Candidates admitted to information technology major sharply decrease

The number of candidates admitted to information technology major decreased by 10,000 students compared to last year - the only group to decline among 15 key basic science, engineering, and strategic technology fields.

The Ministry of Education and Training released its 2026 Higher Education report on 1/10 in TP HCM.

Approximately 633,400 students confirmed their university enrollment this year, with over 212,600 entering STEM fields, representing nearly 33,6% of the total.

Among the 15 key basic science, engineering, and strategic technology fields eligible for government scholarships under Decree 179, nearly 128,700 students were admitted. This figure marks a slight decrease from last year, primarily due to a significant drop in information technology admissions.

Specifically, information technology saw nearly 35,700 admissions, a decrease of over 10,000 from last year. Conversely, other fields experienced growth: mechanical and mechatronics engineering, computer science, construction, and mathematics each saw increases of over 1,000 students. Even mining engineering, a field previously challenging to recruit for, admitted nearly 240 more students, reaching 725.

The Ministry of Education and Training did not provide a statement regarding this decline.

Chart of admitted students across 15 fields covered by Decree 179. *Source: Ministry of Education and Training*

The basic sciences sector, however, saw a positive trend, with nearly 7,800 students admitted, an increase of over 26% from last year. This sector also recorded its highest admission rate and median admission scores in the past five years.

Decree 179 outlines a list of 91 fields eligible for scholarships.

Overall, in 2026, approximately 1,24 million students took the national high school graduation exam. Of these, over 874,800 applied for university admission, marking an increase of nearly 25,000 compared to the previous enrollment cycle.

In August, Professor Nguyen Tien Thao, Director of the Higher Education Department at the Ministry of Education and Training, noted a clear shift in the human resource structure towards science, technology, and other fields crucial for national development.

Many experts attribute this shift to Decree 179, which offers monthly scholarships ranging from 3,7 million to 8,4 million dong to students pursuing basic sciences, key engineering, and strategic technology fields. This year, approximately 23,000 students met the eligibility criteria, which include scoring 22,5 points or higher in their subject combinations and ranking in the top 30% nationally.