Netherlands attracts record number of international students

09 Mar 2018

Thanks to inexpensive living costs and a high quality of life, the Netherlands is experiencing a boom in international student enrollment.

Some 122,000 international students from 162 countries are now enrolled in Dutch universities – 10,000 more than last year – and one in three Master’s students at universities in Delft, Wageningen, Eindhoven and Enschede come from abroad, according to data collected by Nuffic, the Netherlands organization for international cooperation in higher education.

The total number of degree students, meanwhile, has risen from 3,751 in 2006 to more than 12,000 in the current academic year, with particularly high numbers from Germany, China and India.

The reason for the influx? Low university fees are likely a key contributing factor.

International student population in the Netherlands keeps growing and getting more diverse! Over 162 nationalities represented at Dutch higher education institutions. We are here to help them to find a job in the Netherlands after graduation! https://t.co/qJ4EGR3Iac

— Talent4NL (@Talent4NL) March 8, 2018

Students from the EU can expect to pay EUR2,000 (US$24,600) a year in tuition fees while non-EU students will pay EUR6,000 (US$7,400) a year in the Netherlands.

Compared to up to US$34,740 in the US and GB£10,000 (US$14,130) for an average year’s tuition in the UK, the Netherlands is an affordable option for students looking to study abroad.

The Netherland’s high quality of living is another draw for international students. According to the OECD, more Dutch people are satisfied with their quality of life than the global average.

While the UK and US capitalize on the international student market to help generate profit, the Netherlands get the same amount from domestic students as they would from abroad.

Some 122,000 international students from 162 countries are now enrolled in Dutch universities. Source: Shutterstock

However, the Telegraaf warns that this influx of international influence may disadvantage Dutch students, as universities have started offering courses in English to cater for an international student body.

“We are very pleased about this popularity, and our position in the league tables, but we want to ensure the quality of our education so unfortunately, we have to take this step,” a spokeswoman for the university told DutchNews.nl.

“Internationalization is a good thing but if the over-representation of foreign students becomes a problem, universities should ask themselves if they should be offering certain subjects in English,” said Pieter Duisenberg, chairman of the Dutch universities association, VSNU.

Had similar thoughts about studying in Ireland, so I came to the Netherlands instead. English programmes, very high standard, and €2000 p/y. Can't recommend it enough.

— Ciarán O'Connor (@ciaranoconnor) December 6, 2017

In light of the influx of international students, Delft University of Technology will not consider any students from outside the European Economic Area for the next Bachelors of Computer Science and Engineering course.

The Dutch Education Ministry has ruled that a blanket ban on international students from Dutch university is illegal.