Dutch students abroad in the academic year 2008-09
The most recent data on Dutch students registering in other countries for study (diploma mobility), reveal a further growth of the number of students studying abroad.
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The number of Dutch students in OECD member countries or OECD affiliated countries went up from about 16,000 students in 2007-08, to about 18,000 students, in 2008-09. This count is based on nationality registration and will often include students who did not necessarily come to the country just for the purpose of attending university: they may even have lived there all their lives. Hence, the numbers may well overestimate just study related mobility. Still, preference is given to the nationality criterion here as the more consistent database involved allows for a better view of the trends in student mobility. Some foreign students may also be excluded from the count, for instance those in privately financed education, so the overestimation may in fact not be that dramatic.
On the whole, most Dutch students still register in the United Kingdom, followed by Belgium, followed at a distance by the United States and Germany, and again at a distance by France.
Between 2007-08 and 2008-09, registrations went up in all 15 countries in the graph. In previous years this was not always the case. Since 2004-05, registrations went up in 12 countries while in 3 countries –Sweden, Canada and Ireland – less Dutch students registered in higher education.
Graph 2 also shows a number of (fairly) abrupt changes, notably concerning the number of Dutch students in Portugal, with a sudden peak in 2005-06; Sweden, with a sudden decline in 2007-08, followed by a moderate rise; and New Zealand, with a sudden rise in 2007-08, followed by a further rise in 2008-09.
Interestingly, in the cases of Portugal and New Zealand, these changes are not apparent in the total numbers of foreign students registering in these countries (rather to the contrary in the case of New Zealand), while in the case of Sweden, the noted decline does indeed seem to reflect a general phenomenon. We found no explanation for these developments. It should be noted that the much discussed Swedish higher education fee increase occurred only in 2011, and concerned only non-EU students anyway. The UK will increase its fees for British students and hence EU students, in 2012!
And compared to outgoing mobility from other countries?
As before, the number of Dutch students registering abroad falls below the EU20 average (2.9% against 3.0%). Still, the difference with the average is getting smaller and the Dutch score may well surpass the EU20 average in the coming years.
This would be a desirable development, in general and more specifically because of the international orientation of the Dutch economy. From that point of view the percentage of Dutch students abroad should arguably at least surpass the European average.
Between 2007-08 and 2008-09, growth in Dutch registrations abroad ranked 5th on the list of 20 EU countries.
Traditionally, Ireland and the Slovak Republic have relatively high student outflows, with Irish students mostly registering in the UK (over 80%) and with Slovakian students mostly registering in the Czech Republic (over 60%). Historically, also many students from Luxembourg , Cyprus and Malta study abroad, but for lack of data these countries are excluded from the present analysis.
Between 2007-08 en 2008-09 the student outflow from three of the 20 EU countries in the list declined: from Ireland, Germany, Greece. Since 2004-05, student outflows went down from Ireland, Greece, Austria, and Denmark. As student mobility may well be related to economic development (and HE development), it remains to be seen what effect recent economic and financial turmoil and measures have on student flows.
Does anyone have an idea on the sudden changes noted above?