Around 1.24 million candidates took the 2026 high school graduation exam in June.
Of those, more than 874,800 registered university preferences, an increase of nearly 25,000 from the previous admissions season, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tien Thao, head of the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education and Training, said as he noted that more than 633,000 candidates have now confirmed their university enrollment.
A notable feature of this year's admissions season is the heavy concentration in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), representing roughly 212,600 candidates.
Within that group, over 121,000 students enrolled in 15 core categories covering basic sciences, key engineering fields, and strategic technologies.
"The structure of the workforce is clearly shifting toward science, technology, and fields that the country needs," Thao said.
