Vietnam Named Among Eight Emerging Study Destinations as Students Seek Lower Costs

Vietnam Gains Ground in International Education

Vietnam has been named among the world's eight leading emerging study abroad destinations by EduOpinions, an international education review platform attracting nearly 1.3 million visits a year. Rankings released in December, based on verified student reviews collected during 2024-2025, gave Vietnam a student satisfaction score above 4.5 out of five, compared with an average of 4.38 for institutions in the United Kingdom.

The recognition places Vietnam alongside alternatives including Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland and Lithuania. Every country on the emerging destinations list received an average score above four stars. For students weighing where to study, the attraction combines the academic experience with the cost of paying for a degree and daily life.

Approximately 22,000 international students currently study in Vietnam, and the number is growing as awareness of its programmes spreads. British University Vietnam (BUV), which EduOpinions cites as a leading example of the country's international education sector, offers undergraduate tuition averaging about €7,000 ($8,212) annually.

Vietnam's position comes as rising tuition, living expenses and uncertain immigration policies push students to reconsider traditional destinations. In 2022, nearly half of all international students worldwide were concentrated in just ten countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France and Germany. Emerging education hubs are gaining attention as families place greater weight on value for money and the quality of the student experience.

What Does Studying in Vietnam Cost?

Hanoi's annual living costs range from approximately €5,600 to €7,300. Combined with BUV's average undergraduate tuition of €7,000, those figures suggest an annual tuition and living budget of about €12,600 to €14,300. Tuition and living expenses are separate parts of the bill: one pays for the course, while the other covers everyday life.

EduOpinions describes Vietnam as offering two advantages together: access to internationally recognised learning environments and living costs estimated to be three to four times lower than those in major cities such as London or New York. The total cost is therefore substantially below that of equivalent programmes in the UK or US.

Families facing pressure on their household budgets increasingly consider the return on investment from education. In simple terms, they weigh what a degree costs against the learning, experience and career opportunities it may provide. Lower expenses can make an international education possible without the substantial debt associated with more expensive destinations.

Vietnam's appeal rests on that combination rather than tuition alone. An affordable course still requires students to pay for their lives outside the classroom, so the living cost difference is central to the country's growing attraction.

A Student Who Changed His Plans

Karunaratne Chaanakya Rahel, a second year student from Sri Lanka studying Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at BUV, initially intended to go to Germany. Vietnam was not among his original choices.

Rahel said learning more about Vietnam changed his assessment of both affordability and the experience he could expect:

At first, I was thinking about studying in Germany, and Vietnam was not my first choice. However, after learning more about the country, I found that studying and living here is far more affordable, while the quality of education and student experience has met, and in some cases exceeded, my expectations.

His experience illustrates the calculation behind Vietnam's growing international enrolment. Students are assessing whether a destination can meet their academic expectations while keeping the combined cost of study and living within reach.

How BUV Supports Its Quality Claims

BUV's international standing includes QS 5-Star status, which it describes as a first for a university in Vietnam for six consecutive years, covering 2022-2028. It is also the first institution in Vietnam and the ASEAN region to receive institutional accreditation from the UK's Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA).

Accreditation is a review of whether an institution meets specified standards. BUV presents these credentials within its Triple Quality Assurance model, designed to keep academic programmes aligned with international benchmarks while retaining relevance to the local setting.

BUV offers full time degree programmes, exchanges lasting shorter periods and learning opportunities that connect study with work. Its student services address academic needs as well as practical matters in daily life. Together, these options allow international learners to approach Vietnam as a place for a complete degree or a shorter educational experience.

A Chinese student enrolled in BUV's Digital and Social Media Marketing programme described the university's academic and social environment:

I've had a very positive experience. The university provides both strong academics and a supportive, engaged community.

The student's assessment adds a community dimension to the discussion of quality. International students need to settle into a new country as well as follow a course, making support outside lessons part of their educational experience.

Location, Stability and Career Prospects

EduOpinions identifies Vietnam's political and economic stability, together with its location in Southeast Asia, as reasons for its rising profile. The country also offers a living experience extending from world natural heritage sites to vibrant urban centres with rich cultural life.

Professor Rick Bennett, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of BUV, connected those foundations with the opportunities available to international students:

These are precisely the foundations that allow Vietnam to offer international students an ideal balance between academic excellence and long-term career potential.

Vietnam continues to attract major multinational investment, particularly in technology and manufacturing. In February 2025, foreign direct investment rose 5.4% compared with the same period a year earlier, reaching $2.95 billion. Foreign direct investment means investment by businesses from another country into local operations.

The information technology market was valued at $8 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $13 billion by 2026. That would represent a $5 billion increase from the 2023 figure. The sector's expansion is generating demand for graduates in software engineering, computer science and artificial intelligence.

Why Traditional Destinations Face Pressure

The United States has become a less predictable option for some prospective international students because of visa restrictions, anti-immigrant rhetoric and policy uncertainty. Institutions have reported falling enrolments against that backdrop.

The University of Washington recorded a decline of 5-7% in new international enrolments, while some analyses put the decline in new international enrolments across US institutions at 17%. Both figures concern incoming students, whose decisions shape the next intake of international learners.

The United Kingdom faces a different financial challenge: rising tuition fees and living costs are placing pressure on international students. Canada's immigration policy changes have also complicated planning for prospective learners.

