Vietnam Sees Surge in STEM Applications, University Entrance Scores Expected to Remain Stable

Vietnam is experiencing a surge in interest for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, with over 53.45% of the more than 874,800 university applicants this year choosing STEM-related disciplines, marking the highest proportion in recent years. Despite this high demand, many universities are cautiously predicting that admission scores will remain stable or see only minor fluctuations compared to last year. At Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry (IUH), Dr. Nguyen Trung Nhan, Head of the Training Department, expects that admission scores for most engineering and technology programs will remain stable or slightly decrease, with very few reaching the 27-28 point mark. This is attributed to the stable or slightly declining score distributions for the primary admission combinations, A00 (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry) and A01 (Mathematics, Physics, English). Programs that scored 21-22 last year might see a slight increase of about 1 point. He noted that the university's admission scores are likely to follow this trend, with the highest possibly reaching 25 points. This stability is also influenced by the admission method, where high school graduation exam scores have a dominant weight, reducing the impact of academic transcripts that previously caused score surges. Similarly, Dr. Than Thanh Son, Head of the Training Department at Hanoi University of Industry, predicts that admission scores for technology, computer, and information technology programs might be slightly higher than last year. The university received over 61,000 applications this year, an increase of about 3,000 from last year, while the admission quota only increased by 300 to 8,300. He believes that students with scores between 21 and 25 points will be able to enroll in most of the university's programs. He cited Decree 179 on scholarship policies as a factor driving interest in technology and engineering fields. Dr. Trinh Van Toan, Head of Training Management at Hanoi University of Electricity, indicated that preliminary surveys suggest admission scores will not fluctuate significantly, with an increase or decrease of mainly 0.5-1 point depending on the program. However, the Materials Science program is expected to see an increase, as it now requires a minimum Math score of 7.5 to meet the entry requirements for microchip and semiconductor fields. Last year, this program had an admission score of 21.35. At Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), Associate Professor Dr. Vu Duy Hai, Head of Admissions and Career Guidance, stated that while the number of applications has slightly increased, the university's initial predictions remain unchanged. The lowest expected admission score is 20 points. Programs like Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (advanced program) are projected to have the highest scores, exceeding 28.5 points. Several other programs, including Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Information Technology, are expected to score between 27.5 and 28.5 points. Conversely, programs such as Textile Engineering, Biotechnology, and Food Engineering are predicted to have scores between 20 and 22 points. The growing interest in STEM fields in Vietnam is closely linked to the country's economic development strategy, particularly the government's focus on advancing high-tech industries and manufacturing. However, universities will finalize admission scores based on the actual number of applicants for each specific program. Source: VnExpress