Top 10 countries of origin over time

Summary

• Germany has been the most common country of origin for international degree students throughout this period, although numbers have been in decline since 2021. There were 18,241 students from Germany registered at a Dutch higher education institution in 2025-26, 8% fewer than the year before.
• Romania moved up the most in this period. Between 2006 and 2025-26, Romania grew from 27th to 3rd most common country of origin for international degree students.
• China dropped two places from 5th most common country of origin in 2024-25 to 7th in 2025-26 (-988, -16,2%).
  

For more detailed information about all countries of origin, see Countries of origin.

For more data on university degree students coming from abroad to study in the Netherlands in 2025-26 and an analysis of current trends and developments, see our report Incoming degree mobility in Dutch higher education 2025-26 (in Dutch, the English version will be available soon).

For further information, please send an e-mail to analytics@nuffic.nl.