The number of Vietnamese students enrolled in Taiwan's universities reached 52,974 in 2025 — an increase of 13,364 from the previous year — cementing Vietnam's position as Taiwan's largest source of international students for another consecutive year, Taiwan's Ministry of Education reported.
Vietnam now accounts for roughly 30% of all international students studying in Taiwan, a share that has grown steadily as educational and economic ties between the two countries deepen. Vietnamese government officials say Taiwan now ranks among the top five preferred overseas study destinations for Vietnamese students.
Vietnam Accounts for Nearly a Third of Taiwan's Foreign Students
Just three years ago, fewer than 30,000 Vietnamese students were enrolled in Taiwanese institutions. The surge to more than 52,000 reflects a broad shift in how Vietnamese families perceive Taiwan's higher education system, said Nguyễn Trắc Bá, secretary-general of Vietnam's Committee for Taiwan Affairs under the Prime Minister's Office.
"More and more Vietnamese families are recognizing the quality of Taiwan's higher education," he said.
In 2024, the figure stood at 39,610 — already a record at the time. The 2025 total represents a 34% jump in a single year, a pace that far outstrips most other international student-sending countries.
Affordable Tuition and Tech Expertise Drive Vietnamese Enrollment
Nguyễn Trắc Bá pointed to two factors as the main engines behind the trend. The first is cost: Taiwan's tuition fees and living expenses remain considerably more manageable for Vietnamese families than comparable programs in Japan, South Korea, or Western countries. The second is Taiwan's semiconductor and technology sector, which is drawing a growing cohort of Vietnamese students into engineering and tech-related degree programs.
Vietnam is currently pursuing ambitious national goals in science and technology development. Taiwan's track record in semiconductor manufacturing and high-tech industries makes it a compelling training ground — and graduates who return home or stay to work in Taiwan are seen as well-positioned to help bridge the two economies.
Taiwanese Firms Back Vietnamese Talent With Scholarships
The educational connection is reinforced by deep business ties. Taiwan ranks among Vietnam's top five foreign investors, and Taiwanese companies have increasingly formalized their commitment to developing Vietnamese talent.
The Vietnam Taiwanese Business Scholarship Foundation recently held the fourth round of its industrial technology scholarship awards at Hanoi University of Science and Technology — Vietnam's oldest engineering and science institution. Taiwan's representative office in Hanoi, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vietnam, also distributes Taiwan Ministry of Education scholarships each year to outstanding Vietnamese students.
Nguyễn Trắc Bá sees these graduates — who possess both Vietnamese and Mandarin proficiency alongside technical credentials — as future pillars of bilateral trade and cultural exchange. He noted their prospects are strong both in Taiwan's domestic job market and within the extensive network of Taiwanese-invested enterprises operating in Vietnam.
Tourism From Vietnam Also Surges 15% in 2025
Beyond the classroom, Vietnamese enthusiasm for Taiwan is equally visible in travel data. Vietnam sent 427,000 visitors to Taiwan in 2025, a 15% increase over the prior year, according to Chou Hsin-i, director of Taiwan's Tourism Administration office in Ho Chi Minh City. Most visits currently involve older group-tour travelers, and Taiwan's tourism authority is actively working to attract younger Vietnamese independent travelers.
Mai Tiến Tần, CEO of Vietnamese travel agency Vinatat, has made Taiwan a cornerstone of his business. "I love Taiwan like my second home," he said. "We bring more than 20 tour groups to Taiwan every month." He singled out Taiwan's people, the island's peaceful atmosphere, and its food culture — especially the night markets — as experiences that reliably win over Vietnamese visitors. "Not just me — every Vietnamese person who comes to Taiwan loves the night markets," he added.