Australia's visa rejection rate for Indian students reached 24.3% in 2023. A student choosing a destination must therefore consider the likelihood of receiving permission to study as well as whether a university offers a suitable course at an affordable price.

Vietnam's emerging position sits within this wider reassessment. Cost, immigration rules and the student experience all influence where families decide to commit their education budgets.

Competition Extends Across Europe and Asia

Germany hosts around 420,000 international students, with universities charging no tuition and programmes taught in English helping to drive growth. It remains an attractive alternative, including for students such as Rahel who initially considered it before choosing Vietnam.

Hungary has received more than 113,800 applications for its Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship this year, competing for just 5,000 places. Those figures amount to more than 22 applications for each available place, showing the scale of interest in financial support for international study.

France hosted nearly 445,000 international students in the 2024-25 academic year and aims to reach 500,000 by 2027. Its target represents an increase of roughly 55,000 students from that academic year's total.

South Korea has surpassed its target of 300,000 international students two years ahead of schedule. Vietnam is itself a major source of students for Korean institutions, placing it on both sides of international education: it sends students abroad while seeking to attract more learners from other countries.

Malaysia is targeting 250,000 international students by 2030, and Japan aims for 400,000 by 2033. Vietnam's recognition by EduOpinions therefore comes amid competition from European destinations and other Asian education hubs, each seeking a larger place in global student mobility.

A British Boarding School Planned for Lao Cai

Vietnam's international education expansion also reaches beyond universities. In late 2025, Khoi Nguyen Investment Group (KNI) and Ardingly College International announced plans to establish Ardingly College Vietnam in Lao Cai province.

Scheduled to open in the 2026-2027 academic year, the institution is planned as Vietnam's first boarding school following the British model. It will serve students aged 11 to 18 and offer both international and bilingual pathways.

The project follows the elevation of UK-Vietnam relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, which has created favourable conditions for educational cooperation. Ben Figgis, head of Ardingly College UK, said the partnership opens the way for British education of high quality to reach Vietnam while giving local students access to curricula meeting international standards.

Ardingly College Vietnam aims to become a regional hub drawing students from China, Laos, Cambodia, ASEAN nations, South Korea, India and Japan. Its planned reach shows how investment is extending from higher education into schooling before university.

Why Indian Students Are Looking at Vietnam

Vietnam has also emerged as a strategic option for Indian students seeking degrees with British accreditation at accessible prices. Rising UK costs and tighter visa restrictions are encouraging interest in transnational education hubs, where students pursue an international qualification outside the country associated with that qualification.

BUV offers scholarships covering up to 100% of tuition for Indian students. The university offers degrees awarded by five top UK universities and academic direction from the London School of Economics, bringing British educational connections into a Vietnamese study setting.

The scholarship offer addresses tuition, while the lower living costs described by EduOpinions address another substantial part of the budget. Together, those factors help explain why Vietnam is entering the choices of students who might previously have focused on the UK or other established destinations.

Indian students are part of a broader audience for Vietnam's international education ambitions. University programmes and the planned Ardingly school target different age groups, but both seek to attract learners through a combination of international curricula and a Vietnamese location.

The Dates Behind Vietnam's Growing Profile

Vietnam's recognition draws together student reviews, institutional credentials, economic developments and education projects across several years. The main dates show how those developments fit together:

• 2022: Nearly half of international students worldwide were concentrated in ten traditional destinations. BUV's stated QS 5-Star period began, covering 2022-2028.
• 2023: Vietnam's information technology market was valued at $8 billion. Australia's visa rejection rate for Indian students reached 24.3%.
• 2024-2025: EduOpinions collected the verified student reviews used for its emerging destinations rankings. France hosted nearly 445,000 international students in the 2024-25 academic year.
• February 2025: Foreign direct investment in Vietnam rose 5.4% compared with a year earlier to $2.95 billion.
• Late 2025: KNI and Ardingly College International announced the planned school in Lao Cai.
• December: EduOpinions released the rankings placing Vietnam among eight emerging study destinations.
• 2026-2027 academic year: Ardingly College Vietnam is scheduled to open.
• 2027, 2030 and 2033: France, Malaysia and Japan aim to reach 500,000, 250,000 and 400,000 international students respectively.

As of February 4, 2026, Vietnam's appeal combines current university options with planned expansion. Its student satisfaction score, living costs and international academic connections are already part of the case for studying there, while the Lao Cai boarding school is scheduled for a later academic year.

Key Points

• EduOpinions named Vietnam among eight emerging study abroad destinations, alongside countries including Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland and Lithuania.
• Vietnam scored above 4.5 out of five in student satisfaction, compared with 4.38 for UK institutions during 2024-2025.
• Approximately 22,000 international students study in Vietnam, with numbers growing.
• BUV undergraduate tuition averages about €7,000 ($8,212) a year; annual living costs in Hanoi are approximately €5,600 to €7,300.
• EduOpinions estimates living costs at three to four times lower than in major cities such as London or New York.
• BUV's credentials include QS 5-Star status covering 2022-2028 and QAA institutional accreditation, a first in Vietnam and ASEAN.
• Vietnam's technology growth and multinational investment support demand for graduates in computing and related fields.
• Ardingly College Vietnam is scheduled to open in Lao Cai in the 2026-2027 academic year for students aged 11 to 18.
• BUV offers Indian students scholarships covering up to 100% of tuition, alongside degrees awarded by five top UK universities.