The 2027 QS World University Rankings: Asia Region shows a record 33 Vietnamese universities, the highest number ever. This growth is notable even though many schools fell in rank, making the list worth a closer look.

According to the QS rankings released on Nov. 3, eight Vietnamese institutions entered the list for the first time. They are National Economics University, Thai Nguyen University, Dong Nai Technology University, Lac Hong University, Nam Can Tho University, University of Finance‑Marketing, Thang Long University and Vinh Long University of Technology and Engineering.

The QS rankings indicate that Vietnam National University, Hanoi remains the highest‑ranked Vietnamese school at 159th, although it dropped one place. Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City and Duy Tan University are second and third among Vietnamese institutions, but they fell seven and 45 places respectively.

Only eight of the 25 Vietnamese universities that were ranked last year improved their positions, the QS data shows. Phenikaa University climbed to 697th and Thuyloi University moved into the 731‑740 range, while Hue University slipped 111 places and Nguyen Tat Thanh University dropped 132 places.

The QS methodology uses 11 criteria; academic reputation accounts for 30% of the score and employer reputation for 20%, according to QS. These weightings help explain why the number of listed schools can grow while many still lose ground in the ranking.