What are the most popular majors?

In secondary vocational education (MBO), most students graduate in the field of care and welfare. Almost 30 percent of the graduates at level 2 or higher in 2020 obtained a diploma in this field. In the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes (HBO and WO), over 20 percent graduated in business studies and administration.

In the 2019/’20 academic year, altogether 255 thousand students obtained an MBO diploma (level 2 or higher), a Bachelor’s degree in higher professional education or a Master’s degree from university (WO). Over half of the graduates obtained an MBO diploma; slightly over one-quarter obtained an HBO Bachelor’s, while 18 percent obtained a WO Master’s.

In secondary vocational education, the shares of male and female graduates were approximately equal. This was slightly more skewed in higher education, with 56 percent female graduates in the 2019/’20 academic year.

Diplomas in care and welfare for over a quarter of MBO graduates

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 (40,563 graduates or 29 percent). Almost 9 out of 10 were female; they entered occupations such as nurse or carer, for instance.

The second most popular vocational major was economics and administration, with 15,286 graduates receiving a diploma in this area. Here, the male-female ratio was more or less equal. In technology and process engineering, 12,362 students graduated; virtually all were males (97 percent).

Show datatableMBO graduates levels 2-4, 2019/'20 academic year* (%)Hide datatableMBO graduates levels 2-4, 2019/'20 academic year* (%)

MBO graduates levels 2-4, 2019/'20 academic year* (%)

Afstudeerrichting	Female	Male
Top 5 majors	.	.
Total MBO 2-4	51	49
Care and welfare	85	15
Economics and administration	54	46
Technology and process engineering	3	97
Trade and entrepreneurship	53	47
Security and sports	32	68
*provisional figures

Business studies and administration most widely chosen in HBO

Over 67 thousand students obtained a Bachelor’s degree in higher professional education (HBO). Of all the HBO graduates, 15,525 obtained a degree in business studies and administration (23 percent). Male graduates were in the majority at 6 out of 10.

More than 14 percent of the HBO graduates (9,703 students) obtained qualifications in teaching and education science/pedagogy. Almost three-quarters of these graduates were female.

Nine thousand HBO graduates (8,962 students or 13 percent) received a diploma in health care; 8 out of 10 graduates were female.

Show datatableHBO Bachelor graduates, 2019/’20 academic year* (%)Hide datatableHBO Bachelor graduates, 2019/’20 academic year* (%)

HBO Bachelor graduates, 2019/’20 academic year* (%)

Afstudeerrichting	Female	Male
Top 5 majors	.	.
Total HBO	56	44
Business studies and administration	41	59
Education science, teacher training, pedagogy	73	27
Health care	82	18
Welfare	82	18
Social work	65	35
*provisional figures

Business studies and administration most popular among university students

More than 46 thousand university (WO) graduates received a Master’s degree. As is the case in HBO, business studies and administration is the most frequently chosen discipline. Slightly over 10 thousand students (10,046, i.e. 22 percent) graduated in this field of study. The male-female ratio in this group was less skewed than in HBO. 48 percent of the graduates were female.

The second most popular field of study in university education is social and behavioural sciences with 8,293 graduates (18 percent). These include psychology, sociology, cultural sciences, economics, econometrics, political science and social sciences. Women were overrepresented in social and behavioural sciences, nearly 7 out of 10 being female graduates.

Of all university graduates, 1 in 10 (5,049 students) received a Master’s degree in law. Here as well, the gender ratio was rather skewed with 64 percent female graduates.

Show datatableWO Master graduates, 2019/’20 academic year* (%)Hide datatableWO Master graduates, 2019/’20 academic year* (%)

WO Master graduates, 2019/’20 academic year* (%)

Studierichting	Female	Male
Top 5 majors	.	.
Total WO	56	44
Business studies and administration	48	52
Behavioural and social sciences	66	34
Law	64	36
Health care	69	31
Engineering and technical services	23	77
*provisional figures

The questions

1. How are figures calculated by CBS?
2. How many dwellings in the Netherlands?
3. How fast is the Dutch population growing?
4. How tall are Dutch people?
5. How many farm animals are there in the Netherlands?
6. Which jobs often cause a poor work-life balance?
7. How many diamond wedding couples are there?
8. How much energy is from renewable sources?
9. How many people fall victim to domestic violence?
10. How many people use the Internet of Things?
11. What are the major religions?
12. What are the most popular majors?
13. What do people die of on an average day?
14. How much water do we consume?
15. What do we buy online?
16. How are the various animal species doing?
17. How many under-23s receive youth assistance?
18. Which flower bulbs are most common?
19. How many companies in the Netherlands?
20. Where do Caribbean Dutch children live?
21. How do we use our land?
22. How many electric cars are driving around?
23. Which jobs have the highest levels of mental fatigue?
24. How much nitrogen is emitted at livestock farms?
25. How many workers belong to a trade union?
26. How much have food prices gone up?
27. Where were people in the Caribbean Netherlands originally born?
28. How many families are at risk of poverty?
29. How sustainable is our behaviour?
30. What do we import from China?
31. How many girls become teenage mothers?
32. Has our purchasing power gone up or down?
33. How many adults smoke?
34. How many millionaires in the Netherlands?
35. How many tourists stay overnight in the Netherlands?
36. How does CBS handle your privacy?