If you’re looking to diversify your international student recruitment efforts into new markets, Vietnam is certainly worthy of exploration. Vietnam now sits in the number fifth rank globally of all countries sending students to the United States for higher education after China, India, South Korea and Canada as per the IIE's 2022 Open Doors Report. With a growing economy and young population eager to study abroad, there's an abundance of opportunity to enter the market or build on your current institutional presence to grow and diversify your institution's international enrollment from this key market in Southeast Asia.
I spoke with Quan Hoang, aecc's Vietnam Country Head, about the Vietnam market and how it continues to be a worthwhile place to recruit.
How do you feel about the current state of the Vietnam market and interest level from students to study in the USA?
The United States remains the top destination for Vietnamese students to study abroad among English-speaking destination countries, with over 33,000 students (29,000 at the HEI level and 4,000 at the K-12 level) studying in the United States. Even during the pandemic, we saw demand continue to increase. Overall, we’re incredibly optimistic about the recruitment potential in Vietnam, yet cautiously aware of both the price-sensitivity of students and families and overcrowding in the market.
Which study levels are most in demand?
Vietnam has long been more of an undergraduate-oriented market with ample opportunity for community colleges, traditional universities, and pathway programs.
How do you view study destination demand differing between the northern and southern regions of the market?
Due to history within the country and current social background, English-speaking study destination demand is significantly varied by region in Vietnam. In the northern areas of Vietnam including the capital city of Hanoi, Australia is favored across all study levels (undergraduate and graduate) followed by the UK, particularly at the graduate level. For the USA, most of the interest from northern Vietnam is at the undergraduate level.
In the southern areas of Vietnam including Ho Chi Minh City, the United States is in top demand for all study levels, but especially for prospective undergraduate students. Australia and Canada share the next market volume for demand for both HEI’s and K-12. In the South, demand for the UK is not as prevalent.
Are you seeing any lasting effects of the pandemic that impact international student recruitment in Vietnam?
We are no longer seeing a negative impact on recruitment activities from the pandemic in Vietnam and many events and activities have resumed in person. That being said, students and parents are very familiar and comfortable with fully virtual or hybrid events not because they fear COVID-19 risks, but because they prefer to have chance to connect whenever and wherever they are based.
What excites you most about recruiting in Vietnam as we look ahead?
The Vietnam market continues to grow and alongside it, so does aecc with two offices now in both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Our team of expert counselors support students at every step of the process to their enrollment in the USA with our #growwithAECC campaign and USA-focused recruitment activities. There are many advantages of a global agency alongside our strong portfolio of partner institutions, and aecc Vietnam is positioned as a top choice for students and our partners in this crowded market.
Written by Maureen Czub, Senior Partnerships Manager - USA for aecc. Maureen is passionate about international education, with over 7 years of experience working in both the private sector in business development and client management, as well as institutional positions in international marketing and recruitment at two USA universities. Maureen can be reached at maureen.czub@aeccglobal.com.
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With a growing global footprint that currently spans 49 offices across 14 countries, aecc is a leading international student recruitment company with a student first approach. We're reimagining international student recruitment and we take pride in our commitment to helping our clients actualize their foreign education and immigration dreams with ethical, unbiased, and honest guidance. Our 500+ staff members speak 21 different languages and have serviced students from over 40 different nationalities in the years that we have been in operation.
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