Stay rate and labour market position of international graduates 2013‑2022
In this report, we examine the stay rate of international graduates within 5 years after graduation using national registry data. The study covers graduation cohorts from 2013–14 to 2022–23 and examines, among other things, their labour market position.
In this study, we examined how often international students remain in the Netherlands after completing their studies. We looked at what they studied, where they studied (research university or university of applied sciences), whether they are employed — and in which sectors.
Rising trend in stay rates among recent graduates
Five years after graduation, 25% of international graduates still live in the Netherlands, with 80% of them employed. This is a slight increase compared to our 2022 study, mainly driven by more recent cohorts. The upward trend is especially clear when looking at stay rates 1 year after graduation, which have increased significantly starting with the 2018–19 graduation cohort, up to the most recent cohort (2022–23).
Country of origin matters
Graduates from non-EU countries are more likely to stay. The top 5 countries with the highest 5-year stay rates are Suriname (79%), Iran (71%), Ukraine (58%), Turkey (52%), and Russia (50%).
Master’s graduates more likely to stay if they also completed a Dutch bachelor’s
International master’s graduates who also obtained their bachelor’s in the Netherlands are more likely to stay than those who only completed a master’s.
Magnets for international graduates: Amsterdam and Eindhoven
Amsterdam is a major destination: over 1 in 5 international graduates studied there. Five years after graduation, 40% work in the Greater Amsterdam region, and over 25% live in the city. Eindhoven also stands out — nearly half of its international graduates remain in the Netherlands.
International stayers more often earn more than €65,000 five years after graduation
International graduates typically start with lower salaries than Dutch peers. However, 5 years after graduation, a larger proportion of them earn more often higher than €65,000 per year.
Why does this research matter?
International graduates are highly skilled individuals with strong potential to contribute to the Dutch economy and society. Understanding how often they stay — and whether this varies by factors such as study field or country of origin — is therefore important. For international students, it is relevant to know whether their studies lead to job opportunities in the Netherlands.
Questions or want to know more?
If you have any questions regarding this report, please contact us at stayrates@nuffic.nl
To read more on this topic:
- News article about this research: International graduates more likely to stay and work in The Netherlands
- Dashboard Stayrates of international graduates
- Web page on how to increase the stay rate of international students (in Dutch)