Vietnamese Students Flee US Universities Amid Rising Costs

Vietnamese students are increasingly reconsidering their plans to study in the United States due to rising tuition costs and tightened visa rules.

Tuition at US universities has risen significantly since 2007-08, with private schools seeing a 102% increase and public schools experiencing a 99% rise for in-state students and 89% for out-of-state students.

In response, many students are now looking to universities in Singapore and Hong Kong as more affordable alternatives. For example, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) charges non-local undergraduates HK$250,000-280,000 ($31,900-35,700) a year in tuition for most programs.

According to Vu Hai Truong, HKU's admissions representative in Vietnam, the number of Vietnamese applicants has grown from one in 2022 to 300 this year, with 192 being admitted. Le Dieu Linh, deputy director of Summit Education, notes that while many families used to target only American schools, now 30-40% of its students consider Asian universities alongside US options.