The Netherlands: Foreign enrolment slowdown driven by declining undergraduate numbers
- Fewer new international students are enrolling in bachelor’s programmes in the Netherlands
- For the past couple of years, the Dutch government has pressured universities to reduce English-taught programming at the undergraduate level
- The contraction in the segment of new students from the EEA is the major cause of the decline, with the German market especially soft
- The number of new domestic students enrolling in bachelor’s programmes in the Netherlands is also falling
In 2024/25, 131,000 international students – including 51,800 new students – were enrolled in a degree programme offered by a university of applied sciences or research in the Netherlands. This is a +3% increase over the previous year, but it is also the smallest growth in 10 years. International commencements grew by only +0.4%, the weakest expansion on record.
The slower rate of growth is due to an ongoing decline at the bachelor’s level, especially from other European countries. The number of international students in those programmes in 2024/25 was down -5.2% compared with the previous year, according to Nuffic. The Netherlands’ top market (by far), Germany, sent -8% fewer undergraduate students.
More recently, preliminary data from Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) indicates that the 2025/26 intake of international undergraduate students is down about -3.5% compared with the previous intake. The major reason is a -5% decline in new undergraduate students from the European Economic Area (EEA). Non-EEA undergraduate enrolments are stable.
As you can see from the following chart (which shows data up to 2024 filtered to include only bachelor’s enrolments), new international enrolments at this level began decreasing in 2023, in tandem with vigorous debate about foreign students’ impact on the housing crisis and a socio-political turn towards the far-right.
Under considerable political pressure, Dutch universities have reduced the number of English-taught bachelor’s programmes by about a third over the past couple of years.
While some decline in international student numbers was expected, a compounding issue is that new domestic enrolments in bachelor’s programmes are also falling – and at the same rate as international ones (-3.5% for 2025/26 as per preliminary data).
Of the combined trend, UNL chairman Caspar van den Berg said:
“For the third year in a row, international student intake is declining. This is now compounded by a decline in the number of Dutch students. For all the ambitions we saw in the election manifestos, we need sufficient knowledge and talent. It is therefore urgent that a new cabinet develops a clear strategy on how we can continue to attract, train, and retain that talent. Sufficient talent cannot come from the Netherlands alone; we simply do not have enough young people.”
The Netherlands has a rapidly ageing population, with over 1 in 5 aged 65 or older.
Master’s programmes unaffected
International master’s enrolments are still increasing. The chart below shows data filtered to include only master’s enrolments over the years. In 2024/25, new international master’s enrolments reached an all-time high.
International master’s enrolments are still growing due to two factors:
- Unlike bachelor’s programmes, master’s courses are not the target of government pressure to reduce English-taught programmes in favour of Dutch-taught programmes. About 76% of all master’s programmes in the Netherlands continue to be delivered in English.
- Foreign students who have already completed bachelor’s degrees in the Netherlands often continue from undergraduate studies into more advanced programmes.
A volatile time for higher education
The Netherlands is often in an enviable position on global “top 10” lists for innovation, education, productivity, scientific papers, and more. Yet university leaders have become increasingly alarmed by massive proposed budget cuts to higher education and internationalisation and by a growing sentiment among the right that universities are too “elite” or “woke” (similar to developments in the US).
The situation has become so dire that it has sparked protests among students, academics, and associations. Educations.com reported in December 2025 that:
“Demonstrators argue that these policies [including a plan to cut 300 million euros from international education budgets] undermine the Netherlands' status as a global education hub, calling for government reconsideration. Public statements emphasise the importance of maintaining international diversity and fostering innovation in higher education.”
As reported this week by the independent journalism arm of the University of Twente, U-Today, there are some signs the incoming government may be more supportive of the country’s higher education sector than the last one:
“The incoming minority government of D66, CDA and VVD wants to reverse the planned cuts to education and has set aside 1.5 billion euros to do so.”
But so far, the government has not committed more funds for R&D (other than for fields related to defense) and has been vague about its stance on internationalisation. U-Today reports:
“The minority government] parties have also reached agreement on international students and researchers. They’re keen to ‘attract top scientific talent, needed for groundbreaking research and innovation.’
Internationalisation should also help attract skilled professionals ‘in the sectors facing the greatest challenges,’ such as ICT and engineering, and possibly healthcare.
As a result, English-taught education is no longer seen as a problem by the coalition. The existing non-Dutch-taught programmes will be maintained, they’ve agreed. They’re even scrapping the planned test for new ‘foreign-language’ degree programmes.
So how will they keep control over the intake of international students? To that end, they intend to make ‘binding administrative agreements’ with higher education institutions.”
All in all, it is fair to say that international undergraduate prospects considering the Netherlands are faced with a muddy policy environment, especially with regard to English-taught programmes. As countries such as France, Germany, and Italy increase their supply of English-taught programmes, demand for bachelor’s programmes in the Netherlands is unlikely to pick up in 2026.
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