Ton Duc Thang University
Trường Đại học Tôn Đức Thắng
An autonomous public university in Ho Chi Minh City, founded in 1997, with 11 English-taught bachelor's programmes.
- Students
- 27,459
- International
- 2%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 16.3:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- ₫25M
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1997
About TDTU
Ton Duc Thang University was established on 24 September 1997 and today is a public university under the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, run under a comprehensive autonomy model. Its main campus is at Tan Phong, 19 Nguyen Huu Tho Street in Tan Hung ward (formerly District 7) of Ho Chi Minh City, with a Khanh Hoa branch, a Bao Loc campus and the Vietnam-Finland International School. THE's 2026 ranking data list about 27,500 students.
Teaching is organised in 16 faculties, from Information Technology, Pharmacy and Electrical and Electronics Engineering to Law, Industrial Fine Arts, Sport Science and a Faculty of Labour Relations and Trade Unions that reflects its founding body. The university offers 52 undergraduate and 28 graduate programmes, and reports more than 77,000 alumni, over 14,200 Web of Science or Scopus-indexed publications and 15 US patents. It holds institutional accreditation from FIBAA (2024-2030), and 51 programmes carry FIBAA, AUN-QA or ASIIN accreditation.
International students can choose Vietnamese-taught programmes (after a one-year Vietnamese course if needed), 11 English-taught bachelor's majors in business, finance, engineering, computing, English and biotechnology, or joint programmes with partner universities abroad. TDTU suits students who want an affordable, research-active university in Vietnam's biggest city, and it offers full and partial scholarships to international students.
Why students choose TDTU
11 English-taught bachelor's majors, including Software Engineering, Computer Science, International Business and Biotechnology, for international students with IELTS 5.0 or equivalent.
Full scholarships for international students cover 100% of tuition and 100% of the dormitory fee; partial ones cover 50-75% of tuition plus the dormitory.
Two intakes a year, in September and January, with the January 2027 application window open until 20 October 2026.
Institutional accreditation from FIBAA (2024-2030) and 51 internationally accredited programmes.
Admissions
Academic year 2026-27 (January 2027 intake now open); September 2027 dates not yet published
Selectivity
TDTU does not publish an acceptance rate. Vietnamese students are admitted by three methods: a combined assessment of the 2026 national high school graduation exam, high school record and other achievements; the Vietnam National University HCMC aptitude test; or direct admission under Ministry rules. International students apply directly with their school documents, and scholarships go to applicants with the highest academic performance.
Typical entry requirements
| High school diploma or equivalent (international applicants) | Completed high school; for scholarships, graduation in 2025, 2026 or 2027 and an average of at least 5.0/10. Pharmacy: final-year grade 'Good' or above and Chemistry at least 7.0/10 |
|---|---|
| English-taught programmes | IELTS 5.0 or equivalent (5.5 for scholarship applicants), or citizenship of a native English-speaking country |
| Vietnamese-taught programmes | Vietnamese proficiency at B2 (A2 for Vietnamese Studies), or a one-year Vietnamese language course at TDTU |
| Joint programmes with international universities | English equivalent to IELTS 5.5 or above |
| English language | IELTS 5 · TOEFL iBT 60 IELTS 5.0 or equivalent for English-taught bachelor's programmes (TOEFL iBT 60 is listed as equivalent); scholarship applicants need IELTS 5.5. Citizens of native English-speaking countries are exempt. Joint programmes need IELTS 5.5. |
Deadlines
- September semester Non-binding Passed15 July (2026 dates)
For September 2026 the window ran from 15 April to 15 July 2026, with results in late August. September 2027 dates are announced annually.
- January 2027 semester Non-binding Next deadline · In 14 days20 October 2026
Applications open 25 August to 20 October 2026; results by email in late November.
Dates are from TDTU's 2026-27 scholarship and admissions pages. The January 2027 window is the current open round; the September 2027 window has not yet been announced and will likely follow the same pattern.
How to apply
Choose a programme by language of instruction, then email scanned copies of the required documents to the undergraduate admissions team (INCRETI). Successful applicants receive an admission letter, any scholarship result and an enrolment confirmation letter; TDTU then applies for the student visa on your behalf, which takes about one to two weeks.
What admissions looks for
- Strong high school results: the International Admission Council selects the applicants with the highest academic performance for scholarships.
- Language proficiency matched to the programme: English for English-taught majors, Vietnamese B2 for Vietnamese-taught ones.
- Subject strength for specific majors, such as Chemistry for Pharmacy.
- A complete, correct application: only applications with sufficient and correct documents are considered.
Tips for applying to TDTU
- 1 Apply for the January 2027 intake by 20 October 2026 if you are ready now; otherwise watch for the September 2027 window, which opened in mid-April in 2026.
- 2 If you want to study in Vietnamese but lack a B2 certificate, the one-year Vietnamese course is covered by full and partial scholarships for Vietnamese-taught programmes.
