Universities: slightly fewer international first-years

For the first time in years, the intake of international Bachelor’s students has decreased slightly. The universities are calling on politicians not to take radical measures against internationalisation.

University Bachelor’s programmes have welcomed about 900 fewer first-year students this academic year, provisional figures show. The number of Dutch students enrolling fell by almost 700 as compared to the previous academic year. The number of international first-years also went down, by 220.

Furthermore, fewer internationals came to the Netherlands to take a Master’s programme without having first completed a Bachelor’s programme here. Universities of The Netherlands (UNL) is calling the decrease “slight” this time, but it does concern 1,700 fewer students than two years ago.

Less recruitment

A possible explanation, according to Interim President of UNL Jouke de Vries, is that the universities are recruiting fewer students abroad and that they do a better job warning internationals about the student housing shortage in the Netherlands.

All in all, the international Master’s intake has risen by 550 students, but that’s due to those who took a Bachelor’s programme here.

According to the provisional figures, the total number of university students – so first-year and later-year students combined – registered in the Netherlands is 340,700. That’s almost 700 more than last academic year.

Nonetheless, universities are worried they’re becoming less appealing to international students. “That’s why we’re calling on politicians not to take radical measures that can do serious damage to the quality of our education and research”, writes De Vries.

Political parties such as NSC and VVD, for example, are advocating significant budget cuts in higher education by making Bachelor’s programmes Dutch-taught again, with the possible exception of tech and engineering programmes.

Very much needed

According to De Vries, however, science is “cross-border by nature” and the Netherlands should cherish the international character of its universities. What’s more, given the huge labour market shortages, now more than ever the Netherlands needs international students who stay in the country after completing their studies.

At the same time, the universities do want to be able to manage their intake better. Since 2018 they’ve been asking politicians for “instruments” to control the intake of international students, for example enrolment restrictions for the English-taught track of a programme.

Final figures for the 2023-2024 academic year will be published in February, along with the details per university.