In the Netherlands, there are several institutions that are reasonably priced and provide students good education and other advantages. There are two different sorts of tuition charges for various affordable schools in the Netherlands: statutory fees and institutional fees.
International students studying outside of Europe must pay higher institutional fees; Dutch, Swiss, Surinamese, and EU citizens pay lower statutory rates.
Due to its high educational standards and affordable cost of living, the Netherlands provides exceptional value for money to international students.
The average annual tuition for non-EU students in the Netherlands varies by institution but is close to 6000 EUR. We shall examine Netherlands’ cheap schools for foreign students, their tuition costs, and the courses they offer.
The Netherlands is one of the most affordable countries in Europe. The cost of living in Amsterdam is also quite low, making it an ideal place to live and study.
For example, a student living on campus at Tilburg University will pay between €1,100 (US$1,345) and €1,400 (US$1,696) per month to rent a shared room. In addition to being cheap for students and their families, there are many great universities in the Netherlands.
University admission criteria in the Netherlands
To begin, you must contact the international office of the university of interest to see whether your degree (earned in your native country) is recognized in the Netherlands. Assuming that your degree is recognized in the Netherlands, you may require:
- If you are not a citizen of the EU/EEA or Switzerland, you will need a residence permit.
- TOEFL (minimum 550 paper-based, 213 computer-based), IELTS (minimum average of 6), GMAT or GRE.
- Acceptance by the university to which you have applied. If an institution believes you are not completely qualified, it may reject your application or require you to take entrance exams.
- If you want to study in the Netherlands, you need to have a solid command of the Dutch language. Most colleges may also offer courses in Dutch as a second language to demonstrate your proficiency.
- You must also have a valid passport and visa. The Netherlands is part of the European Union, so you do not need a visa to live or study here if your home country is in the EU/EEA or Switzerland.
- If you are an international student, you must apply for a residence permit. To do this, you will need to complete an application form and submit it to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND). The IND will consider your application and may ask for proof of financial means.
University of Twente
- Average tuition fees
- UG: 8,200 EUR/Per year
- PG: 12,750 EUR/Per year
The University of Twente is a public university located in Enschede, Netherlands. It is a research university with over 20,000 students and offers bachelor’s degrees in various fields of study.
The institution provides 90+ Master’s degrees in addition to 12 Bachelor’s programs. The institution is well-known for having one of the lowest tuition rates in the Netherlands for foreign students and provides a worthwhile educational experience.
Tilburg University
Tilburg University is a public research university located in Tilburg, the Netherlands. The university has six faculties and offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
The people of Tilburg are kind and diverse. There are 13,000 foreign students on campus representing 102 different nations, creating an environment that values cooperation and inclusion. This carries on a long tradition of Holland embracing visitors from around the world.
This university has fairly cheap and affordable tuition costs. The costs may vary depending on the program, particularly if you receive a waiver. These are the principal institutional rates: €9,000 for a bachelor’s degree in 2022–2023. €14,900 for a master’s program.
Maastricht University
- Average Tuition Fee
- UG: 8, 221 EUR /Per year
- PG: 12,331 EUR/Per year
Maastricht University is a public research university in Maastricht, Netherlands. With more than 50% of its students coming from outside, UM has become one of the leading universities in the Netherlands. The primary goals of the programs are to assist students in studying abroad and in preparing for their future careers.
Maastricht University has approximately 33,000 students on campus and more than 43,000 alumni worldwide.
University of Groningen
- Average Tuition Fee
- UG: € 10,189
- Masters: € 14,570 per year
The University of Groningen is a public research university in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. It was founded on January 18, 1614 and is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands as well as one of its largest. The university currently has more than 30,000 students, 1,300 staff members and an annual budget of € 800 million (US$ 931 million).
In order to have a decent chance of being admitted to University of Groningen in the Netherlands, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.5. The University of Groningen has substantially stricter GPA standards than the majority of Dutch universities.
Utrecht University
- Average Tuition Fee
- UG: 8,898 USD/year. to 22,806 USD/year.
- Masters: 17,129 USD/year. to 171,287 USD/year.
Utrecht University was founded in 1636, making it one of the oldest universities in the world. It’s located on a beautiful campus with several historic buildings and plenty of green space. The school has over 20,000 students and offers courses in multiple fields such as social sciences, humanities and law. Its reputation is among the best in the Netherlands: it ranks among the top 100 universities worldwide according to QS World University Rankings.
