University Admissions 2025: Candidates increase, wishes decrease

Tuyển sinh đại học 2025: Thí sinh tăng, nguyện vọng giảm - Ảnh 1. — Candidates attend the 2025 Admissions and Career Counseling Day organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper - Photo: NAM TRAN

For many reasons, although the total number of candidates increased, the source of university admissions was not as abundant as last year.

Many subjects have seen a sharp decrease in candidates.

Statistics on the number of candidates registering for the 2025 high school graduation exam show that only math, literature and physics have increased in number of candidates compared to 2024. The remaining six subjects, especially foreign languages and biology, have seen a sharp decrease in the number of candidates.

In which, biology is the subject with the number of candidates decreasing by 4.7 times compared to the previous year, from more than 343,000 in 2024 to only more than 72,000 in 2025. This causes the source of candidates for the math - chemistry - biology combination (group B) to decrease significantly.

The number of candidates registering for the 2025 exam in other subjects also decreased significantly compared to 2024. For example, the subject of civic education (equivalent to the subject of economic and legal education in 2025) decreased by 2.3 times, foreign languages decreased by 2.5 times, and chemistry decreased by 1.4 times. Although history and geography accounted for nearly 50% of the total candidates registering for the exam this year, compared to 2024, the number of candidates decreased by 1.4 times.

The sharp decrease in the number of candidates registering for the 2025 high school graduation exam in many subjects compared to 2024 stems from the regulations on exam subjects. In 2024, high school candidates will take at least six subjects including math, literature, foreign language and one optional combination exam (including three subjects: physics, chemistry, biology or history, geography, civics ).

Meanwhile, in 2025, there will be only two compulsory subjects, literature and math, and an optional test consisting of two of the remaining subjects. In the optional test, candidates can only choose a maximum of two subjects.

Thus, to graduate from high school in 2024, candidates must take six subjects, while in 2025, candidates will take a maximum of four subjects. The number of subjects required to be taken is reduced, and candidates are not allowed to register for more than two elective subjects, which is the reason why the number of candidates with multiple subjects has decreased sharply.

Math and literature are two compulsory subjects in the high school graduation exam in 2024 and 2025, so the number of candidates registering for the exam will increase along with the number of candidates. Notably, in the registration for the exam in 2025, physics is the subject. Although it is an elective subject, the number of candidates taking the exam has increased compared to last year.

tuyển sinh đại học - Ảnh 2. — Graphics: TUAN ANH

Is the college admissions pool shrinking?

With the number of candidates registering for many subjects decreasing sharply, the enrollment source of universities this year is also shrinking compared to previous years. Not only do new combinations have too few candidates, but even traditional combinations have the theoretical maximum number of candidates also shrinking compared to 2024.

Assuming that candidates registering for the high school graduation exam all register for university admission according to subject combinations (blocks), a candidate can register for admission to many different combinations. Comparing the number of candidates registering for the high school graduation exam in 2024 and 2025 shows that the maximum number of candidates in the traditional block this year is lower than before.

Except for block A1 (math - physics - English), which has an increased recruitment source due to the increase in the number of candidates taking the physics exam, the remaining four traditional groups all have a recruitment source that has decreased from 1.4 to 4.7 times compared to 2024.

Of course, university admissions today do not only have these five traditional combinations but also hundreds of different combinations. Among them, there are many combinations that combine natural and social subjects such as math - literature - history, math - geography - English, literature - physics - English, math - chemistry - history, math - literature - economic education and law... and combinations with subjects that are organizing graduation exams for the first time such as information technology, technology, economic education and law.

Candidates can choose the highest combination of scores for admission or register for multiple combinations. However, because of the maximum limit of four subjects, the combination of subjects for admission combinations of candidates will be much more limited than the six subjects of the previous year's exam.

The number of wishes may decrease sharply.

For the above reasons, Mr. Pham Thai Son - Director of the Admissions and Communications Center of Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade - said that the number of individual candidates for each subject has decreased, so the recruitment source is likely to also decrease significantly.

Therefore, the number of applications for admission to the school this year may decrease compared to last year, from more than 100,000 to only about 50,000. All majors of Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade recruit group D1 while the number of candidates registering for the English exam has decreased significantly, affecting the source of this group of candidates for the schools.

However, Mr. Son believes that candidates who choose subjects based on their strengths will have positive results. Mr. Son also said that this year the school has added new combinations for social sciences such as literature - history - geography, math - literature - economic education and law.

Mr. Cu Xuan Tien - Head of Admissions and Student Affairs Department of University of Economics and Law (Ho Chi Minh City National University) - said that candidates taking fewer subjects, the number of registrations for many subjects has decreased sharply, which will lead to fewer combinations of candidates, the source of recruitment for universities will decrease, especially the source of recruitment for combinations with biology. However, this year, schools have added many new combinations, giving candidates more choices.

Particularly at the University of Economics and Law, Mr. Tien said that it is not expected to be affected much because the subjects in the school's admission groups have a large number of candidates registering. In addition, the school also added the combination of math - English - economic education and law so there is no concern about the source of admission.

"In previous years, English was a compulsory subject for graduation, so many candidates took the exam. However, not all candidates applied for university admission with a combination of English subjects. This year, English is an elective subject, so the number of candidates who chose to take the English exam are candidates with the ability and desire to apply with a combination of English subjects. Therefore, although the number of candidates taking the English exam has decreased, it does not necessarily mean that the number of candidates applying for university admission with English subjects has decreased" - Mr. Tien further analyzed.

Less chance but more certainty

Tuyển sinh đại học 2025: Thí sinh tăng, nguyện vọng giảm - Ảnh 2.

Mr. Bui Hoai Thang - Head of Training Department of University of Technology (Ho Chi Minh City National University) - said that the number of candidates for each subject has decreased, the number of candidates submitting applications has narrowed, but it is not certain that the school's official recruitment source will decrease.

Explaining this statement, Mr. Thang analyzed that last year, candidates took more subjects and could combine more combinations.

"It should also be added that candidates in 2024 will take more subjects because it is mandatory, not necessarily because of the candidates' choice of subjects for admission.

Candidates who take more subjects will have more options for admission combinations than this year's four subjects. Although there are more options for combinations, in the end, candidates will only be admitted to one of their wishes in a certain combination.

This year, candidates have fewer opportunities to choose a combination, but it seems more certain because candidates can choose the two remaining subjects besides math and literature, so candidates' choices may be fewer but more certain," Mr. Bui Hoai Thang added.

More than 7,000 candidates registered for the IT subject

New subjects such as economic and legal education, information technology, and technology have an insignificant number of candidates. Of which, information technology has only more than 7,000 candidates, technology has more than 24,000. Economic and legal education alone has more than 247,000 candidates choosing to take the exam.

Foreign languages are no longer compulsory subjects, so the sharp decrease in the number of candidates is understandable. However, the decrease in the number of candidates for biology by more than 270,000 is surprising.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tuyen-sinh-dai-hoc-2025-thi-sinh-tang-nguyen-vong-giam-20250509074913793.htm