What are the most popular majors?

In senior secondary vocational education (MBO), most students graduate in the field of care and welfare. More than a quarter of the graduates at level 2 or higher in 2019 received a diploma in this field. Business studies and administration were the most popular subjects at universities of applied sciences (Bachelor’s) and universities (Master’s), with almost a quarter of students graduating in these subjects.

A total of 255 thousand students in the 2018/’19 academic year were awarded a diploma at MBO 2 level or higher, a university of applied sciences (HBO) Bachelor’s or research university (WO) Master’s degree. Slightly over half of these graduates were awarded an MBO diploma. More than a quarter graduated with an HBO Bachelor’s degree and about 18 percent obtained his or her Master’s degree from a research university.

Half of MBO graduates were male and half female; the ratio is somewhat more skewed in higher education. Of those who graduated in 2018/’19, approximately 56 percent were women.

More than a quarter of MBO graduates graduate in care and welfare

More than 141 thousand students obtained an MBO diploma at level 2, 3 or 4. The largest group graduated in the field of care and welfare (38,871 students). These students were mostly female: almost 9 in 10. They went on to become nurses or carers, for example.

The second-most popular area of study at MBO level is economics and administration, with 15,652 students receiving a diploma in this area. There are approximately as many men as women among this group. Engineering and the processing industry, the third-most popular area of study with 13,121 students, has virtually only male graduates (97 percent).

Show tableMBO 2-4 graduates, academic year 2018/'19* (%)Hide tableMBO 2-4 graduates, academic year 2018/'19* (%)

MBO 2-4 graduates, academic year 2018/'19* (%)

	Women	Men
Top 5 majors	.	.
Total MBO 2-4	50	50
Health and welfare	86	14
Economics and administration	55	45
Technology and industrial engineering	3	97
Trade and entrepreneurship	53	47
Safety and sports	31	69
* provisional figures

Business studies and administration the most popular HBO field of study

Some 68 thousand students obtained their Bachelor’s degrees in higher vocational education (HBO). Of all graduates, the largest group, almost 16 thousand students, obtained a degree in business studies and administration. That is just under a quarter. Among these graduates men were in the majority (6 out of 10).

More than 14 percent of HBO Bachelor’s graduates graduated in teacher training and education science/pedagogy. About three-quarters of these graduates were female.

Just under 14 percent of HBO Bachelor’s graduates, slightly more than 9 thousand, obtained a degree in the health care sector. In total, 8 out of all 10 graduates of health-related study programmes at HBO Bachelor’s level were female.

Show tableHBO graduates, academic year 2018/'19* (%)Hide tableHBO graduates, academic year 2018/'19* (%)

HBO graduates, academic year 2018/'19* (%)

	Women	Men
Top 5 majors	.	.
Total HBO	57	43
Business and administration	42	58
Education, teacher trainings and pedagogical/didactical courses	74	26
Health	81	19
Welfare	82	18
Arts	49	51
* provisional figures

Business studies and administration most frequently chosen subject in university education (WO)

Nearly 46 thousand students obtained their Master’s degrees from a research university. As is the case in HBO, business studies and administration is the most frequently chosen field of study. More than 10 thousand students obtained their Master’s degree in this field, which represents just under a quarter. The male-female ratio in this field is slightly less skewed at research universities than in HBO; 46 percent of the graduates were women.

Study programmes in the field of social and behavioural sciences (7.5 thousand graduates or 17 percent) are the second-most frequently chosen specialisations in university education (WO). These programmes include psychology, sociology and cultural sciences, economics and econometrics and political science and social sciences. Women are overrepresented in this area, with women outnumbering men two to one.

Of all WO graduates, 1 in 10 obtained a Master’s degree in the field of healthcare. Here, too, two of every three graduates were women.

Show tableWO graduates, academic year 2018/'19* (%)Hide tableWO graduates, academic year 2018/'19* (%)

WO graduates, academic year 2018/'19* (%)

Category	Women	Men
Top 5 majors	.	.
Total WO	55	45
Business and administration	46	54
Behaviour and society	65	35
Law	66	34
Health	69	31
Education, teacher trainings and pedagogical/didactical courses	80	20
*Provisional figures

The questions

1. How does CBS calculate the figures?
2. How do we use our land?
3. How fast is the population growing?
4. How are the various animal species doing?
5. What are our top concerns?
6. Where do the emigrants go?
7. Who use social media the most?
8. How isolated do we feel?
9. What are our favourite wedding dates? What about partnership registrations?
10. How many under-18s are receiving youth assistance?
11. What about cyber crime?
12. What are the most popular majors?
13. What are the major religions?
14. How many overnight stays?
15. How many people shop online? And the items they buy...
16. Who are eligible to vote?
17. What are young people doing online?
18. How many adults smoke or have smoked?
19. Where were people in the Caribbean Netherlands originally born?
20. Where do Caribbean Dutch children live?
21. How much internet usage in the Caribbean Netherlands?
22. How many people (never) work from home?
23. How many millionaires in the Netherlands?
24. Has our purchasing power gone up or down?
25. Which jobs have the highest levels of mental fatigue?
26. How many employees are members of a trade union?
27. How many passengers flying into and out of the Netherlands?
28. How much nitrogen is emitted at livestock farms?
29. How many dwellings in the Netherlands?
30. How much is our average mileage in electric cars?
31. What do we import from China?
32. Which prices are up, which are down?
33. What is our production of frozen fries?
34. How many enterprises in the Netherlands?
35. How much energy do we get from biomass?
36. How much do we recycle?
37. Which flower bulbs are most common?
38. What is the impact of coronavirus?