Universities and admissions in Nha Trang

Higher education in Nha Trang: what you need to know before applying

Nha Trang is a resort city in Khanh Hoa Province in southern Vietnam. Academic infrastructure here is more modest than in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, yet the city is home to several state universities with programs for international students. For Russian-speaking students, it is an unconventional but perfectly viable route: the cost of living is low, competition for admission is lighter, and a Vietnamese degree is increasingly recognized across the ASEAN region.

Universities in Nha Trang: the full list

The city’s largest university is Nha Trang University (Trường Đại học Nha Trang, NTU). Founded in 1959 as a fisheries institute, it now offers a broad range of programmes: aquaculture, food technology, economics, tourism, and IT. This is where the majority of the city’s international students are based.

The second notable institution is the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang (Viện Pasteur Nha Trang). It is primarily a research centre focused on epidemiology and infectious diseases; it does not offer full undergraduate programmes for international students, but it does accept interns and postgraduate researchers under inter-institutional agreements.

For business and management programmes, some students choose Khanh Hoa University (Trường Đại học Khánh Hòa) — a young regional institution that gained university status in 2015.

Comparison table of programs

Language requirements and preparation

Instruction at state universities in Nha Trang is conducted primarily in Vietnamese. To enroll, a foreign national must demonstrate a level of at least VSTEP B1 (Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency — not to be confused with IELTS; VSTEP is the Vietnamese language standard). Some universities administer their own internal Vietnamese language test at the point of admission.

If you are considering programmes with an English-language component, you will need IELTS 5.5–6.0 or the equivalent TOEFL iBT 72+.

A language preparatory year (dự bị đại học) can be completed directly at NTU — the cost is around 400–600 USD per semester, including an intensive Vietnamese course.

Admission: documents and deadlines

The standard application window is February–May for the academic year starting in September. Some programs open a second intake in February.

Document package for a foreign applicant:

• Notarized translation of the secondary school certificate into Vietnamese
• Apostille on a Russian school-leaving certificate (obtained in Russia)
• Credential recognition (legalization / công nhận bằng cấp) through the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam (MOET) — processing time 4–8 weeks
• Medical certificate in the required format
• Copy of international passport, 2 photos
• Language certificate

A Russian school-leaving certificate is not recognised automatically — nostrification through MOET is mandatory. The procedure is paid: the government fee is around 50–80 USD, plus translation and notarisation costs.

Student visa and residence permit

For studying, a category DH (Du học) visa is issued. The base term is 1 year, renewable annually upon submission of a university progress certificate. The visa does not automatically grant the right to work: officially, a student may work no more than 20 hours per week with the appropriate permit.

After 3 years of continuous study, you may apply for a temporary residence permit (thẻ tạm trú) valid for up to 2 years.

Cost of living for a student in Nha Trang

Scholarships and funding

The Vietnamese government allocates quotas for international students through the VIED (Vietnam International Education Development) program. Applications are submitted through the Vietnamese Embassy by March–April of the intended enrollment year. The scholarship covers tuition and provides a modest monthly stipend (150–200 USD).

NTU also has its own grants for students with strong academic results at the end of their first year.

Common mistakes

• Delaying diploma recognition (nostrification). The process through MOET takes up to 2 months. Applicants who submit documents in April risk missing the September intake.

• Confusing VSTEP (a Vietnamese language test) with IELTS. These are different certificates for different requirements. Arriving with an IELTS 7.0 score but no Vietnamese and expecting to enroll is a common misconception.

• Overlooking the limited recognition of a regional degree. An NTU degree is well regarded in the agro-industrial and tourism sectors across ASEAN, but if you return to Russia it will require a separate recognition procedure through the Glavexpertcenter under the Russian Ministry of Education.

• **Expecting a broad English-language environment. Unlike Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, English at Nha Trang universities is the exception rather than the norm. Without basic Vietnamese, the academic process will be seriously difficult.

• Not clarifying visa status when taking up employment. A DH student visa is not an automatic work permit. Violating its terms can result in a fine and cancellation of status.

• Skipping the foundation year to save money. Students who bypass the dự bị đại học programme without reaching the required level of Vietnamese typically lose a year in the first semester due to academic failure.