Fighting the Stigma of “Second-Tier” Status: The Emergence of “Semi-Elite” Private Higher Education in Vietnam

Abstract

In its 3rd decade of development, contemporary Vietnamese private higher education (PHE), has remained to be lowly regarded, despite its expansion and rising contribution to Vietnam’s higher education system. Essentially, compared to public universities, private counterparts are often considered second-tier institutions. Such a stigma stemmed not only from generally low-profile students that private universities enrol, but also from unique socio-economic features of a communist state in which the concept of private sector often triggered questions of political correctness. I draw on qualitative and quantitative data from various sources to argue that Vietnam’s PHE has many potentials to overcome the stigma of second-tier status and become the first choice of middle-class students. More specifically, I find that the macro socio-economic reforms initiated under Doi Moi (Reform) 1986 have provided numerous avenues for private universities to fight against the second-tier stigma. In addition, my data also point to a specific group of private universities that have enrolled a good number of students with both academic and financial capacities. My Chapter’s findings imply that the state’s monopoly in higher education provision, including the provision of high-quality education, has come to an end—non-state sectors have now become a true counterbalance to the state system.