VNUR 2026: Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy ranks 2nd nationwide in the Health sciences sector

This result demonstrates the significant breakthrough of Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy in the Vietnamese higher education system, and affirms the increasingly solid position of the University in the field of health science training – one of the important pillars of the national education and health development strategy. According to VNUR 2026, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy achieved a total score of 53.42, ranking second among medical and pharmaceutical training institutions nationwide.

Ranking of specialized health training institutions (Source: VNUR)

The fact that Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy has surpassed many long-established medical training institutions in the North and South shows a comprehensive improvement in training quality, scientific research, facilities, and student quality in recent years.

The VNUR 2026 ranking evaluates universities based on six groups of criteria, including: recognized quality, teaching, scientific publication, scientific tasks and inventions, student quality, and facilities. These criteria reflect relatively comprehensively the training capacity, research, and quality assurance conditions of higher education institutions.

In the group of criteria on recognized quality, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy achieved 62 points, on par with many large medical schools nationwide. This reflects the results of systematic investment in quality assurance, program accreditation, and standardization of the university governance system according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Health.

In the teaching criterion, the University achieved 11 points, higher than many other medical and pharmaceutical training institutions. This index reflects the scale of training, the lecturer/student ratio, the qualifications of the teaching staff, and the level of meeting the requirements for practical training in the medical field – a field that demands high pedagogical and professional competence.

Notably, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy achieved outstanding results in the scientific research and invention criteria group with 52 points and the quality of learners with 102 points – indicators showing positive changes in scientific research activities and the quality of student input and output. These are also the areas the University has identified as priorities in its development strategy for the 2021–2030 period. According to the rankings, the University's infrastructure criterion scored 151 points – one of the highest in the group of universities in the health sector. This result is linked to the University's continuous investment in, expansion, and improvement of its lecture halls, laboratories, skills centers, practice hospitals, and infrastructure serving training and research over the years.

The increase of 14 places in the national ranking, from position 49th in 2025 to position 35th in 2026, is considered a strong step forward for Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy in the context of increasingly fierce competition among higher education institutions. This result shows that the efforts to reform and innovate in governance, training, and research of the University have begun to yield clear results.

In the group of universities in the health sector, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy is currently ranked only behind Hanoi University of Pharmacy and above many universities with long-standing medical training traditions. This is particularly significant as Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy is the only public medical and pharmaceutical training institution under the Ministry of Health in the Mekong Delta region, responsible for training healthcare personnel for a large socio-economic region with approximately 20 million people.

 

According to education experts, the VNUR 2026 ranking accurately reflects the development direction that Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy is pursuing, which is development based on quality, linking training with scientific research and practical healthcare for the people. In the context of the increasing demand for high-quality healthcare personnel, the University's continuous improvement in training quality is crucial for the regional and national healthcare system.

Besides training activities, in recent years Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy has promoted scientific research, increased the number of international publications, and expanded cooperation with universities, research institutes, and healthcare organizations both domestically and internationally. This is one of the important factors that helps improve scores in the criteria for scientific tasks and scientific publications in the VNUR ranking.

Furthermore, significant investment in infrastructure, including the construction of lecture halls, the Administration Building, the University Hospital, and research centers, has created a solid foundation for training and research activities. Modern facilities not only improve learning and working conditions for faculty and students but also contribute to improving the quality of training, meeting the increasingly high demands of the healthcare sector.

The orientation for 2026 of Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy is: “Optimizing resources – Enhancing quality – Innovating.”

 

The VNUR 2026 ranking results are also seen as recognition of the efforts of the leadership, faculty, staff, and students of Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy over the past period. This is not only an achievement in ranking but also proof of the correct direction in the University's development strategy.

In the coming period, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy is determined to continue maintaining and improving the criteria already achieved, while focusing on areas with room for improvement, such as expanding international cooperation, improving the quality of scientific research, innovating training methods, and strengthening the application of technology in university management.

Rising to the 2nd position nationwide in the Health Sciences sector according to the VNUR 2026 ranking is not only an important milestone for Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, but also contributes to affirming the role of the Mekong Delta region in Vietnam's higher education system and medical human resource training. This is considered an important foundation for the University to continue developing, aiming to become a prestigious center for health science training and research in the region and the whole country in the coming years.