Higher education aspirations, discipline choices, and university entry experiences of students from equity groups in Vietnam

This paper is among the first to explore higher education aspirations, discipline choices, and university entry experiences of students from equity groups in Vietnam. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 12 participants who successfully transitioned into public universities in Vietnam, this study explored the experiences behind a ‘university dream come true’. Findings show that university is not solely an individual aspiration, but rather a collective mission among families from equity backgrounds to secure upward intergenerational mobility. For students determined to pursue higher education, pathways from post-secondary education to university are highly linear, characterised by the absence of alternative options, and a strong perception that failure is not acceptable. They tend to select disciplines that lead to highly respected and stable professions in Vietnamese society such as health, pharmacy, education, and military careers. In terms of university entry experiences, they are largely left with the national examination as their only viable option. Notably, none entered through the state-nominated admissions pathway, despite this scheme being specifically designed for them. The paper concludes by calling for stronger governmental and institutional interventions to ensure more equitable access for students from equity backgrounds in Vietnam.