The Netherlands has been the destination for many international students for the past few years (See CBS article). It is one of the few European countries which offer Bachelor programs in English while being relatively affordable for EU residents and even non-EU residents (when compared to international student fees in other countries offering English-based higher education eg. the UK, US, Canada, and Australia).

However, there are some aspects to keep in mind before applying for a higher education program in the Netherlands. This article/video will hopefully serve as a launchpad for researching aspects of studying in the Netherlands you are interested in as a prospective non-Dutch student.

Application process

The application process in the Netherlands begins in Studielink (similar to UCAS in the UK, OUAC in Ontario, Canada) where you would enroll for your desired programs in the different institutions. However, there are some things to keep in mind when searching for your desired program.

HBO vs WO

It is important to note that higher education in the Netherlands is split into two:

• HBO (hoger beroepsonderwijs - “higher professional education”)
• WO (wetenschappelijk onderwijs - “scientific education”)

HBO in hogescholen

If you are a hands-on person, consider looking at getting a HBO. They are offered in hogescholen or “universities of applied sciences” and they usually include an internship period where you get an opportunity to gain professional experience in the field. There are more labs and projects in HBO programs than in WO programs. I would describe them as a combination of a college and a university co-op program in Canada.

There are a lot of hogeschool institutions scattered around the country but some that I’m aware of are:

• Fontys Hogescholen
• Hanzehogeschool Groningen,
• Avans Hogeschool,
• Inholland University of Applied Sciences, and
• Saxion University of Applied Sciences.

You can read more about hogescholen here.

WO in universiteiten

Alternatively, if you see yourself joining academia or simply enjoy learning the theory, then a WO may suit you better. WO is offered in universiteiten or research universities such as Universiteit van Amsterdam, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven. Among the research universities, there are four technical universities (See 4TU) which direct their focus to STEM majors such as: Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Architecture, Medicine, Agriculture (mainly Wageningen Universiteit). The universities are:

• TU/e: Technische Universiteit Eindhoven/Eindhoven University of Technology
• TU Delft: Technische Universiteit Delft/Delft University of Technology
• UT: Universiteit Twente/University of Twente
• WUR: Wageningen University & Research

You can read more about research universities here.

Exploring the differences

• HBO programs are more focused around project work and working with different people while WO are more focused on theoretical foundations and writing academic papers.
• HBO programs include mandatory internship periods whereas WO students are expected to do their internships during their Masters.
• HBO graduates are required to complete a premasters program prior to starting their masters, while WO graduates are often able to start a Masters program without a pre-masters (See doorstroommatrix.nl to explore the transition opportunities between Bachelors and Masters in the Netherlands).

You can read more about their differences in the links below:

• Student Helpr
• TU Delft
• Radboud University

Of course, be sure to read the syllabus of the program itself to get a better view on what to expect.

With all that said, I know many (mainly Dutch) people choose to take on a WO education over a HBO education simply for the prestige as, unfortunately, there is a stigma against getting a HBO degree (at least within academia) as it is perceived as inferior. However, don’t be discouraged as Dutch companies understand the value of HBO graduates. I know many non-Dutch students who chose a HBO education because such a hands-on higher education simply does exist where they are from. If you decide to find a job outside of the Netherlands, you are still accredited with a Bachelors degree meaning your work opportunities are identical to a WO graduate!

“Numerus Fixus”

During the application process, you may come across the term “numerus fixus” associated with certain programs. This term indicates the degree will include some form of entrance exam on top of the other documents you are required to send such as your diploma. Do note that you will be limited to 2 numerus fixus programs you can apply for, except for medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy and dental hygiene programs which is limited to 1. Also, do note that the application deadlines for these programs are earlier than non-numerus fixus programs. See DUO webpage for more information.

Attention A levels students!

Dutch universities do accept predicted grades. However, unlike British universities, I must mention that the minimum grades for A-levels are deceivingly low in comparison. This is because Dutch universities are relatively easy to enter but significantly more difficult to complete. More on this in the section about BSA…

Housing

A senior once gave me the tip to find housing as soon as I get the acceptance letter if I want to study in the Netherlands. I believe that tip still holds; if not, even more so.

While the housing crisis is not isolated to the Netherlands, it’s affecting students and fresh graduates greatly here. For context: in 2019, while I was fortunate to find relatively affordable housing, the worst situation I’ve heard amongst my colleagues was that they had to pay double my rent for a room of similar size, or were forced to get larger studios or apartments for themselves. Nowadays, people are couch surfing, renting actual hotels for hundred of euros a week, and sleeping in tents.

Dorms are not as available in the Netherlands as they would be in other countries (See article on housing experiences in the Netherlands). While universities do provide some direction in terms of housing, the majority would usually resort to third-party websites for finding housing. This is where you may encounter the words “Dutch only” while house hunting. Unfortunately, the only thing I can say is to start early and keep persevering in that search to give yourself the best chance of finding a place to stay.

When you do get an early match, do keep in mind that you may have to pay rent for a few months while you are still finishing high school. For my first housing, I had to pay for two months of rent while I was not in the country just so that I would secure the place!

I am aware students in other countries would often group up and rent out an apartment or a whole house to share amongst themselves. While that’s still the case for some students in the Netherlands, it is not as common as many rental agencies ask for guarantors and proof of income. Many of them explicitly state an inkomenseis or a minimum income requirement of 3 to 3.5 times the rent of the accommodation (sometimes, before GWT - gas, water, electricity).

