There has been a decrease of 220 international students in undergraduate courses in the Netherlands over the past year.
There has been a decrease of 220 international students in undergraduate courses in the Netherlands over the past year.
The number of first-year international students enrolling in bachelor’s programs at Dutch universities has started to dwindle after a period of substantial growth.
According to data, there has been a decrease of 220 international students in undergraduate courses in the Netherlands over the past year, as reported by Erudera. The current count stands at 18,594 international students, constituting 31 percent of the new intake.
This decline has been linked to government initiatives aimed at curbing the influx of international students amid a housing crisis in the Netherlands.
In addition to the drop in undergraduate enrollments, there has also been a notable decline of over 1,700 international students pursuing master’s degrees for the first time in Dutch universities in 2023 compared to the previous academic year.
Furthermore, universities observed a decrease in domestic student numbers by approximately 900 students over the same period.
According to the Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), although there was an increase of 550 international students starting master’s degree programs, the majority of this increase consisted of students who were already studying at Dutch universities.
Data released in November of the previous year indicated that by that time, 340,700 students were enrolled at Dutch universities, representing a modest increase of 700 students compared to the preceding academic year.
Government measures
In April 2023, the Dutch government introduced plans to regulate the influx of international students in the country. These plans included imposing a cap on international students and restricting English-taught courses to encourage international students to learn Dutch.
Under this education bill, universities are required to conduct at least two-thirds of bachelor courses in Dutch unless there is a valid reason for exemption.
On April 21, 2023, Dutch Minister of Education, Robbert Dijkgraaf addressed the House of Representatives in the Hague, highlighting the significant increase in international student numbers in the Netherlands, which he noted was 3.5 times higher than in 2005.
Dijkgraaf harped on the necessity of managing student numbers to prevent issues such as overcrowded lecture halls, excessive workloads for lecturers, insufficient student accommodation, and restricted access to study programs.
Netherlands’ status as a global study destination
Despite these challenges, the Netherlands maintains its status as one of the top study destinations globally, based on current rankings.
According to data from Nuffic, during the 2022-23 academic year, 122,287 international degree students were enrolled in higher education institutions in the Netherlands, constituting 15 percent of the total student population.
In 2023, nearly 40 percent of first-year students at Dutch universities came from other countries, marking a notable increase from the 28 percent recorded in 2015.
Int’l student enrollment
In 2022, Statistics Netherlands revealed that over 100,000 international students flocked to Dutch colleges and universities during the 2021-2022 academic year, marking a significant milestone in the country’s educational landscape.
Among them, more than 42,000 were embarking on their first educational journey within the Netherlands.
The surge in international student enrollment has outpaced the growth in domestic student numbers over the past sixteen years, indicating a growing global interest in Dutch higher education institutions.
The total count of international students reached 115,000 in 2021-22, a 3.5-fold increase from the 33,000 recorded in 2005-06. The figure comprises 80.4 thousand students at universities and 34.8 thousand at universities of applied sciences (HBO), contrasting sharply with the 12.5 thousand and 20.6 thousand respective enrollments in 2005-06.
In recent years, the majority of international students arriving in the Netherlands have originated from European countries, accounting for 76 percent of the total in 2021-22, up from 63 percent in 2005-06.
Additionally, there has been a noticeable rise in the number of students from Asia, with over 19,000 Asian students enrolling in Dutch universities in the 2021-22 academic year, including more than 5,000 from China and over 3,000 from India.
A shift in academic preferences has been observed among international students in the Netherlands, with more opting for bachelor’s degrees since the 2017-18 academic year. Previously, master’s degrees were the more popular choice.
Among the array of disciplines attracting international students, courses in journalism, behavior, and society emerged as the most sought-after in the 2021-22 academic year.
Impact of COVID-19
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted a shift to online education, the influx of international students remained resilient.
The academic year 2020-21 saw a notable increase in first-year students, attributed partly to the accessibility of online learning amid travel restrictions.
September of the previous year witnessed a resurgence in international student numbers, with a 10 percent increase reported by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service following an initial decline at the onset of the pandemic.
Pieter Duisenberg, President of the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), said that the rebound in international student numbers was anticipated, citing COVID-19 travel restrictions as the primary cause for the earlier decline.
In terms of nationality, the majority of students hailed from China, India, the US, Turkey, and Indonesia, underlining the diverse international student body contributing to the vibrant academic environment in Dutch universities.
