1. Vietnam’s Rising Relevance
Vietnam consistently ranks among the top 5 countries of origin for international students in the U.S. With a young population and strong outbound mobility, Vietnam continues to open doors for institutions seeking long-term recruitment growth.
Estimated New Students in 2026-27
(you won’t see this data from Open Doors until late 2027)
- Undergraduate Students:5k
- Graduate Students:2.5k
2. Steady & Blooming Market Potential
3. Market Limitations
Vietnamese families are highly cost-conscious and weigh affordability against long-term outcomes. Our sales team reports that households are comfortable with a total budget of $30,000–$35,000 per year, including tuition and living costs.
Furthermore, the market size is much smaller.
4. Recruitment: The Vietnamese Way
Local Language Matters
Vietnamese families engage most with materials presented in their language, with warm, family-oriented messaging that emphasizes scholarships, affordability, safety, and clear career outcomes. Parents especially rely on Vietnamese-language explanations and subtitles.
Authentic Stories in Social Media
Students and parents rely heavily on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Zalo. They are drawn to short, authentic stories—day-in-the-life videos, internship experiences, OPT success, and relatable student journeys. Parents read long-form Facebook posts; students prefer short-form video.
In-Person Engagement
Families place strong trust in institutions that show up in Vietnam. School visits, agent meetings, and small parent sessions consistently outperform large fairs because Vietnamese families favor direct, personal interactions.
Don’t Forget 2nd- & 3rd-Tier Cities
Students from cities likeDa Nang, Hai Phong, Can Tho, Nha Trang, and Binh Duongare increasingly pursuing U.S. study, driven by rising incomes and fewer recruiter visits.
Be mindful of regional differences. Since the 1970’s,southern cities tend to promote study abroad in the U.S., while the North shows more interest in Europe.
5. Best Practices for Success
- Local In-Country Representation: Having a trusted local representative or partner is critical for market insight, follow-up, and relationship building.
- Strong Partnership Programs: Agent and institutional partnerships offer significant scalability when supported with training, marketing materials, and clear incentives. For example, our Vietnam representatives conducted webinars with B2C partners that attracted ~7K views!
- Meaningful Non-Degree Pathways: Short-term programs, English pathways, summer camps, and experiential learning serve as powerful entry points into long-term degree recruitment.