On 4 September 2026, Nuffic published a new overview of international students in the Netherlands, bringing together the latest data on enrolments, academic success, graduate retention and the broader benefits and challenges associated with international student mobility. 

In the 2025-26 academic year, 129,764 international degree students were enrolled at publicly funded Dutch higher education institutions, accounting for 17% of the total student population. Around 72% came from the European Economic Area (EEA) and 28% from outside the EEA. 

After years of growth, international enrolment appears to be stabilising. At research universities, the total number of international students fell for the first time, by almost 1% (see more in ACA Newsletter – Education Europe, June 2026), while new international enrolments also declined slightly. Universities of applied sciences recorded modest overall growth, alongside a small fall in new international enrolments. 

Nuffic also highlights the long-term contribution of international students and graduates. Although EEA students represent a short-term cost to the education budget, both EEA and non-EEA international students generate a positive net contribution to the Dutch public budget over time, particularly when graduates remain and work in the country. Five years after graduation, 25% of international graduates are still living in the Netherlands, rising to 39% among non-EEA graduates, and around 80% of those who stay are in paid employment. 

International graduates can also contribute to addressing labour-market shortages, including in healthcare, education, ICT and engineering. Among international graduates in healthcare who remain in the Netherlands five years after graduation, 74% work in healthcare, while the corresponding figure for education graduates is 95%. 

The overview also underlines continuing challenges, including housing shortages, student wellbeing, the position of Dutch as an academic language and integration between international and Dutch students. Nevertheless, 76% of international students are satisfied or very satisfied with their studies, while more than half indicate that they want to remain in the Netherlands after graduation. 

Read Nuffic’s International Students in the Netherlands 2026 overview here.