The biggest survey of parents in Vietnam
The ‘Vietnam Voices’ report, a first of its kind, focusses on transnational education (TNE) in Vietnam. Working in collaboration with leading global market research organisation YouGov, the findings of this report are based on a survey of over 1000 Vietnamese parents with higher disposable income levels, with children between 8 and 22 years old.
The survey and the report responds to a recent surge in interest in transnational education in Vietnam from international institutions. The survey was designed to understand market demand for TNE programmes in Vietnam; to validate who are the key decision-makers; and to understand how best to communicate and engage parents on TNE programs in Vietnam.
Key findings of the survey
16% of Vietnamese households now have monthly income of at least VND 30 million VND (US$1,275).
85% of parents indicated an openness for their children to study TNE programs*
67% Parents are willing to take out loans if actual tuition exceed their ability to pay
US, UK, and Australia rank at the top in Vietnamese parents’ minds for providing the best TNE programs
The top 2 sources of information which influence parents’ decision making are offline official events and school counsellors.
Vietnam has emerged as a key market for international education in recent years, with almost 200,000 Vietnamese students studying overseas each year.
At the same time, Vietnam’s education system is also undergoing rapid transformation and internationalisation. This is leading to huge interest in opportunities for Transnational Education (TNE) – to deliver international tertiary level programs in Vietnam.
Insights from the Vietnam Voices survey
The survey and the report responds to a recent surge in interest in transnational education in Vietnam from international institutions. The survey was designed to understand market demand for TNE programmes in Vietnam; to validate who are the key decision-makers; and to understand how best to communicate and engage parents on TNE programs in Vietnam.
The report offers both a concise summary of the survey’s findings, while also providing recommendations to providers looking at options for TNE delivery in Vietnam. The report confirms some patterns that people might already expect – for example, that parents remain the key decision-makers when it comes to choosing a college or university – while revealing other surprises that many working in TNE might not have suspected to be true, including the price that parents may be willing to pay for international programs delivered in Vietnam.
The impact of the findings
The survey comes a year after Acumen’s first public report, ‘10K Indian Voices’, which surveyed 10,000 Indian students to understand what they wanted from their futures and how TNE providers could help them to achieve it. With ‘Vietnam Voices’, Acumen is reaffirming its commitment to helping international providers gain important market insights in key markets in South and South East Asia.
The survey was led by Haike Manning, Acumen’s Executive Director for Southeast Asia, based in Ho Chi Minh City. Manning is the former New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam, with years of experience working in international relations, stakeholder engagement and education. Prior to joining Acumen, he founded HCMC-based LightPath Consulting Group, a B2B consulting business specialised in international education.
“We’re very excited to announce the release of the Vietnam Voices report,” Manning said. “It’s the culmination of many months of work and it reflects our belief that the Vietnam market will see a step–change in transnational education (TNE) provision in the coming years.”
“We believe that TNE providers working in Vietnam – as well as those interested in entering this important market – will find the report insightful as they consider how best to establish and deliver their programs in Vietnam.
