Approximately 32 percent of international students elected to live and work in the Netherlands one year after completing their studies.
Approximately 32 percent of international students elected to live and work in the Netherlands one year after completing their studies.
A significant number of international students are choosing to stay in the Netherlands after completing their studies, data from Statistics Netherlands showed.
In the academic year 2018-19, CBS reported that approximately 32 percent of international students elected to live and work in the Netherlands one year after completing their studies, as per Erudera report.
In the academic year 2006-07, nearly 3,000 international students completed their university education with a (post) master’s degree, accounting for 11 percent of all graduates that year.
Meanwhile, more than 12,000 international students achieved a university master’s degree in the Netherlands, constituting almost one-third of all graduates, in the academic year 2019-20.
However, the data revealed variations in the choice to remain in the Netherlands among international graduates, depending on their field of study. About a third of international students obtained master’s degrees in fields related to law, administration, trade, and business services, which proved to be the most popular disciplines. Following closely were programs in journalism, behavioral and social sciences (such as psychology), as well as technology, industry and construction, including architecture.
Fewer international students pursued diplomas in healthcare and welfare, while a higher percentage ventured into technical fields compared to Dutch counterparts (16 percent vs. 9 percent).
Most graduates who secure jobs in the Netherlands one year after graduation come from the services sector, especially supply chain management, followed by computer science and education.
In the 2022-23 academic year, nearly 123,000 international students studied in the Netherlands, comprising 15 percent of the student population.
The majority of these international students, amounting to 93,410, hailed from Europe, with Germany contributing the largest contingent. Furthermore, 21,130 students came from Asia, 5,260 from South and North America and 2,230 from other regions.
The data indicated that over two-thirds of all international students in the 2022-23 academic year were enrolled at universities, with 43 percent pursuing bachelor’s degrees. A total of 52,370 international students were enrolled in university bachelor’s degree programs, in comparison to the 167,140 Dutch students.
In a bid to manage the influx of international students, the Dutch government has recently announced plans to restrict English-language courses at universities.
Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf has unveiled a new initiative requiring universities to deliver at least two-thirds of annual bachelor’s credits in Dutch starting from the 2025-26 academic year.
