Netherlands

Country: Netherlands

EU/EEA students pay the statutory fee of €2,694 a year for full-time programmes in 2026/27, while non-EU students pay on average €9,000–20,000 for a bachelor's and €12,000–30,000 for a master's. At Maastricht University more than half of the students come from abroad. See what a student spends a month (€1,000–1,500 on average), how to find a room and when a job can qualify EU citizens for student finance.

How long you study depends on the type of institution:

associate degree – 2 years (120 ECTS), only at hogescholen; it can lead on to an HBO bachelor's,
bachelor – 3 years (180 ECTS) at a university, 4 years (240 ECTS) at a hogeschool,
master – 1, 2 or 3 years (60, 120 or 180 ECTS) at a university, usually 1 year (60 ECTS) at a hogeschool, sometimes 2 years,
doctorate (PhD) – usually 4 years; there is also a 2-year engineering doctorate (EngD).

All degrees correspond to levels 5–8 of the Dutch qualifications framework (NLQF). Keep in mind that a 3-year university bachelor's and a 4-year HBO bachelor's are different paths – choose the one that fits your plans for a master's.

Netherlands – bachelor's programmes
Netherlands – integrated (single-cycle) programmes
Netherlands – master's programmes

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Sources: European Commission – Study in Europe (education.ec.europa.eu/study-in-europe), Eurostat, official national study and residence portals and authorities, Eurodesk, enic-naric.net, studentnews.eu. As of September 2026.

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