More than ever, in this era of knowledge economy, higher education plays an
important role in defining productivity and lifetime success of individuals. Every year a
greater number of young talents are joining higher education institutions even in
countries with less developed economies. Vietnam, an emerging economy with
remarkable economic development in the recent decades, is certainly part of this global
trend. The marketization reforms in post Doi Moi era have integrated Vietnam with the
global economy, and have spurred the demand for skilled and educated workforce to an
unprecedented level. The driving force for demanding education is fueled by the
traditional value of the country. Education has always been highly valued in Vietnamese
culture, and seen as the duty of the parents for their children (Hunt, 2002). In the higher
education sector, a large number of colleges and universities have been newly established
or upgraded from training institutions, rapidly expanding the supply of enrollment
capacity of both colleges and universities throughout Vietnam. More and more secondary
graduates are attracted to higher education aspiring for greater employment opportunities
and higher income. As a consequence, the country’s higher education sub-sector has
quickly shifted from the system dedicated to elite members of the society to a more
mass-oriented one that caters to the needs of the general population and the economy.
Broadly categorized, Vietnam’s higher education system has two groups of institutions:
universities and colleges, both of which have considerably rich diversities. Overall,
universities are the top tier institutions with four to six year programs that caters to
students with better academic aptitude and generally charge higher fees, whereas
colleges provide two to three year programs that are usually less costly than programs in
universities. Universities are mainly concentrated in larger cities while colleges are
geographically more scattered and available even in some rural provinces.