Study in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country located in Western Europe and it shares its borders with countries like Germany and Belgium. The country is known for the interest it has in art, architecture, and philosophy with diverse cuisine and innumerable festivals. These festivals last throughout the year with as many as 300 festivals being celebrated yearly in Amsterdam alone. The official language of the country is Dutch though people will also be able to find people speaking English and French fluently.

International students who wish to study in the Netherlands will be able to find a lot of English-taught programs in Natural Sciences, Computer Science, Engineering Science, and even Social Sciences. The country also offers candidates with good Business programs. The cost of living in the country as an international student is relatively high especially when it comes to the price of accommodation. It is a relatively safe space for international students within Europe where candidates will be able to learn and thrive in the course of their choice.

Benefits of Studying in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country in Europe that is comparatively small in size and is a popular tourist destination for people who want to visit the entirety of Europe. The country has a multicultural population if one is to accommodate the population of tourists in the country at all times. This allows candidates to benefit from the multicultural environment within the country and thereby broaden their views. A few of the benefits of studying in the Netherlands include-

The Netherland offers affordable education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels for both domestic and international students irrespective of the program they have chosen. This ensures that candidates will be able to complete their education debt-free within the country.
The country has one of the best open economies in the world which makes it easy for students to thrive while doing internships, part-time jobs and even to find full-time jobs within their field of study after the completion of the program.
The Netherlands believes in inculcating innovative teaching methods which is a blend of practical and theoretical learning which ensures that candidates will fit right into the workspace after their education is completed.
The Dutch are famous for compartmentalizing their work and leisure time which will let candidates perform their best in the tasks assigned to them. They are also known for the tea/coffee breaks they take in between work which accounts for the leisure time that is enjoyed with family and friends daily.
Candidates will be able to benefit from learning the basics of the Dutch language which will be a point of merit in their resume irrespective of the country they plan to work in after studying in the Netherlands.
Candidates will also be able to travel across the country and within Europe during the duration of their study. The country has innumerable scenic locations both by the seaside and as ancient villages which are rich in history-making them understand the country better.
The degrees that are offered in the country are internationally recognized especially when it comes to research programs due to the added importance that they give for research programs in the country.
Candidates who graduate from the Netherlands are given an additional year called the orientation year after the course during which they will be able to stay in the country and look for jobs that suit them without applying for a work permit.

Eligibility for Studying in the Netherlands

The eligibility requirements to study in the Netherlands vary from university to university and often program to program. The requirements are also often based on the nationality of the candidate. A few of the general requirements that candidates must meet to apply for universities in the Netherlands are-

Candidates must have a residence permit if they are not from EU/EEA countries or Switzerland.
Candidates must have proof of proficiency in English. They accept both TOEFL and IELTS scores.
Candidates must submit Letters of Recommendation
Candidates must submit Educational Transcripts
Candidates must have an average GPA of 7
Candidates must submit a Statement of Purpose if required

Cost of Studying in the Netherlands

Education in the Netherlands is affordable when compared to the rest of Europe and the rest of the world. The affordability of higher education in the country is mostly in association with public universities that charge a specific amount for students whereas private universities often fall on the expensive side. While higher education is affordable in the Netherlands, this is mostly benefited by candidates who are EU/EEA and Switzerland nationals.

The fee for EU/EEA and Switzerland nationals in public universities often lie in the range between €700 and €2,100 per year. The fee for a bachelor’s degree for non-EU/EEA nationals is estimated to be between €6,000 and €15,000 per year in public universities whereas it is between €8,000 and €20,000 for a master’s degree.

Candidates will have to pay a higher fee if they plan to enroll in private universities where the fee is often dependent on the kind of course the candidate takes. The fee is generally higher for professional courses like Medicine and Business. The fee in private universities can go up to an amount of €30,000 per year depending on different factors.

Degree Programs in the Netherlands

The higher education system in the Netherlands includes three different degrees at the bachelor’s, master's, and research levels. The bachelor’s program offered in the country has a duration of 3 years and provides an equivalent of 180 European credit points. If the bachelor’s program is a professional degree based in medicine or sciences it will have a duration of 4 years and will provide an equivalent of 240 European credit points.

