Andy Pham, senior manager of the Mekong region at ANU, on Dec. 6 said the school used to only consider direct admission for students from 92 specialized schools in Vietnam, plus students pursuing international programs.
Otherwise, students would have to enroll in preparatory programs before entering their first year in university. Applicants would also need a Year 12 academic average score of at least 8.5 out of 10, and an IELTS score of at least 6.5, with no skill below 6.
"Now, besides the above requirements, students will need to submit their SAT/Act scores. The school can then consider to give out admission offers and scholarships," Andy said.
The minimum SAT score requirement is 1170 out of 1600, and the minimum ACT score requirement is 23 out of 36. Minimum requirements may be different depending on majors.
Explaining the decision, Andy said the number of Vietnamese students at ANU is now enough for the school to evaluate students' quality. The admission and academic board has evaluated students' academic capabilities and achievements, and saw that they had good results.
"It would be unfair if these students do not have the opportunity to apply to ANU. As such, the school decided to expand its admission pool while adding SAT/ACT requirements," Andy said.
ANU is one of eight top universities in Australia. The school ranks 30th globally, according to the QS 2025 ranking. Its average tuition in 2025 is at around AU$53,000 (US$34,052).
ANU plans to receive around 3,400 international students in 2025, a drop of 14% compared to 2023, according to the Australian government. There are around 200 Vietnamese students at the school.