The rankings, released by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) on November 3, list 33 Vietnamese higher education institutions, up from 25 in the 2026 edition.
Top graduating students receive certificates of merit at the graduation ceremony of the National Economics University (Photo: Bao Ha).
Vietnam National University, Hanoi remained the country's highest-ranked institution, placing 159th in Asia, down one position from last year. Vietnam National University, HCM City ranked second among Vietnamese institutions, at 182nd, a drop of seven places.
Duy Tan University ranked third nationally at 210th, down 45 places, while Ton Duc Thang University came fourth at 265th, falling 34 places.
Hanoi University of Science and Technology recorded one of the most notable improvements, climbing 39 places from 315th to 276th. Phenikaa University also made significant progress, rising 258 places from the 951-1,000 band to 697th.
HCM City Open University advanced 62 places, from the 721-730 band to 667th, while Foreign Trade University rose 18 places to 562nd from 580th. Thuy Loi University moved up from 1,024th to the 731-740 band.
Several institutions, however, saw substantial declines. Hue University fell 111 places, from 450th to 561st, while Nguyen Tat Thanh University dropped 132 places, from 437th to 569th.
The University of Transport and Communications fell from 607th in 2026 to the 1,101-1,200 band in 2027. Vietnam National University of Agriculture dropped from the 781-790 band to the 1,001-1,100 band, while Vinh University fell from the 1,201-1,300 band to the 1,401-1,500 band.
The eight new Vietnamese entries are the National Economics University, ranked in the 801-850 band; Thai Nguyen University, in the 901-950 band; Dong Nai Technology University, in the 1,101-1,200 band; and Lac Hong University, in the 1,201-1,300 band.
Nam Can Tho University and the University of Finance-Marketing both entered the 1,401-1,500 band, while Thang Long University and Vinh Long University of Technology Education were placed in the 1,501-and-above band.
At the top of the regional rankings, the University of Hong Kong retained first place. Peking University in China ranked second, followed by Tsinghua University, which climbed to third.
Published annually since 2009, the QS Asia University Rankings recognise leading higher education institutions across the region.
QS assesses universities using 11 indicators. Academic reputation carries the largest weighting at 30 per cent, followed by employer reputation at 20 per cent.
The remaining indicators carry weightings ranging from 2.5 per cent to 10 per cent. They include the faculty-to-student ratio, the proportion of faculty members holding doctoral degrees, research papers per faculty member, citations per paper, international research networks, the proportions of international faculty and students, and student exchange ratios.