Expat Chronicles: University in The Netherlands

Did you know that my husband is earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science here in The Netherlands? He will graduate this summer, woohoo! Meanwhile, my oldest child will begin at university this fall.

Actually, the structure and affordability of higher education influenced our move abroad 2 1/2 years ago. My husband wanted to make a career change, but getting a bachelors in America was impossible financially. Having two teens in the family made Europe’s affordable education that much more enticing. The desire to immigrate to Europe came first, but affordable higher education made the move both possible and practical.

Are you curious about how it all works? In the Netherlands college is cheap and admissions are stress-free. Here’s what we’ve experienced so far in Dutch higher education.

Groningen university complex

The System

Remember how I shared in my article about Dutch high school that there are different tracks for secondary education in The Netherlands? These tracks lead to different types of higher education: vocational schools, colleges (practical focus) and universities (theoretical/research focus). Students are tracked based on their academic performance and goals, so usually this education funnel works well. But, if it actually doesn’t fit, students can enroll in free, add-on high school courses in order to work up to a higher level.

I find it interesting that college bachelors programs are typically 4 years in length, while university bachelors programs are 3 years in length. Brandon is attending a university, where the 3-year program is exclusively focused on his subject. This is quite a contrast to the American bachelors he earned many years ago, which began with a slew of general education classes.

After earning a bachelors at college or university, students can go on to pursue a masters as well.

According to this article from 2016, 57% of Dutch residents between the ages of 15 and 29 are currently enrolled in a full-time education program. This is a little bit higher than OESO averages.

Admissions

Here’s where things get really interesting, coming from an American perspective. College admissions in much of Europe is simply about qualifying. It is not an interview process or a competition. This holds in The Netherlands as well. And, wow, does it remove the stress!

When Brandon applied for Dutch university while still living in the US, he simply had to prove that he could speak English (his program is in English) and that he had completed the necessary level of high school. Actually, he hadn’t completed the necessary level of high school! That level is quite high for Dutch university, comparable to taking a full load of AP high school classes (and passing the corresponding exams) in the States. Brandon was required to take a Calculus course in order to be qualified for Dutch university. But, once he passed that course, he was admitted to the Dutch university of his choice. Period.

Rijksmuseum public library

So, generally speaking, when your child completes high school, she is qualified for a bunch of schools and programs. You could say, she has a right to attend. She can then choose a school, thinking about programs, location, specialties, etc. without worrying about “getting in.” It’s more enrollment than application!

There is one caveat. The Netherlands heavily subsidizes higher education. If more people are interested in a degree than the job market supports or funds allow, that degree becomes limited. Enrollment in a limited degree program can be determined by lottery or by academic performance (mainly in the case of medical fields, see example). Fortunately, there are relatively few limited or “restricted intake” programs.

Cost

What is an expensive education? It’s all so relative. Right now Dutch citizens spend about €2000 per year on college/university. They find this to be a bit pricey, probably because there are NO tuition fees in their neighbor country of Germany. Most Dutch people expect that as a US citizens, Brandon pays more to go to Dutch university; but, if we admit that he pays about €11,000 per year, you should see the reactions. They are completely horrified! And real American university prices? Those are quite unbelievable around here. Dutch people always think I must be naming the cost for the total program, not per year - - -

Dutch university is affordable. From talking to my friends, it doesn’t seem like people even save money for their children’s education expenses. They expect to have room in their budget to just cover the expense or to council their child to take out a very advantageous student loan. In fact, a few years ago Dutch citizens didn’t pay anything for university, and things are moving back to that model. The culture seems to believe that higher education can and should be free, just as secondary education.

Housing

So Dutch teenagers don’t have to worry about stressful admissions processes and parents can skip the college fund, but housing - that can be a bear. Although there is some on-campus housing, there is not even close to enough for all students. Students must generally find their own rental, and that’s no easy task in The Netherlands, which has a long and worsening housing shortage.

Amsterdam apartments

One tactic? Keep living with parents. The Netherlands has a great public transport system. Some students take a train to school every day, and hop on a bike at the train station to get to school. The majority do find local housing, but it can take a lot of time. Our neighbor started looking for housing in the summer for her first year at university. It wasn’t until January that she found a permanent rental arrangement, sharing a house with other students.

The cost of housing and living is, of course, something to factor into total university costs. According to this source, the average Dutch student spends €426 per month on rent and untilities. The University of Utrecht estimates that students spend a total of €800 - €1000 per month on all living expenses. Since living expenses are far more than the cost of tuition, many students loan money to cover a portion of living expenses. Plus, 60% of Dutch students have a side job.

Studying Abroad

Since The Netherlands is part of the EU, its citizens have education rights that extend beyond their borders. EU nations typically grant all EU-citizens the same rights to admission and low-fees as their own citizens. Talk about choices! Oddly, I have yet to meet any Dutch teens who are planning to study abroad. Probably I just don’t know enough teens, or maybe that reflects a general satisfaction with their native options.

I do know one Dutch graduate who will be studying abroad: my daughter! Since Aria has not lived in The Netherlands very long, she does not qualify for the Dutch/EU rate at any Dutch universities. She plans to study for a long time to become a professor/researcher in astrophysics, which would cost quite a lot as a US citizen in The Netherlands. But in Germany, tuition is free. Always, all the time, for all people who qualify.

Thanks to Aria’s Dutch high school diploma, she qualifies academically for all German universities. The particular schools she prefers also have a language requirement. She must be able to speak German at a very high level (C1), which is a level beyond fluency and leaning toward expertise. She’s been preparing the last few years by watching German TV, reading in German (novels and textbooks), taking German in school and chatting with my quilty friend and native-German speaker, the generous Katrin @puppilalla, who has donated so much time to the effort.

We found out yesterday - Aria did it! Our family bicycled to our favorite ice cream parlor to celebrate the good news with decadent sundaes. Aria has passed the German language exam at a level that qualifies her for a free university education in her third language! We are so very proud of her. Now it is down to making some final choices in the busy summer ahead.

When Liam is ready for college, we hope he will be able to study in The Netherlands at the Dutch rate. There are certainly good schools to choose from right within our new home country. Maybe by that time, Dutch university will even be free again for citizens/permanent residents. For him, it will likely be 3-year bachelor program, followed by a 2-year masters. What a fantastic opportunity for him!