Tuition Costs for Students in the Netherlands
Studying in the Netherlands is often more affordable compared to other popular destinations like the UK, but it still comes with higher costs than some neighboring European countries, such as Germany and Belgium. In general, tuition fees in the Netherlands are divided into two categories. First, Dutch students and those from the EU/EEA and Suriname benefit from a reduced rate known as the “statutory tuition fee,” which is set by the Dutch government and is uniform across all universities. For the 2024 academic year, this fee is typically €2,601.
In contrast, international students from non-EU/EEA countries usually pay the “institutional tuition fee,” which varies based on the university and tends to be significantly higher. Universities in the Netherlands also fall into two groups: research universities and universities of applied sciences (UAS). While EU/EEA students pay the same statutory fees across both types of institutions, non-European students typically find universities of applied sciences slightly more affordable than research universities. Additionally, highly ranked universities often have higher tuition fees.
For example, Breda University of Applied Sciences charges international students about €13,000 per year for bachelor’s programs and €15,000 for master’s programs, while the cost for Dutch and EU/EEA students remains at €2,601. At Delft University of Technology, the fees for non-EU/EEA bachelor’s students are approximately €16,000, and around €22,000 for master’s students. Meanwhile, institutions like Eindhoven University of Technology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and University of Twente have fees ranging from €10,000 to €22,000 for international students, with research-focused universities generally at the higher end of the spectrum.
Applied sciences universities like Fontys, Hanze, and Saxion often offer slightly lower fees for international students, averaging around €9,000 to €12,000 for bachelor’s programs and €8,000 to €12,000 for master’s programs. Major research universities such as Leiden, Utrecht, and the University of Amsterdam generally charge between €13,000 and €23,000 for non-EU/EEA students, depending on the program.
It is important to note that some specialized fields, like Medicine or Dentistry, can incur much higher tuition rates, sometimes exceeding €30,000 per year. Part-time tuition fees are usually lower, though they do not decrease in direct proportion to full-time fees; for example, the statutory fee for part-time studies is around two-thirds of the full-time rate.
