Where do international students in the Netherlands come from?
Over three-quarters of international students in the Netherlands come from Europe, most of them from Germany. Nearly 123 thousand international students were enrolled in Dutch higher education in academic year 2022/’23. They account for 15 percent of all university (WO) and vocational college (HBO) students.
University and vocational college students study for either a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Bachelor degree courses are basic programmes lasting three or four years. Master’s degree courses are advanced programmes usually taking one or two years.
| Studenten 2022/'23* | Dutch students | International students |
|---|---|---|
| HBO Bachelor | 429.09 | 33.04 |
| HBO Master | 11.23 | 3.52 |
| WO Bachelor | 167.14 | 52.37 |
| WO Master | 91.27 | 33.48 |
| *Provisional figures | ||
Most international students enrol at universities
Over two-thirds of all international studentsnoot1 are enrolled at universities, most of them (43 percent) on bachelor programmes. One quarter of international students are taking courses for an HBO bachelor’s degree. By comparison, just over half of Dutch (non-international) students are studying for an HBO bachelor’s degree. Few students – either international or Dutch – enrol in HBO master’s programmes.
| Studierichting | Education | Design, arts, languages and history | Journalism, behavioural and social science | Law, administration, trade and business services | Science and technology | Computer science | Technology, manufacturing and construction | Agriculture, veterinary medicine and medical care | Care and welfare | Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor, Dutch students | 63940 | 29490 | 24450 | 111540 | 7190 | 24270 | 38400 | 4580 | 91080 | 34160 |
| Bachelor, international students | 1170 | 8110 | 1350 | 10200 | 230 | 2180 | 2650 | 320 | 3140 | 3690 |
| Master, Dutch students | 5180 | 720 | 450 | 930 | 40 | 130 | 990 | 0 | 2430 | 360 |
| Master, international students | 460 | 1870 | 180 | 150 | 20 | 60 | 450 | 0 | 40 | 300 |
| *Provisional figures | ||||||||||
Art courses popular among international HBO students
Compared with Dutch students, more international HBO students (studying for both bachelor’s and master’s degrees) take courses in Design, arts, languages and history. Fewer of them enrol in education and care and welfare disciplines. Law, administration, trade, and business services were popular among both international and Dutch students.
| Populatie | Education | Design, arts, languages and history | Journalism, behavioural and social science | Law, administration, trade and business services | Science and technology | Computer science | Technology, manufacturing and construction | Agriculture, veterinary medicine and medical care | Care and welfare | Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor, Dutch students | 6320 | 14240 | 34230 | 49160 | 19770 | 7030 | 15180 | 1840 | 18240 | 730 |
| Bachelor, international students | 20 | 2370 | 22350 | 14680 | 3260 | 3630 | 4880 | 80 | 880 | 220 |
| Master, Dutch students | 4310 | 6320 | 13030 | 23390 | 11750 | 4860 | 11290 | 1600 | 13750 | 980 |
| Master, international students | 240 | 2150 | 7190 | 8020 | 4660 | 2740 | 5990 | 770 | 1300 | 410 |
| *Provisional figures | ||||||||||
Technology master’s degrees popular among international university students
Both international and Dutch university students often choose courses in Journalism, behavioural and social science, and Law, administration, trade and business services. Slightly more international than Dutch students opt for these disciplines, while slightly fewer take courses in Care and welfare or education. A large number of international graduate students choose Technology, manufacturing and construction programmes.
Relevant link
News release – 40 percent international first-year students at Dutch universities
The questions
- What keeps people from eating healthier?
- What is working people’s income?
- How much of the energy we consume is renewable?
- What percentage wears glasses?
- How are the dragonflies and butterflies doing?
- How many housing units are there?
- How does home burglary affect people?
- In what occupations do most people work from home?
- How much more expensive did food get?
- How many babies were born to unmarried mothers?
- From which countries do most immigrants come?
- How many centenarians are there?
- How do fathers and mothers divide work and care?
- How many cars are there?
- How much milk does a cow produce?
- What portion of income went to food in 1936?
- How many pigs were there in 1910?
- How many cattle and pigs in the Netherlands?
- What do we import from China?
- What type of shop is seen less and less?
- How many nights are spent in Dutch hotels?
- How often do older people have contact with neighbours?
- How many adults comply with the physical activity guidelines?
- Where do international students in the Netherlands come from?
- What are the major religions?
- How many litres of water do we use per day?
- How many millionaires in the Netherlands?
- How many inhabitants in the Netherlands??
- Where can we ride our bikes?
- At what age do workers retire?
- Which day has the most birthdays?
- How many people have a student debt?
- How does CBS handle your privacy?
Noten
International students
An international student is a student of non-Dutch nationality with a non-Dutch prior education. The reference date for nationality is 1 October of the relevant academic year. Students of unknown nationality and stateless persons are also considered as international students. Prior education refers to the highest level of education that was attained before higher education. Prior education that is considered non-Dutch is based on, for example, a certificate, foreign diploma or European baccalaureate, a decision of the Executive Board, a ministerial decision, an entrance examination and a colloquium doctum. If no information is known about someone’s prior education, that education is considered as non-Dutch.