Market report Netherlands

The Dutch Study Abroad Market

The Netherlands remains one of Europe’s most strategic and competitive markets for student recruitment, backed by strong socio-economic performance, high educational attainment, and ongoing internationalization in higher education.

Educational excellence and attainment
A large share of the Dutch population holds a tertiary degree, far above the OECD average, and Dutch students consistently rank well in global assessments, making the Netherlands one of the most educated countries in the world. Dutch universities also perform strongly in international rankings, with all 13 public research universities placed within the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings and many within the top 200 globally.

Strategic focus on internationalization
Attracting international students and skilled talent is central to the Netherlands’ knowledge economy. Universities and the broader higher education sector see internationalization as vital to sustaining labour markets, innovation, and demographic resilience.

A strong but stabilizing international student population
Recent data show that the total number of international students enrolled in Dutch higher education reached around 131,000 in the 2024–25 academic year, a modest increase compared to the previous year, but one of the slowest growth rates seen in over a decade (see media article). Overall, this number represents international students in both bachelor’s and master’s degree programs across research universities and universities of applied sciences.

Although growth has slowed, particularly among new undergraduate enrollments, master’s programs have shown continued resilience, with increases in enrollments at both research universities and professional education institutions.

Master’s recruitment dynamics
Data from recent academic cycles show that the number of new international master’s students grew by near double-digit percentages even as undergraduate enrollment growth lagged, underscoring the continued global appeal of postgraduate study in the Netherlands.

International student mobility and mobility trends
In terms of outbound mobility, Dutch participation in major exchange and mobility programmes remains strong. In 2023, over 42,000 Dutch participants engaged in study and training abroad through the Erasmus+ program, marking one of the highest levels of participation in recent years. Tertiary degree mobility currently stands at 19,285. Most Dutch students study in Belgium, UK, US and Germany.Data from the Dutch Ministry of Education show that approximately 18% of all Dutch higher education students are internationally mobile, with higher rates of mobility among postgraduate cohorts.

Destination attractiveness and global reach
The Netherlands attracts a highly diverse international student body. Roughly one in six students in Dutch higher education today comes from abroad, with substantial enrollments from neighboring EU countries and beyond. Germany remains a leading source market, alongside other European nations, for students engaging in degree study in the Netherlands.

Dutch Education System

Education in the Netherlands is state funded and is compulsory from the ages of 5 to 16. After primary school there are several seconadary school educational pathways.

Secondary education

At the age of 12 children go to one of the following types of secondary education:

• preparatory vocational secondary education (vmbo) – 4 years in duration
• senior general secondary education (havo) – 5 years in duration
• university preparatory education (vwo) – 6 years in duration

Admission to Higher Education

For access to bachelor’s programs at research universities a vwo secondary school diploma is required. Students who have completed the first year at a university of applied sciences are also eligible for admission. For access to bachelor’s programs at universities of applied sciences, the minimum requirement is a havo secondary school diploma.

Higher Education

The Netherlands adopted the Bachelor – Master system back in 2002.

There are two types of higher education in the Netherlands: research-oriented and profession-oriented:

• Research-oriented education (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) is traditionally offered by research universities.
• Higher professional education (hoger beroepsonderwijs, HBO) is offered by universities of applied sciences (hogescholen).

Latest Netherlands Higher Education study abroad stats

At this point a total number of 19,285 Dutch students are studying abroad (source: UNESCO). These are the most popular study abroad destinations among students from the Netherlands:

IB schools in the Netherlands

• American College – The Hague – https://www.ash.nl/
• International School The Hague – The Hague – https://www.ishthehague.nl/
• International School of Amsterdam – Amsterdam – https://www.isa.nl/
• International School Hilversum – Hilversum – https://www.ishilversum.nl/
• UWC – Maastricht – https://www.uwcmaastricht.nl/
• Eerde International Boarding School – Eerde – https://www.eerde.nl/
• Rotterdam International Secondary School – Rotterdam – https://riss.wolfert.nl/

Scholarships for Dutch students