Aljawaz Your guide to study abroad Making the decision to move to the Netherlands is an easy one! From the quality of life, to the dedication to excellence and sustainability, or the fact that one third of the population are proficient in English, there’s no shortage of reasons to study in the Netherlands. And the country is increasing in the rankings to become one of the most-sought study destinations in Europe. We’ve compiled for you some of the reasons why international students make the choice to pursue academics in the Netherlands.
The high quality of the Dutch higher education system
One of the main reasons why the Netherlands has over 90,000 international students enrolled at its universities have something to do with the education quality. As a matter of fact, the country’s top universities have consistently been among the top 100 in the world. This testifies to the high standard of education offered at Dutch educational institutions. And for this, you’ll pay a lower tuition fee than what you’d spend in the US or in the UK! Moreover, degrees and qualifications from universities in the Netherlands are recognized by employers at international level.
Find here our list of the top 10 universities in the Netherlands.
A student-centered approach to teaching
Universities in the Netherlands have a system that helps students get the most of the lectures while learning individual skills that will be valuable in the future. This approach still requires students to attend lectures with hundreds of other students. But there are what they call “tutorials” where students get into smaller groups of 15 to 25 to have a more interactive session with their professors and classmates.
During tutorials, students have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the subject, participate in debates, ask their professors specific questions and form their own opinion. Moreover, students are encouraged to do their reading and have a preparatory work before the lectures and tutorials to get the most of these contact sessions.
The Dutch society prioritizes international relations
It’s common knowledge that Holland is an open and multicultural society. The country is strongly connected to other cultures and to the international business. Although Dutch is the national language, 95% of the people in the country are fluent in English. That’s why each year, students from more than 160 countries come to study in the Netherlands. And they’ll face little to no language barrier in the country. Moreover, Dutch universities offer the largest number of English-taught programs in all continental Europe.
Living cost and tuition fees are affordable compared to English-speaking countries
Like in many other international study destinations, Netherlands is not the cheapest country in the world. But it won’t cost you an arm and a leg either to study there. Besides, tuition cost in the Netherlands is relatively lower than what applies in other popular destinations such as the UK, the US or Canada.
To give you a price range: EU students can expect to spend tuition fees of about 2,000 euros per year while non-EU citizens will pay around 6,000 euros or more. When it comes to living expenses, students will spend between 800 – 1,200 euros per month. And if you still can’t afford this cost, there are various scholarship programs you can apply for to cover these study and living fees.
Read our guide on the study and living cost in the Netherlands to find out more.
Learn also about the scholarships you can get to study in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands is a safe country
By international standards, Holland is one of the safest countries in the world, along with Switzerland, New Zealand, Iceland, Japan or Portugal. The Netherlands also belongs to the top 10 happiest countries in the world. Street crime rate is also very low. And this has less to do with the efficiency of the Dutch police or security system and more with the citizens’ mentality to create a safe and secure environment to live in.
You can read here about the traditions and customs in the Netherlands.
A gateway to the rest of Europe
Being at the center of Europe, the Netherlands is an internationally connected country. This gives residents in the country many opportunities for traveling to other European cities. You can easily get to Paris or Berlin in only a train ride away. And you can be in London from Amsterdam in less than 1.5 hours by plane. Moreover, there are several flight deals available, allowing you to travel at a reasonable cost. Lastly, by train from The Hague or Leiden, there are regular departures to and from Belgium and France you can check out.
Plenty of options post-study
The last in our list of good reasons to study in the Netherlands is the career opportunities international graduates can look out. Holland has this system allowing talented expats to settle down and participate in the local economy. Students who graduate from a university in the country then have some options to stay back to get a job or start their own company. This includes 2 special types of visa / resident permit: the Orientation Year Resident Permit and the Start-Up Visa.
Moreover, graduating from a Dutch university will qualify you to find a job not only in the country but everywhere else in the world. In other words, the Netherlands is a great country to start your professional career!
Learn also how to get a student visa to the Netherlands.
