Nuffic’s 4 September 2026 statistical summary shows that publicly funded higher education in the Netherlands enrolled 129,764 international bachelor’s and master’s degree students in 2025/26 , approximately 17% of all students. These figures cover full-degree students and must not be combined with exchange or internship numbers.

Background and main changes

International degree enrolment at research universities (WO) fell by 647 compared with the previous academic year, while universities of applied sciences (HBO) gained 514. The net decline of 133 masks different trends across institution types. Independent reporting by The PIE News on 2 September also cites the total and a decline of approximately 0.1%.

How do you read these numbers?

These are total enrolments, not newly available places or an admissions success rate. Nuffic distinguishes new enrolments, degree students and exchange students. Combining measures with different definitions would misrepresent the trend.

The PIE News interviews higher education representatives in the context of fiscal research, noting that international students’ economic benefits should be considered alongside housing and campus capacity. Aggregate benefits do not guarantee employment or residence for an individual student.

Implications for Taiwanese students and families

Editorial analysis: First decide whether you seek a research-oriented or applied sciences programme, then check the teaching language, entry requirements, internships and post-graduation pathways. A small decline in student numbers does not mean every programme is easier to enter or that accommodation is easier to find.

Compare tuition, accommodation and language preparation together rather than relying only on national student totals. These statistical trends do not provide an admissions or employment guarantee for any university.

Sources & Image Credits

Picture: Original source ； Licence terms 。 CHEN Dadi／Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 3.0 NL； The original map, the layout may be cut.