- 3 Don't book flights until your visa approval letter arrives: TDTU processes the visa in Vietnam and advises against buying tickets early.
- 4 Design applicants (Architecture, Graphic, Interior, Fashion and Industrial Design) must sit TDTU's aptitude test before starting the bachelor's programme.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in VND
For 2026-27 TDTU offers international students full scholarships (100% of tuition and the dormitory fee) and partial scholarships (50-75% of tuition plus 100% of the dormitory fee) for English-taught and Vietnamese-taught bachelor's programmes; the Vietnamese-track scholarships also cover the one-year Vietnamese language course. Scholarships are renewed each year if your GPA stays above 6.0 (English programmes) or 5.0 (Vietnamese programmes). Vietnamese-taught students at the Khanh Hoa Branch can also apply for monthly living allowances of VND 2.5-4 million.
- 100% tuition and 100% dormitory fee
- Full scholarship (international)
- 50-75% tuition and 100% dormitory fee
- Partial scholarship (international)
- 5 full (VND 4 million a month) and 20 partial (VND 2.5 million a month)
- Khanh Hoa Branch living allowances
Academics
Academic calendar: Two main semesters (September and January); the academic year runs from September to June
Software Engineering (English-taught)
One of TDTU's 11 English-taught majors, from the Faculty of Information Technology.
Pharmacy
A five-year degree with extra entry requirements in Chemistry, and TDTU's highest standard-programme fee.
Business Administration, International Business (English-taught)
Part of a business cluster that also offers Marketing and Hospitality Management streams in English.
Biotechnology (English-taught)
An English-taught science major from the Faculty of Applied Sciences.
Automation and Control Engineering (English-taught)
An engineering major taught in English by the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
Industrial design programmes
Graphic, Interior, Fashion and Industrial Design in the Faculty of Industrial Fine Arts, with an aptitude test for entry.
Research
- More than 14,200 publications indexed by Web of Science or Scopus and 15 US patents, according to the university.
- Research units include the Institute for Advanced Study in Technology and the Institute for Business and Economics Policy.
- TDTU is joint 144th in THE's Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026 and publishes its own international scientific journals.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Information Technology
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
- Faculty of Civil Engineering
- Faculty of Applied Sciences
- Faculty of Business Administration
- Faculty of Finance and Banking
- Faculty of Accounting
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Industrial Fine Arts
- Faculty of Foreign Languages
- Faculty of Labour Relations and Trade Unions
Student life
The Tan Phong campus combines teaching buildings with a two-block dormitory for 2,196 students, which has a mini supermarket, laundry and canteen. Around it are a stadium, swimming pools and courts for volleyball, basketball and tennis; TDTU's gymnasium hosted matches at the 2014 AFC Futsal Championship. Dorm residents must join at least one sports club, curfew-style opening hours run from 05:00 to 22:00, and alcohol is banned in the residences. Students wear a uniform on Mondays and Thursdays, which for women is the traditional ao dai.
- On-campus dormitory with 2,196 places, a mini supermarket, laundry room and canteen.
- Swimming pools, a stadium and volleyball, basketball and tennis courts on campus.
- Uniform days on Mondays and Thursdays: white shirts for men and ao dai for women.
- Dormitory residents must be members of at least one sports club.
Housing. International students on full or partial scholarships have the dormitory fee covered in full; others can apply for a room in the Tan Phong campus dormitory after enrolling.
Location
TDTU's main campus is on Nguyen Huu Tho Street in Tan Hung ward (formerly District 7), in the south of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's largest city and commercial centre. From Tan Son Nhat Airport students can take a shuttle bus to District 1 and then Grab, Be or a taxi to campus. The university estimates everyday meals at about USD 1-2 and a local bus ride at USD 1-3.
Nearest airport: Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN)
Notable alumni
- NT Nguyen Tran Dieu ThuyFormer model and actress who became Bamboo Airways' first female pilot; graduated in environment and labour engineering
Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at Ton Duc Thang University for international students?
For 2026 TDTU estimates VND 25-35 million a year for Vietnamese-taught programmes and VND 80 million a year for English-taught programmes and phase 1 of joint programmes.
Does TDTU offer programmes in English?
Yes. There are 11 English-taught bachelor's majors across business, finance, accounting, engineering, computing, English and biotechnology, requiring IELTS 5.0 or equivalent.
What scholarships does TDTU offer international students?
Full scholarships cover all tuition and the dormitory fee; partial scholarships cover 50-75% of tuition and the full dormitory fee. They are renewed yearly if you keep the required GPA.
When is the application deadline at TDTU?
For the January 2027 semester, applications run from 25 August to 20 October 2026. For September entry the 2026 window was 15 April to 15 July.
Do I need to speak Vietnamese to study at TDTU?
Only for Vietnamese-taught programmes, which need B2 Vietnamese. If you don't have it, you can take a one-year Vietnamese language course at TDTU first.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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