Fewer first-year students for universities again, Rotterdam sees number rising

For the fourth consecutive year, the number of new students at universities has declined.  Particularly, the universities in Maastricht, Amsterdam, and Nijmegen have recorded losses, while the technical universities and Rotterdam have seen an increase.

In September, nearly 58,500 students commenced a university bachelor’s programme, a one percent decrease compared to last year. This drop is primarily due to a reduction of one thousand international students. The number of Dutch students increased by 350.

Behavioural and social studies less popular

Programmes in the behaviour and society sector (such as psychology, criminology, and communication) are particularly less popular among foreign students. There was a seventeen percent decrease in foreign student enrolment in this area.

For the first time in five years, however, the technology sector is experiencing growth. While the popularity of this field continues to decline among Dutch students, there were 150 more enrolments from the rest of Europe compared to last year. From outside the EEA, there were even three hundred additional enrolments.

Budget cuts

The ratio of European to non-European first-year students is slowly changing. Dutch universities are attracting slightly more students from outside Europe. Their share among the international students has risen from 23 to 26 percent over the past five years.

Universities can charge higher tuition fees for students from outside Europe since the government does not subsidise these students. The Schoof cabinet aims to cut the number of international students, particularly targeting European students, for whom the government pays the same as for Dutch students. Critics of this policy highlight the long-term financial benefits for the treasury if some of the international students remain working here.

Winners

The University of Amsterdam remains the largest in the Netherlands but has seen a 3 percent decline in first-year numbers. The neighbouring Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is down 6 percent. In both cases, this amounts to a difference of nearly three hundred students.

The situation is more severe in Maastricht. There, over four hundred fewer international students enrolled compared to last year, resulting in an 8 percent decrease. Maastricht is the most international university of them all.

The technical universities of Twente and Eindhoven, on the other hand, are up by 9 percent, while Delft has also grown by 2 percent. The Erasmus University Rotterdam has made significant gains with a 4 percent increase. In 2022 and 2023, the number of first-year students in Rotterdam dropped, more than the national average.