Wageningen University & Research
- Average Tuition Fees
- UG: 15,700 EUR/Per year
- PG: 18,700 EUR/Per year
Wageningen University & Research is a Dutch public university in the city of Wageningen, Netherlands. The university has six faculties and focuses on life sciences, social sciences and agriculture.
The first scientific institute was founded by the Society for Improvement of Agriculture (SMV) in 1837; it became part of Leiden University in 1870. In 1904 it was renamed as agricultural college with academic divisions into research institutes (including plant and animal breeding), teaching institutions and agricultural extension services.
Leiden University
- Average Tuition Fees
- UG: €18,016 per year
- PG: 23,700 EUR/Per year
Leiden University is a Dutch public research university located in Leiden, Netherlands. It was established in 1575 and has seven faculties and over 50 departments.
Leiden University offers bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral programs (PhD), as well as several postgraduate studies. The majority of its courses are taught in English language because it wants to attract more international students from all around the world so that they can learn about different cultures and traditions from each other.
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- Average Tuition Fees
- UG: 15,000 EUR/year
- PG: 18,700 EUR/Per year
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) is the largest university in the Netherlands. It has over 30,000 students, and it’s located in the city center of Amsterdam. VU offers many different degrees at affordable prices—and its student population is very international.
Radboud University Nijmegen
- Average Tuition Fees
- UG: 2,143 EUR/Per year
- PG: 12,500 – 16,500 EUR/Per year
Radboud University Nijmegen is a public research university located in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1923 as the Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen (Catholic University of Nijmegen). It became one of Europe’s largest universities and offers more than 120 undergraduate programmes and 190 graduate programmes to over 7,000 students from all over Europe.
The campus has its own train station and is close to several shopping centers so you can easily get around town if you don’t have your own car yet.
Erasmus University Rotterdam
- Average Tuition Fees
- UG: 12,143 EUR/Per year
- PG: 15,500 – 19,500 EUR/Per year
Erasmus University Rotterdam is a public university located in Rotterdam, Netherlands. It was established as the Erasmus Universiteit Nederland in 1973 and renamed after Desiderius Erasmus in 2013. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate programs.
The university has six faculties: Arts & Humanities; Social Sciences; Science and Technology; Health Sciences; Law & Economics (L&E); Management, Business & Economics (MBE). There are also three schools: School of Architecture + Design (School of Architecture), School of Media Art Design (School of Media Art) and Institute for Global Ethics Economics Cooperation – Ambo Center for International Peace Studies – Ambo Institute for Global Ethics Economics Cooperation
How Much Does It Cost to Study in the Netherlands?
The Dutch system is very different from that of the United States. In fact, it’s almost the polar opposite: while the U.S. has a massive student loan system and tuition costs that can be crippling, in the Netherlands students pay only for their schooling and not any additional living expenses.
This makes it easier for students to afford living costs in Amsterdam or another major city (or even just rent an apartment) than other places around Europe like London or Paris where there are high rents and expensive food bills to cover as well as transportation expenses to get around town after class each day…
How much do universities in the Netherlands cost?
There are many types of tuition fees in the Netherlands. Tuition fees are usually paid per year, but can be paid as a semester or installment plan.
The most common type of tuition fee is a flat-rate payment that covers all your studies at a specific university. For example, if you want to study medicine at Wageningen University & Research (WUR), it will cost €2,100 per year—that’s €2,100 for one academic year (16 months). The same amount would also cover three semesters of study at another university like Leiden University or Utrecht University!
Tuition costs depend on what kind of degree program you want and where you want to go: some universities charge more than others when it comes down to paying off those high levels of debt later on down the line when applying for jobs after graduation
Is there any free university in the Netherlands?
The answer is no. There are no free universities in the Netherlands, and the tuition fee for most of them is quite high. The average tuition fee for universities in the Netherlands is €12,000 per year (or €3,000 per semester).
However, there are a few exceptions: Utrecht University has an affordable price tag of €5,000 per year; Maastricht University offers an even more affordable rate at only €5,300 per year; and Groningen University charges only €3100 annually for its students!
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed reading this article and have learned a lot about the Netherlands university system. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section below and we will get back to you as soon as possible!
