One of the first questions every parent asks is the simplest one: what does six years of MBBS in Vietnam actually cost, all in? The honest answer is that it varies by roughly $15,000 depending on which of the seven partner universities you choose — and the two government universities use an escalating fee schedule rather than a flat annual rate, which catches a lot of families off guard if they only look at the Year 1 number.
The two pricing models
Five of the seven partner universities charge a flat annual tuition for all six years. The remaining two — both government (public) institutions — charge a year-on-year escalating tuition, where Year 6 costs noticeably more than Year 1.
| University | Type | Tuition Model | 6-yr Total (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy | Government | Escalating ($5,010 → $8,067) | $38,646 |
| University of Health Sciences, VNU-HCM | Government | Escalating ($5,100 → $8,214) | $39,350 |
| Phan Chau Trinh University | Private | Flat $5,200/yr | $31,200 |
| Buon Ma Thuot Medical University | Private | Flat $5,000/yr | $30,000 |
| Dong A University | Private | Flat $4,500/yr | $27,000 |
| Cuu Long University | Private | Flat $4,500/yr | $27,000 |
| Dai Nam University | Private | Flat $4,100/yr | $24,606 |
Dai Nam University is the most affordable option on a flat-fee basis. The two government universities carry a higher sticker price, but that's the trade-off for a publicly administered fee schedule and, in Can Tho's case, the largest and most established Indian student cohort of any partner university.
What's actually included in the total
A "total cost" figure that only counts tuition is misleading. The real six-year cost a family should budget for includes:
- Annual tuition — per the schedule above
- Annual hostel fees — these vary by room-sharing option (2-, 3- or 4-sharing), typically $1,900–$3,100/year depending on the university
- One-time charges in the first year — visa processing, flights, insurance and document authentication
The published university schedules are tuition figures in USD. Hostel and one-time costs are separate, so request an itemised estimate rather than assuming the tuition total is the full six-year budget. For rough INR planning only, use the exchange rate applicable on the payment date.
Discounted payment options
Two universities — Phan Chau Trinh and Dai Nam — offer a discounted single-payment tuition option in place of the standard annual schedule, as well as installment plans in Dai Nam's case. These can meaningfully reduce the total compared to paying year by year, and are worth asking about directly before committing to a payment plan.
For the full year-by-year schedules and hostel ranges, see the complete fees page. For eligibility criteria specific to each university, see the eligibility guide.
