Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF

Vietnam’s growing middle class fueling demand for study abroad

Vietnam’s economic growth over the past two decades has been steady and impressive, averaging 5.5% since 1990. Expansion is expected to continue until at least 2025 – so long as persistent skills shortages in the workforce are addressed. As in Indonesia, half of Vietnamese are younger than 30. However, the country’s growing middle and upper classes are generally dissatisfied with the domestic tertiary education system, not least because many Vietnamese university graduates are not finding work and because only a fraction of the 90% of young Vietnamese who want to go to university find a place. Those who can afford to send their children to school abroad do so – and at increasingly younger ages. Ken Cooper is the chairman of Access American Education, an education agency with offices in Philadelphia and Ho Chi Minh City. Mr Cooper has considerable expertise in recruiting in Vietnam and, in the following video segment from our recent discussion, he highlights the importance of the country’s burgeoning middle class as a driver of demand for study abroad. As Mr Cooper highlights, the fields of study most in demand are business, tourism, and STEM subjects, including engineering. The US, a traditional destination for Vietnamese students, remains a popular choice but Mr Cooper notes as well that interest in Canada has increased considerably in recent years. “Lots of students see Canada as an option to broaden their lives in ways that are in addition to education,” he says. “Including immigrating and working [in Canada].” In our second interview segment below, Mr Cooper expands on the factors that influence the choice of destination for Vietnamese students. In addition to Canada and the US, he adds that “Japan has become a very big destination for Vietnamese students. It’s closer. There are some economic variables there that play out, and there is a big desire to be in the Japanese education system.” In our next interview segment, Mr Cooper highlights the importance of professional standards in recruiting Vietnamese students, particularly given the rapid growth of the agent sector in the market. Our final excerpt expands on the current context for education agents in Vietnam, with a quick review of the regulatory requirements for agents operating in the country. As we reported in 2016, the government has moved to ease the financial guarantees previously required of agents in Vietnam. Mr Cooper notes, however, that new policies are being developed by the Ministry of Education and Training in this area and that many of the regulations regarding registration, training, and experience in overseas study are expected to remain in place. For additional background, please see:

Most Recent

  • US Office of Management and Budget grants budget reprieve to key exchange programmes Read More
  • Canada: How is study permit processing taking shape this year? Read More
  • UK study visa grants strengthening in first half of 2025 Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

US Office of Management and Budget grants budget reprieve to key exchange programmes In a highly unusual intervention in an area of Congressional authority, the US Office of Management and Budget...
Read more
Canada: How is study permit processing taking shape this year? There are two important and recurring themes in our conversations with education agents over the last few months...
Read more
UK study visa grants strengthening in first half of 2025 A 21 August 2025 data release from the UK Home Office shows that student visa grants were up...
Read more
Asian destinations show their strength in latest ranking of student cities The QS Best Student Cities 2026 rankings were released last month, and, for the first time ever, Seoul...
Read more
Many foreign students want to stay in Germany but need more help with the transition to life after study Early findings from an extensive survey of international students in Germany finds that two-thirds would like to stay...
Read more
How post-study work rights can make or break the return on investment for study abroad The following is a guest post contributed by Tim O’Brien and Claire Clifford from INTO University Partnerships, where...
Read more
Australia prioritises amendments to ESOS Act in legislative agenda The Australian government has signalled that amendments to the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000 are back...
Read more
UK’s stiffening compliance regime already having an impact on international student recruitment It would be fair to say that compliance is top of mind for international educators in the United...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links