Vietnamese Universities Rise in Inaugural Times Higher Education Southeast Asia Ranking

Eleven Vietnamese universities have secured positions in the inaugural Times Higher Education (THE) Southeast Asia University Rankings, released on March 11, 2026, signaling a growing commitment to academic excellence within the region. The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) achieved the highest ranking among Vietnamese institutions, placing 13th overall.

Ranking Highlights

The rankings, a pilot program ahead of an official launch, evaluated 104 universities across eight ASEAN member countries – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam – using 18 indicators aligned with THE’s global ranking methodology. These indicators are categorized into five key areas: teaching (30%), research (35%), citations (33%), international outlook, and industry income (innovation).

Duy Tan University followed closely behind, ranking 19th in Southeast Asia. Other Vietnamese universities included in the ranking are:

• Ton Duc Thang University (21st)
• Hanoi Medical University (23rd)
• Nguyen Tat Thanh University (33rd)
• Vietnam National University Hanoi (42nd)
• Ho Chi Minh City Open University (45th)
• Hanoi University of Science and Technology (71-80th)
• Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (71-80th)
• Hue University (81+)
• University of Da Nang (81+)

Research Prowess of UEH

The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) demonstrated particularly strong performance in research quality, achieving a score of 92.1 out of 100. This places UEH second only to the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University in research quality across Southeast Asia according to VnExpress. Duy Tan University also achieved a high research quality score of 91.9 out of 100.

Ranking Criteria and Participation

To qualify for the rankings, institutions were required to have at least 1,000 scientific publications over the past five years. Ninety-one universities submitted data but did not meet the full eligibility criteria and were designated as “reporters.” THE plans to lower the publication threshold in future editions to encourage broader participation as reported by THE.

UEH: A Leading Vietnamese Institution

Established in 1976, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) has evolved into a fully autonomous institution since 2014. It comprises the College of Business (COB), College of Economics, Law and Government (CELG), and College of Technology and Design (CTD). UEH is recognized as one of Vietnam’s 19 key national universities, offering a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs according to Times Higher Education. The university boasts 13 campuses and actively collaborates with nearly 100 universities worldwide as detailed on THE’s website.

Sustainable Fashion Research at UEH

Recent research from UEH highlights the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the fashion industry, emphasizing the need for responsibility, ethics, and sustainability in its development. The study proposes strategies for Vietnam to promote humanistic and ethical values within a sustainable fashion industry as reported by the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City.