Netherlands Plan your studies

Higher education

Types of higher education

  • Research universities
  • research-oriented education
  • Universities of applied sciences
  • higher professional education
  • Institutes for international education (IE)
  • advanced training and courses

Some figures

1.484 Luxembourgish resident students enrolled in Dutch higher education for 2021 / 2022.

Most popular cities

  1. Maastricht
  2. Amsterdam
  3. Rotterdam

Degrees  

Research universities

  • Bachelor of Science (BSc): 3 years.
  • Bachelor of Arts (BA): 3 years.
  • Master of Science (MSc): 1-2 years.
  • Master of Arts (MA): 1-2 years.
  • PDEng.: 2 years.
  • PhD: 4 years.

Universities of applied sciences

  • Associate (Ad): 2 years.
  • Bachelor: 4 years.
  • Master: 1-2 years.

Institutes for international education

  • Master of Science (MSc): 1-2 years.
  • Master of Arts (MA): 1-2 years.
  • PhD: flexible duration.

Find your study programme

Dutch universities offer the largest number of English-taught programmes in continental Europe. About 2,000 programmes are taught entirely in English. In order to find the right course, you can check the Studyfinder database of English-taught courses.

Useful information on accreditation is provided by the NVAO (The Accreditation organization of the Netherlands and Flanders).

Application

Registration via Studielink

Studielink is the common registration and enrolment application for all Dutch public institutions of higher education.

Application deadlines

The annual registration deadline applicable for most Bachelors degree programmes for the following academic year is 1 May.  Note that some programmes have a selection procedure - Numerus Fixus - and an earlier application deadline (15. January!) Check the website of your university or studyfinder!

Main requirements

The main requirements for an admission to a bachelors degree is a secondary school/high school diploma (diplôme de fin d’études secondaires) at an appropriate level. This requirement is set by every institution!

In certain fields of study (e.g. psychology, medicine), the number of places is limited and quotas are set = Numerus Fixus. For studies in fine arts and music, institutions may set additional requirements.

Please check the admission requirements on Studyfinder to find out if you are eligible for a specific study programme.

Language requirements

It is essential that you have a good command of the English language. You must usually pass an English test (Toefl or IELTS test).  

Distance learning

In Holland, you may find a few part-time courses in English as well as distance learning programs. The programs and study conditions may vary from one institution to another. Such courses are often organized for the master’s level.

The Open University is specifically dedicated to online education and research. The educational programme is structured in such a way that it enables you to study part-time.

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