Vietnam’s education ministry told universities to simplify admissions in 2027 and stop teaching and admitting students to programs that do not maintain the required quality level.
The requirements are included in guidance for higher education and teacher-training colleges for the 2026–2027 academic year, issued on October 16. The ministry told universities to update admissions from 2027 to ensure quality and fairness and to respond to changes in school curricula and teaching methods.
Using academic results to adjust 2027 admissions
After completing the 2026 admissions cycle under the common plan, while following announced quotas and methods and controlling risks, universities must review and decide their 2027 admissions plans under their authority and current regulations.
The ministry also set principles and specific requirements for universities and teacher-training colleges to adjust their admissions plans.
Selection methods must be fair and comparable in reliability. Universities must keep admissions stable and transparent and simplify the process so that selection is fair and substantive. This should help control the academic preparation of entrants and improve the quality of education.
Universities must compare the academic results of different groups of admitted students and use them when adjusting admissions.
Enrollment numbers must be based on teaching staff, facilities, learning outcomes and labor demand. Planning for teaching staff and ensuring the conditions for opening new programs must match the scale of admissions and training.
Ending admissions for programs that do not meet quality requirements
A central task in the guidance for the 2026–2027 academic year is tying institutional autonomy to the screening of programs and changes in their scale and structure.
The ministry told educational institutions to regularly review their own operations and take responsibility for training and admissions. Universities must stop teaching and admitting students to programs that do not maintain quality requirements. They should also review their program structure and adjust enrollment for programs with low demand or training outcomes that do not meet requirements.
The ministry issued separate instructions for controlling admissions in specialized fields, postgraduate education and data management.
Universities and teacher-training colleges preparing teachers must proactively work with the people’s committees of provinces and cities and propose training assignments and enrollment numbers to their supervising authorities.
For master’s and doctoral admissions, universities must follow the regulations governing admission and training at those levels, including foreign-language requirements for Vietnamese citizens. Proof of language ability must be one of the certificates specified in the regulations.
The ministry also told universities to reconcile admissions, student, lecturer, program and training-location data in the Higher Education Management Information System, or HEMIS; correct missing, inaccurate and duplicate data; and never declare a nominal teaching staff. Lecturer records must not be duplicated when institutions demonstrate that they meet quality requirements.
As part of internal inspections in the 2026–2027 academic year, universities must conduct post-admission checks and inspect teaching staff and training locations.
Sources: Thanh Niên