The master’s program in the country takes a duration of 1 to 2 years and is inclusive of a core curriculum, internships, and a thesis depending on the subject the candidate has chosen. This program provides candidates with 60 European credit points if it is a 1-year program and around 120 European credit points if it is a 2-year program.

The Netherlands provides a lot of emphasis on research programs and the doctoral degree in the country takes a duration of 4 or more years depending on the field of study and the topic the candidate has chosen. This program will contain core courses and a dissertation that the candidate will have to defend.

Top Universities in the Netherlands

A few of the best universities in the Netherlands are as follows-

University of Amsterdam
Utrecht University
Erasmus University Rotterdam
VU University Amsterdam
Wageningen University and Research Center
Leiden University
University of Groningen
Radboud University Nijmegen
Delft University of Technology
Maastricht University

Scholarships to Study in the Netherlands

The Netherlands offers candidates with options for affordable higher education at undergraduate, postgraduate, and research levels. The fee for programs is extremely low for EU/EEA and Switzerland candidates whereas it is slightly higher for non-EU/EEA candidates in public universities. Private universities charge candidates a higher amount as the fee but candidates will always be able to apply for a few of the many scholarships the country offers.

Candidates will be able to receive scholarships that are mostly merit-based if they are international students. The scholarships are either provided by the government

Holland Scholarships

This scholarship is provided by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science. It is given to candidates who are from outside EEA and are doing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the country. The eligibility criteria for the scholarship are decided by the university the candidate has chosen. The scholarship is not provided to candidates who have taken a degree from within the country. A few of the participating universities include Leiden University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Utrecht University, etc.

The award amount that is provided through the scholarship is €5,000 which will be given in the first year of the program they have chosen. It is not a full-tuition scholarship.

Netherlands Government Scholarship- OKP

This scholarship is offered to international students every year under the program called Orange Knowledge Program which is initiated by the Dutch Ministry. It is a fully-funded scholarship and is provided to candidates taking up bachelor’s and master’s programs in the country. The scholarship covers all educational expenses of the candidate during their period of study including the cost of living, tuition fee, visa fee, travel grants, and medical insurance.

The scholarship is also provided to candidates who are doing short courses with a duration of 2 to 12 weeks in the country. It is provided in 3 different rounds in a year with new candidates being eligible to apply for the scholarship during each round.

Leiden University Excellence Scholarships

The LExS scholarship is provided to candidates who are doing a full-time master’s degree in Leiden University except for the LLM and MSc programs at the Law School within the same campus. It is given to candidates who are from non-EEA and non-EFTA countries. It is a merit-based scholarship and candidates are required to have grades that fall in the top 10% in their previous program.

This is not a full scholarship and hence candidates are required to show proof of sufficient funds. The award amount is provided in 3 categories with one providing €10,000 as tuition fee, another providing €15,000 as tuition fee and the final one being a total tuition fee award.

Working While Studying in the Netherlands

Candidates who choose to work and study in the Netherlands will be able to do so if they get a work permit for the same. The students who come from EU/EEA and Switzerland will be able to work in the country for as many hours as they want while studying within the country. Non-EU/EEA candidates will most often require a work permit from their employer to work on part-time jobs in the country but this is strictly dependent on the nationality of the candidate.

Non-EU/EEA candidates will be able to work in the country for full-time jobs during June, July, and August when they have vacations or part-time jobs as long as they only do 16 hours of work in a week. But this is subject to the kind of residence permit they have taken for their education. And it is also subject to the employer stating that no EU/EEA/Switzerland or Dutch nationals were available for the work.

Career Options in the Netherlands

Candidates who wish to work in Holland after their education in the country will be able to do so in the one extra year they are provided as orientation year /search year for seeking jobs. The visa that candidates will be provided with during this duration is called a post-study work visa. Most of the top universities in the country offer placements from fast-growing sectors and multi-national companies that are based in the country.

On the other hand, candidates who have completed a master’s program or a research program from a Dutch university registered in CROHO will have the opportunity of staying and working in the country as a Highly Educated Migrant if they are from the EU/EEA and Switzerland.

A few of the most popular career options in the country are-

Water Engineer
Project Engineer
Mechanical Engineer
Information and Technology Specialist
Lawyer
Dentist