Students from Vietnam are studying abroad in increasingly large numbers and may help ¡°stabilise¡± enrolments in the ¡°big four¡± study destinations, according to a new report.

The South-east Asian country has emerged as one of the most resilient and fast-growing contributors to enrolments worldwide, the analysis from ApplyBoard finds.

In 2024, nearly 40,000 Vietnamese students secured study visas for the US, Canada, Australia and the UK, a rise of almost 20 per cent since 2019.

More than 150,000 Vietnamese students are currently studying abroad worldwide and ApplyBoard projects further growth over the next five years.

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This momentum is being driven by a combination of Vietnam¡¯s strong academic culture, expanding middle class and deep-rooted global family connections, the consultancy said.

¡°As other large markets like India and Nigeria face more volatility due to shifting policy or affordability concerns, Vietnam offers institutions a high-potential and reliable pathway for diversification and long-term enrolment growth,¡±?Meti Basiri, the chief executive of ApplyBoard told ÌÇÐÄVlog.

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The analysis finds the US remains the leading destination for Vietnamese students, welcoming 18,500 Vietnamese study visa holders in the fiscal year 2024, a 27 per cent increase over the previous year.

This places Vietnam sixth overall for international student numbers in the US and fourth by study visa volume.

Undergraduate programmes remain the top choice, with 63 per cent of Vietnamese students in the US pursuing bachelor¡¯s degrees ¨C the highest share among the top?10 source countries.

Australia has also seen significant growth. In 2023-24, Vietnam became the country¡¯s third largest source of new international students.

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More than 35,000 Vietnamese students were enrolled across higher education and vocational education and training (VET) institutions in 2024.

However, Australia¡¯s introduction of enrolment caps for the VET sector is expected to reduce the number of study visas granted to Vietnamese students in fiscal year 2025 to about 7,000 ¨C a return to pre-pandemic levels, according to the report.

In Canada, study permit approvals for Vietnamese students rose 16 per cent between 2022 and 2024, with an additional 14 per cent increase forecast for 2025 ¨C although nearly half of these were for primary and secondary education.

Vietnamese student numbers in the UK have remained stable over the past decade. Between 2,000 and 3,500 student visas have been issued annually to Vietnamese students since 2008.

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The report projects that about 2,100 visas will be issued in 2025, consistent with historical patterns.

It notes that Vietnamese students are well positioned to study in English-speaking destinations, with strong English-language preparation in domestic schooling and a history of outbound mobility to nearby countries such as South Korea, China and Japan.

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Basiri said Vietnamese students ¡°tend to favour destinations that offer strong post-study work pathways and career-readiness opportunities¡±. They were?¡°watching policy shifts closely and may increasingly consider destinations with clearer and more favourable pathways to employment and residency,¡± he added.?

tash.mosheim@timeshighereducation.com