According to the 2026 Asia University Rankings released by the British magazine this week, Vietnam has 11 representatives, with Nguyen Tat Thanh University in Ho Chi Minh City and the University of Da Nang making their debut, placed in the 501-600 and 801+ bands, respectively.
Being ranked in the THE Asia Rankings 2026 will create “a positive effect” on both domestic and international recruitment, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Kim Hong, President of Nguyen Tat Thanh University, told VnExpress International.
“For domestic candidates, this serves as clear evidence of educational quality and a learning environment that meets international standards, thereby enhancing confidence and the university’s appeal. For international students, a position on prestigious ranking tables [such as THE] is a key criterion when choosing a study abroad destination,” he said.
Despite the increase in entries, six of the nine universities that appeared last year dropped in rank.
The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City remained the top Vietnamese institution but fell from 136th to 184th. Three others, Duy Tan University, Hanoi Medical University, and Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, held their positions.
University
2025 Ranking
2026 Ranking
University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City
136
184
Ton Duc Thang University
201-250
251-300
Duy Tan University
251-300
251-300
Hanoi Medical University
401-500
401-500
Nguyen Tat Thanh University
–
501-600
Hanoi University of Science and Technology
501-600
601-800
Ho Chi Minh City Open University
501-600
601-800
Vietnam National University, Hanoi
501-600
601-800
Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City
601+
601-800
Hue University
601+
801+
The University of Da Nang
–
801+
Among Vietnamese institutions, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City led in research quality with over 88 out of 100 points, while Hanoi Medical University recorded the strongest teaching score at over 38.
The rankings are based on 18 performance indicators grouped into five key pillars: teaching (the learning environment); research environment (volume, income, and reputation); research quality (citation impact, research strength, research excellence, and research influence); international outlook (staff, students, and research); and industry (income and patents).
With Nguyen Tat Thanh University’s highest score among the five pillars being “research quality,” President Hong said that in recent years, the science and technology sector at the school “has expanded in both scale and quality,” aligning its research with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
He added that the university has linked research activities with practical needs from communities, authorities, and businesses, while incentive policies and collaboration with external partners have contributed to research output and participation, particularly among students and early-career researchers.
The High-Tech Development Center of Nguyen Tat Thanh University in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park in HCMC. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Tat Thanh University.
This year’s Asia rankings include 929 universities from 36 countries and territories.
Tsinghua University and Peking University retained the top two spots for the seventh consecutive year.
China dominated the top 10 with seven institutions, while Singapore had two and Japan one.
