Vietnam’s UEH records 569.05 billion dong surplus

Tuition-led university growth creates room for investment, but sustaining that spending requires reliable income beyond student fees.

Vietnam’s University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) recorded operating revenue of 2.23467 trillion Vietnamese dong in 2025 and an income-expenditure surplus of 569.05 billion dong. The surplus represented 25.46 per cent of revenue.

Revenue rose from 1.88706 trillion dong in 2024, while operating expenditure increased to 1.66562 trillion dong from 1.45974 trillion dong. The surplus widened from 427.32 billion dong. Income growth therefore left more room above the university’s reported operating costs.

Student payments remain central to that result. Education and training generated 1.60726 trillion dong, including 1.52955 trillion dong in tuition and other student fees. Over the four-year period, tuition and fee revenue increased.

For university managers, the quality of that growth depends on its underlying economics. Higher fees increase the burden on students; larger intakes require teaching capacity. A shift towards more expensive programmes also changes the resources needed to deliver them. Each route produces a different reinvestment requirement.

Science and technology activities generated 581.14 billion dong in 2025, an increase of 11.6 per cent from the previous year. Within that category, 531.71 billion dong was recorded as other revenue. That makes the durability and delivery costs of this income central to assessing the university’s financial resilience.

Research income carries a spending obligation

Research expenditure reached 539.04 billion dong in 2025, compared with 383.89 billion dong in 2022. Expanding research activity requires financial discipline: the commercial return comes from income left after delivery costs and from capabilities that support future work.

Salaries and employee income absorbed 821.14 billion dong in 2025. Student support accounted for another 100.78 billion dong. These commitments put teaching capacity and affordability alongside research in the competition for resources.

The strongest use of a recurring surplus is investment that the university can continue to support after construction or equipment purchases are complete. New facilities bring maintenance costs; expanded academic activity brings staffing needs. Committing funds too quickly would reduce flexibility if income growth slowed.

The next financial priority is the conversion of surplus into cash available for investment. Money collected in advance, unpaid bills and committed capital spending can all change the timing of that capacity. A sustainable model retains enough liquidity to keep existing activities running while financing expansion.