Graphics: T.DAT
Since the milestone of 2020 when Hanoi University of Science and Technology achieved revenue of 1,000 billion VND for the first time, 12 higher education institutions have joined the "trillion club", including 8 public schools and 4 private schools.
Overwhelming tuition fees, "inferior" research
From the public reports and information published by the schools, it can be seen that the common point of the "trillion" schools is that the revenue mainly comes from tuition fees, accounting for 90 to 98% of the total revenue. Meanwhile, revenue from scientific research and technology transfer is generally modest, although there have been some schools that have made strong breakthroughs.
Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics stands out with a total revenue of VND 1,887 billion in 2024 (an increase of more than VND 200 billion compared to 2023), of which tuition and fees account for VND 1,281 billion. Notably, revenue from science and technology reaches more than VND 520 billion, accounting for 27% of total revenue, the highest level in the group of schools with current revenue of thousands of billions. The school's total expenditure is VND 1,459 billion, creating a surplus of VND 427 billion, equivalent to 22.6% of total revenue.
Hanoi University of Science and Technology recorded a total revenue of more than VND 1,502 billion in 2024 (an increase of VND 78.56 billion compared to 2023), of which tuition and fees accounted for more than VND 1,277 billion. Revenue from science and technology was VND 101 billion, a slight decrease compared to the previous year. The school's total expenditure was VND 1,284 billion, creating a revenue-expenditure difference of more than VND 218 billion.
Ton Duc Thang University's total revenue in 2024 is 1,224 billion VND, of which tuition fees account for 1,072 billion VND. Research and technology transfer bring in 44.8 billion VND. The school spends more than 1,033 billion VND, of which more than 108 billion VND is spent on research alone, the rest is for training and services. The difference between revenue and expenditure is about 190 billion VND (difference between revenue and expenditure/total revenue 15.6%).
National Economics University (2024 financial report has not been made public) has a total revenue in 2023 of more than 1,410 billion VND, of which revenue from tuition and fees is more than 1,014 billion VND, from scientific research is nearly 43 billion VND, the rest is from the budget (nearly 29 billion VND) and other sources.
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology - Vietnam National University recorded a total revenue of more than VND 1,184 billion in 2024 (regular expenditure support from the State/investors of more than VND 3 billion), tuition fees accounted for about VND 873 billion. Revenue from science and technology reached more than VND 126.5 billion. Total expenditure was nearly VND 947 billion.
Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy has a total revenue of 1,123 billion VND in 2024. Of which, tuition fees account for 821 billion VND (the school operates under an autonomous mechanism, with tuition fees for university training programs ranging from 46 to 84.7 million VND/student/school year). The school also has a large source of revenue from science and technology with 105 billion VND and other income of 172 billion VND. Expenditures in the year reached 875 billion VND, creating a difference of 249 billion VND.
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education has a total revenue of 1,120 billion VND. Tuition fee contribution is 976 billion VND, revenue from research and technology transfer is about 46 billion VND (contracts, budget funding 5 billion VND). Total expenditure is 976 billion VND, mainly for salary 467 billion VND, services and infrastructure investment 369 billion VND.
Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry has not yet disclosed its finances for 2024. In 2023, the school achieved a revenue of more than VND 1,011 billion, of which tuition contributed VND 907 billion, scientific research and technology transfer only about VND 4.37 billion. Other sources of revenue were more than VND 90 billion. The school spent more than VND 875 billion, of which the school mainly paid salaries and income for staff and lecturers with more than VND 530 billion, and spent nearly VND 59 billion to support students.
Van Lang University is one of the schools with impressive revenue growth. In the photo: students and parents learn about Van Lang University at the University and College Admission Selection Day 2025 - Photo: TTD
Private schools have profits of more than 1,200 billion VND.
Among the 12 educational institutions with revenue of thousands of billions, FPT University continues to hold the top position with total revenue in 2024 reaching 4,376 billion VND, an increase of 489 billion VND compared to 2023. Tuition fees contribute up to 3,955 billion VND, accounting for more than 99% of education and training revenue. The school only earns 1.6 billion VND from scientific research. Total expenditure reaches 3,080 billion VND, with a surplus of up to 1,296 billion VND.
Van Lang University made an impression when its total revenue in 2024 (as of June 2025) reached 2,603 billion VND, an increase of 80 billion VND compared to the previous year. This is the school with the lowest starting point among the thousand-billion schools with a modest figure of 408 billion VND in 2018, the school's total revenue has now increased more than six times.
Nguyen Tat Thanh University recorded a total revenue of 1,669 billion VND in 2024, an increase of 141 billion VND compared to 2023. Of which, revenue from education and training accounted for 1,654 billion VND, science and technology about 14.5 billion VND. Total expenditure was 1,468 billion VND, the difference between revenue and expenditure was 201 billion VND.
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology has a total revenue of more than 1,380 billion VND, mainly from tuition fees (1,309 billion VND). Science and technology revenue is about 70 billion VND. The school has a revenue and expenditure difference of 179 billion VND after spending more than 1,200 billion VND (salary and income expenses of 585 billion VND, facilities and services of more than 335 billion VND...).
Increase the proportion of research and innovation
Although most universities have a positive income-expenditure gap and are becoming more financially autonomous, the proportion of revenue from scientific research and technology transfer is still quite small compared to tuition fees. The heavy dependence on tuition fees raises questions about the sustainability and development potential of Vietnamese universities in the long term.
Education experts say a systematic strategy is needed to increase the proportion of revenue from research, innovation and business connections to promote the knowledge economy.
Diverse sources of income
The revenue structure of public universities is currently quite diverse. In the context of promoting autonomy, the state budget has been sharply cut, many schools no longer receive budget support, the main source of revenue comes from tuition fees, scientific research cooperation and technology transfer, international funding projects, joint training programs, cooperation with businesses and contributions from alumni.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/12-dai-hoc-viet-nam-doanh-thu-nghin-ti-hoc-phi-chiem-gan-het-nghien-cuu-lep-ve-20251001101555014.htm
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