If you do find housing, check whether it qualifies for huurtoeslag or housing allowance on the Belastingdienst website! It may be the little financial help you need to continue studying in the Netherlands.

BSA

Congrats! You finally got yourself settled in the Netherlands! Your next challenge will be getting your BSA (bindend studieadvies) or binding study advice. This is where the university determines whether you can continue with your Bachelor studies into your second year. Often, you would also get an interim study recommendation which gauges your academic progress halfway through the year. The BSA is given purely based on the number of credits you have by the end of your first academic year.

Each university and their programs vary in the number of credits to qualify for a positive BSA. Most are around 45 credits while the rest range from 36 to even 60 credits (equivalent to passing all courses in the first year - often referred to as propedeuse). Some degrees have additional clauses which require passing certain courses (eg. Mechanical Engineering in TU Eindhoven). See here for a list of BSA figures for WO institutions.

If you happen to not meet the expected number of credits halfway through the first academic year, you may be given the option to transfer to a HBO program if you are enrolled in a WO program.

If by the end of the academic year you do not receive a positive BSA, you are unfortunately forced to leave your program at that university. In this case, you can either change your major (which may be in the same university) or move to a different university.

If you are a non-EU resident, you have the additional requirement to pass at least 50% of the credits for each study year to hold onto your student residence permit (See IND website).

(Lack of) Holidays

I would describe the Dutch academic year as a grind, as you mainly have the summer break to look forward to. The winter breaks are short and are often placed in between a “quarter” or “study block”, so it’s not much of a holiday. There are often little to no breaks in between the quarters outside of the weekend (with some exceptions - see below), and the one-day national holidays you do get are mainly concentrated in April and May. If you end up studying in the southern region of the Netherlands (eg. Eindhoven, Maastricht), you would also get a week off for Carnaval, but if not, that break is usually set in between two semesters.

In contrast, universities in other countries provide more breathing room during one’s studies.

• Netherlands: ~2 weeks off for Christmas, 1 week off after a semester, 5 one-day national holidays, 7 weeks off for summer break (+ 1 week summer resits)
• UK: 3 weeks off for Christmas, 2 weeks off for Easter, 11 weeks off for summer break
• Australia: for each semester (of which there are two): 1 week of no teaching, 1 week of SWOT Vac. 4 weeks of winter break (end of June to end of July). ~13 weeks of summer break (end of November to early February)
• Canada: 2 weeks off for Christmas, 14 weeks of the summer semester (when not enrolled in a summer semester)

There have been talks in the Dutch parliament to somewhat address this issue, but as of writing this, nothing has been set in stone.

Actual degree duration

If you visit the websites of Dutch universities, they all advertise a 3 year Bachelor program for research universities, and 4 years for universities of applied science. But I feel these websites should include a big asterisk around that figure as the majority do not finish within the 3 years. According to Universiteiten van Nederland, only 32.1% of undergraduate students complete their studies within 3 years - with 69.6% of all undergraduate students completing in 4 years. This means a majority of students require more than the specified 3 years to complete despite what Nuffic may state on their website.

Based on anecdotal evidence, the reasons range from choosing to spend more time in associations and student teams, to genuinely becoming overwhelmed by the pacing of Dutch university education.

When I approached my friends in the UK about the average time to graduate, they didn’t quite understand the question. But it turns out that “study delay” does not exist in the British higher education system. Instead, they have a degree class system where you are classified according to your overall academic score at the end of the three years.

While the majority do take longer than 3 years to finish their Bachelors, it is still a year faster than many Bachelor programs around the world such as those in the US, Canada, Singapore, and Indonesia. However, if you are treating your Bachelor studies like a speedrun, doing so in the Netherlands will be a tad bit more challenging than other 3-year Bachelor degrees.

Why bother with the Netherlands?

So far, I’ve mainly described studying in the Netherlands as a nightmare. However, this article isn’t intended to discourage people from studying in the Netherlands. Rather, it should be setting realistic expectations for prospective students.

There are many reasons to look forward to studying in the Netherlands which have been covered at length by other people on the internet, amongst which are:

• If you like getting work done efficiently, you will see yourself enjoying the Dutch work culture. They don’t “beat around the bush” as the saying goes in English. The Dutch are known to be direct and straightforward when talking. Many foreigners have described the Dutch as cold because of this; but from personal experience, if you don’t take their comments too personally and stay professional, you’ll adapt just fine here.
• Dutch universities contain a variety of student activities outside of studying such as: partying (of course, but also), sports, cultural and religious associations, and student teams - where students take a more hands-on approach to apply the theory for competitions! Check out the student teams from the different Dutch universities:
  • TU Delft’s D:DREAM
  • TU Eindhoven student teams
  • UT student teams
  • Hogeschool Saxion student teams
• The Netherlands is famous for its urban planning. Its cycling infrastructure is world-class, its public transport is convenient, and its cities are walkable. If you forget to get some groceries, supermarkets are all around the country (See CBS article).
• When you are looking for an escape from your city, Amsterdam is at most a 3-hour train ride away from the furthest points in the Netherlands. There are also affordable buses (Check out FlixBus) and flights to places all around Europe.

I initially wanted to write this piece to answer frequently asked questions presented by many young prospective students - usually from my high school. One of my goals was to give a realistic view of studying in the Netherlands to someone who has never been to the country. If you don’t end up choosing to study there, it’s also a great place to live and work after your studies!