024. Multidisciplinary universities have decreased slightly but still dominate with a rate of 46%.

Public schools still account for the majority of the top 100 with a rate of 84%, a slight increase compared to 2024, the rest are private schools. In terms of age, many schools in the high-ranking group in 2025 were established over 50 years ago, with an average age of 48.5 years, while the average age of schools in the middle-ranking group is 39 years old. In the bottom group, the number of schools under 30 years old accounts for a significant proportion, with an average age of 27 years. In particular, there are schools that are young but have achieved high positions, such as Phenikaa University, although it was only established in 2018, the school held the 45th position on the VNUR-2025 rankings.

The ranking is carried out through the Standards and Criteria Set consisting of 6 standards and 18 selected criteria, comprehensively reflecting the basic missions of higher education institutions such as training, scientific research and community service. VNUR conducts the ranking of universities through collecting and processing data according to 6 standards (criteria), including 18 important indicators (indicators) that are calibrated to create the most comprehensive and balanced comparison. The 6 ranking criteria include recognized quality, teaching, scientific article publication, scientific and technological tasks and inventions, quality of learners, and facilities.

According to Dr. Le Viet Khuyen - Vice President of the Association of Vietnamese Universities and Colleges, VNUR-2025 is ranked based on a review of 237 higher education institutions nationwide, of which 198 schools have sufficient data to conduct the ranking. Thus, there are still nearly 40 higher education institutions that have not participated in this ranking. Although participation is voluntary, it is also the social responsibility of the schools because the rankings reflect the quality of training and research for society and learners to monitor. Especially, in the integration period, participating in international rankings also opens up opportunities for international cooperation, attracting talented lecturers and students.

Therefore, the Education Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2045, sets the goal that by 2030, at least 5 universities will be ranked among the 500 best universities in the world, and 5 universities will be in the top 200 universities in Asia.

According to Dr. Le Dong Phuong - University education expert (Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences), this is not a simple task because there are currently many prestigious university rankings in the world, but each has its own purpose, criteria and standards. This leads to a situation where a university can be listed in one ranking but not in another, and no ranking has been recognized as a "standard" or completely accurately reflects the quality of university education institutions. Therefore, the rankings are only relative, acting as a comparison tool to a certain extent.

This expert also pointed out that one of the biggest obstacles that higher education institutions in Vietnam are facing when participating in international rankings is the issue of funding. Many schools want to improve and get their names on international rankings but do not have enough resources to pay the participation fees. This limits the opportunity to compete on the global education map. In addition, Vietnam's data system is currently not uniform or incompatible with many indicators and standards of international rankings, leading to difficulties in meeting requirements, requiring schools to have careful preparation before registering to participate in the rankings.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/xep-hang-dai-hoc-viet-nam-kho-van-phai-lam-10298330.html