International students in the Netherlands - Statistics & Facts
The number of international students in Dutch universities has been growing rapidly, doubling in the past ten years, from just under 54,000 in 2011 to around 122,300 in 2022. This is not accompanied by a proportional increase in the number of Dutch students, as the international student share has increased significantly, from 5.5 percent in 2006 to around 15 percent in 2022. This puts it well ahead of other countries such as the U.S. and Germany, whose international student shares were 4.7 percent and 11 percent, respectively.
In terms of Dutch universities, Maastricht University hosted the second highest amount of foreign university students at almost 12,100 students, equaling roughly 57.2 percent of all of its students. The city of Maastricht is known as an international student university city, perhaps aided by its proximity to Belgium and Germany, its many available English programs, and the fact that it is the only university in the Netherlands with a student share above 50 percent. The University of Amsterdam, located in the Dutch capital city, housed the highest number of international students at just almost 13,800. However, the university was only third in terms of share of international students in research universities, behind the University of Twente. Around 32.7 percent of the University of Amsterdam's students were not Dutch, which was just over of half of the share of international students at the Maastricht University.
The most popular bachelor’s programs amongst international students were International Business and Psychology, each registering over 6,500 international students in the Netherlands. Economics appeared to be a popular subject amongst international bachelor’s students, as Economics and Business economics and International Business Administration were the third and fifth most popular programs, with Liberal Arts and Sciences filling the fourth spot. In 2022, the University of Amsterdam housed the most international bachelor students with just under 9,700, closely followed by Maastricht University with just over 9,100.
The most popular master’s program amongst foreigners was Psychology with almost 2,100 registered students, compared to Business Administration and Music in second and third, with around 1,000 and 900 international students, respectively. The Delft University of Technology housed the most international master’s students with 4,400, putting it above the University of Amsterdam which held just under 4,600 international master’s students. In 2021, a vast majority of international master's students studied at a research universities with 33,100, compared to the mere 3,500 master's students at universities of applied science.
In terms of Dutch universities, Maastricht University hosted the second highest amount of foreign university students at almost 12,100 students, equaling roughly 57.2 percent of all of its students. The city of Maastricht is known as an international student university city, perhaps aided by its proximity to Belgium and Germany, its many available English programs, and the fact that it is the only university in the Netherlands with a student share above 50 percent. The University of Amsterdam, located in the Dutch capital city, housed the highest number of international students at just almost 13,800. However, the university was only third in terms of share of international students in research universities, behind the University of Twente. Around 32.7 percent of the University of Amsterdam's students were not Dutch, which was just over of half of the share of international students at the Maastricht University.
Bachelor programs
In 2022, 12.6 percent of all bachelor’s students in the Netherlands were not Dutch. This has been increasing significantly in recent times, as it stood at a mere five percent as recently as 2006. The international student share in bachelor’s programs being significantly lower than the international student share of higher education combined, indicates that the international student share in master’s programs lies above the average of that of bachelor’s programs. The majority of international students were German in 2022, with over 17,000 registering from the neighboring country. East- and South-European nations also found the Netherlands a good option for study, as Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, and Hungary were all in the top ten of represented international bachelor’s students, as were Italy, France, and Spain.The most popular bachelor’s programs amongst international students were International Business and Psychology, each registering over 6,500 international students in the Netherlands. Economics appeared to be a popular subject amongst international bachelor’s students, as Economics and Business economics and International Business Administration were the third and fifth most popular programs, with Liberal Arts and Sciences filling the fourth spot. In 2022, the University of Amsterdam housed the most international bachelor students with just under 9,700, closely followed by Maastricht University with just over 9,100.
Master's programs
As alluded to previously, the international student share in master’s programs is significantly higher than that of bachelor’s programs, as the international master’s student share reached 26.5 percent in 2022. The share has increased more than three-fold since 2006, when it stood at eight percent. A large portion of these foreign master’s students were German with over 5,700, almost double as much as the second most represented nation in China with just under 3,500 master’s students. Unlike with bachelor’s programs in Dutch universities, East-European nations were much less represented in master’s programs, the highest of which was Romania which was the ninth most represented country with roughly 1,000 master’s students.The most popular master’s program amongst foreigners was Psychology with almost 2,100 registered students, compared to Business Administration and Music in second and third, with around 1,000 and 900 international students, respectively. The Delft University of Technology housed the most international master’s students with 4,400, putting it above the University of Amsterdam which held just under 4,600 international master’s students. In 2021, a vast majority of international master's students studied at a research universities with 33,100, compared to the mere 3,500 master's students at universities of applied science.
