Incoming degree mobility at Dutch research universities and universities of applied sciences 2025-26
How many international students are there in the Netherlands, where do they come from, and what are they studying here? In our annual report, Incoming Degree Mobility, we answer these questions and more.
The analyses in the report are based on data from the Education Executive Agency (DUO) to provide a complete and up-to-date picture of the international student population in the Netherlands. Additionally, the report contains information on relevant Dutch and European policy developments.
First decline in the number of international students
Although a small decline, in the 2025-26 academic year, for the first time in 20 years, fewer international students are enrolled in Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) and Research Universities (RU) than in the previous year. A striking decline is particularly visible in the RU bachelor's programs. The number of international master's students is not decreasing, but a larger proportion consists of students who were already in the Netherlands for another program.
Significant decline in German and Chinese students
New enrolments are shrinking significantly in two major countries of origin. Since 2020-21, the new enrolment of German students has been steadily declining, and this trend is set to continue in 2025-26. It remains the largest group of international students.
The number of students from China, the largest country of origin outside Europe, also dropped significantly: new enrolments from China experienced the largest decline since 2006, with nearly a third fewer enrolments than last year.
Engineering at Research Universities continues to grow
Among these declines, one growing group stands out: an increasing number of international students are pursuing a degree in Engineering at Research Universities. Since this academic year, more international RU students study Engineering than Behavioural and Social Sciences. However, the field of study Economics remains the largest, for both Universities of Applied Sciences and Research Universities. In the report, we zoom in further on this development.
Download the full report for all exact figures, visualizations, and analyses of long-term trends. You can also read about popular study programs among international students, how many international bachelor students continue with a master's program in the Netherlands, and the share of international students per university and municipality.
More data:
Check our interactive dashboards for additional information, such as data on specific countries of origin and fields of study.