Dong Nai: Universities and colleges build appeal through training quality

Universities and colleges in Dong Nai are intensifying efforts to retain local students during the 2026 enrollment season. Many institutions are becoming more confident thanks to the province’s official transition into a city and the rapid development of infrastructure, which is expected to generate greater employment opportunities.

12th-grade students experience technology at Dong Nai University of Technology. Photo: Cong Nghia

Assoc. Prof. Dr.  Lam Thanh Hien, Rector of Lac Hong University (in Tran Bien ward), said the fast-paced development of Dong Nai City is creating major advantages for local higher education institutions in competing with universities in Ho Chi Minh City for student enrollment.

The challenge of retaining students

Dong Nai City is home to four universities, three university branches, and 10 colleges. However, the proportion of students choosing to stay in the locality for higher education after graduating from high school remains relatively modest. Many students still prefer universities and colleges in Ho Chi Minh City despite significantly higher living expenses. This reality stems from the objective gap in the diversity of majors and the long-standing quality of training between the two localities, especially the strong attraction from top public universities.

Recognizing these limitations, universities and colleges in Dong Nai have proactively launched extensive enrollment campaigns for the 2026 academic year since the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year. Recruitment activities have expanded beyond local high schools to neighboring provinces and cities, including Ho Chi Minh City, Lam Dong, Khanh Hoa, and Dak Lak. Especially, as the second semester enters its crucial phase, career counseling and admissions programs are being conducted continuously to provide graduating students with direct guidance and clearer career orientation.

According to Pham Hong Thang, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training, the city's demand for high-quality human resources in the coming years will be very great. Hence, the management agency always creates the most favorable conditions for schools to reach students. Students who choose to study and work in their hometowns will play a key role in maintaining stability in the city's labor market. However, higher education institutions must truly take the initiative in raising their reputation and demonstrating the real quality of their training if they are to persuade students and parents.

Many high school principals observed that academically strong students still aspire to study in Ho Chi Minh City despite fierce competition for admission. Phan Trong Nghia, Principal of Ngo Quyen High School in Tran Bien Ward, said many outstanding students continue to target member universities of Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City and leading economics institutions. “This is a difficult challenge requiring universities in Dong Nai to quickly develop flagship academic programs capable of competing directly with those in major urban centers,” he said.

According to MSc. Nguyen Khanh Cuong, Rector of Lilama 2 International Technology College in Long Phuoc Commune, Dong Nai, is gradually completing its strategic transport infrastructure, including billion-dollar projects, while restructuring its investment-attracting model and developing new-generation industrial parks. This occasion is a golden opportunity for training institutions to attract students not only from Dong Nai. Therefore, students need to seize these opportunities to reduce study costs and improve their chances of securing good jobs.

Attracting students through real quality

Dr. Nguyen Trong Trung, Vice Rector of Mien Dong Innovative Technology University in Dau Giay Ward, affirmed that the university is concentrating its resources on improving teaching quality and strengthening connections with businesses to ensure solid career outcomes for students. At the same time, the university has also invested substantial financial resources in upgrading its facilities, most notably a project to build a modern library meeting international standards, along with a comprehensive learning support service system. These strategic steps not only enhance the learner experience but also gradually eliminate prejudices about the infrastructure gap between schools in Dong Nai city and major centers.

Sharing the same development orientation, many other educational institutions in the area have also introduced a series of attractive policies on tuition fees, scholarships, and accommodation conditions to increase their competitiveness. The Board of Directors of the Vietnam National University of Forestry – Dong Nai Campus announced that, in the academic year 2026-2027, the unit will maintain stable tuition fees for both current and new students. The school will also comprehensively improve the living environment in dormitories, expand its scholarship fund, and establish channels to introduce part-time jobs and paid internship opportunities with businesses.

In the public university sector, Dr. Dang Anh Tuan, Rector of Dong Nai University (in Tam Hiep Ward), said that the city People's Council has just issued a special policy to attract doctoral-degree or higher-qualified lecturers to work. Benefiting from these incentives, the university is preparing to reopen several traditional teacher-training programs while launching new majors in fields facing severe workforce shortages in the city. Building on a foundation of highly qualified faculty, the university is confident it can leverage its affordable tuition as a public institution to attract more students from within and outside the city.

From a parent’s perspective, Le Van Thanh, whose child is in Grade 12 at Tran Bien High School in Tam Hiep Ward, said he has always encouraged his child to pursue a teaching degree at Dong Nai University. The decision stems from his family’s economic circumstances, as two of his older children are already studying in Ho Chi Minh City, where monthly living expenses are extremely costly. Studying close to home not only helps the family completely cut accommodation and travel costs but also allows students to directly benefit from the locality’s practical education support policies.

Although concerns remain about choosing a learning environment at the university and college levels, this year's enrollment race has shown many positive signs for universities and colleges in Dong Nai. The fact that the locality holds the position of a major city, together with strategic infrastructure projects such as Long Thanh International Airport, which offers better connections to Ho Chi Minh City, is opening up promising career development opportunities for young people. If the momentum of systematic and substantive investment continues, universities and colleges here are fully capable of "retaining" the most outstanding students so they can stay and contribute to the overall development of the locality.

For the 2026-2027 academic year, universities and colleges in Dong Nai are expected to enroll around 11,000 students. Major universities include Lac Hong University, with an estimated intake of 2,500 students, and Dong Nai University of Technology, with approximately 2,000 students. Meanwhile, other universities are expected to admit between 1,000 and 1,500 students each.

By Cong Nghia – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho