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Sunday, August 10, 2025
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Over 6,200 Candidates Sit National University Entrance Exam, Up by 1,000 from Last Year

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Over 6,200 candidates sat for the entrance examination to the National University of Laos (NUOL) for the 2025-2026 academic year, an increase of about 1,000 from last year’s total of 5,400. 

Out of 7,010 students who registered online, 6,237 collected admission cards and completed the exam at NUOL’s Dongdok campus, which hosted the test across 13 designated venues.

The Chinese Language program attracted the highest number of applicants, with more than 1,000 candidates vying for a place.

NUOL plans to admit a maximum of 5,670 students this year, with official exam results scheduled for release on 11 September.

Falling Enrollment Numbers

Applications to the National University of Laos have steadily declined in recent years, largely due to mounting economic pressures and the shrinking job market for university graduates. 

A decade ago, NUOL was seeing up to 15,000 candidates annually. However, only a third were accepted. In the years that followed, acceptance rates steadily climbed, reaching over 60 percent by 2020.

Then the pandemic hit. In 2021, fewer than 7,000 students registered, but admissions actually rose. 

The decline continued, and by 2024 only about 5,400 students registered. In an attempt to  tackle the issue, NUOL allowed interested students to enter certain majors without going through the examination process, resulting in a total of over 7,600 admissions. 

With limited job opportunities after graduation, many students are choosing to forgo higher education and enter the workforce immediately. Increasingly, they seek employment abroad, particularly in Thailand and South Korea, where wages tend to be more attractive.

Teacher Shortage Prompts Emergency Measures

This trend is closely linked to deeper issues within the secondary education system. 

In rural areas, high dropout rates persist, driven by poverty, inadequate infrastructure, and a critical shortage of teachers. 

The scale of the problem became especially evident in 2024. Bolikhamxay Province reported a shortfall of more than 400 teachers, while Savannakhet faced over 500 vacancies. In Bokeo Province, more than 5,000 students dropped out of school during the 2023–2024 academic year alone.

In an attempt to address the worsening teacher shortage, the government dispatched 2,000 trained military personnel as volunteer instructors in mid-2025. 

Entrance exam participation at NUoL has increased this year, following a significant decline in 2024. Education authorities are closely monitoring whether the rebound marks the beginning of a broader recovery in university enrollment.

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