Study fees. Cost of education in the Netherlands

Here you find information about the approximate expenses related with study and staying in the Netherlands.

Expenses during study at universities

Foreign student studying in the Netherlands usually spend approximately  €900 per month on various daily expenses. This sum covers health insurance, housing and transport costs and does not include a tuition fee which usually is paid to an university before arrival.

Therefore, evidence that the candidate or his sponsor has the opportunity to show the amount of €10,249.56 (€854.13 muliplied by 12) on the bank account or provide university authorities with the appropriate bank statement is a necessary condition for receiving a student visa.

Many educational institutions require transfer to the account of the entire annual sum necessary for payment of education and residing of the student. Payments of habitation and living costs are monthly deducted from this amount.

Depending on the programmes, their level the duration and service offered,fees of preparatory programmes fluctuate from €900 euro till €7,800 a year for both EU*/EEA** and non-EU citizens.

Tuition fees for EU/EEA citizens in 2014-2015:

• Tuition fees for Bachelor's studies are €1,906 a year.
• Prices for Master;s programmes start from €1,906 per year.

Tuition fees for non-EU citizens in 2014-2015:

The tuition fees for Bachelor's and Master's programmes for non EU-students are usually higher than those for EU citizens.

• Most of the Bachelor's study programmes cost from €5,800 to €10,000 per year.
• Several Dutch universities offer Master's programmes for non-EU students for €1906 per year, but education costs for the most of them start from €7,000-€8,000.

In total a study year for citizens outside of Europe can cost between €17,000 and €22,000 (inclusive all living expenses.)

Please note, that international students enrolling to a Dutch university, must pay the full tuition fee amount for the first study year. Current university students can arrange a term-based payment in certain cases.

Students from outside the European Union do not qualify for the national grants from the Dutch authorities. However, the Dutch Ministry of Education offers scholarships to nationals from a wide range of countries under the terms of various cultural agreements and other agreements of co-operation. Find more details about tuition fees at Dutch universities in our 'prorgammes' database.

Students from EU/EEA countries or Switzerland can apply for study financial funds, established by Dutch government, which named tuition fee loan.

High (secondary) education expenses

• in case if pupils staying in a boarding school and attending nearby the school situated in the area the total expenses consist of accommodation fee about €20,000 (current educational year) and tuition fees which varies from €4,000 up to €13,000 depending on type of school and the study programme;
• there are a few boarding schools where one can stay and follow the study programme on the school territory. In this case, the school charges in total €33,000 on a yearly basis. In case of training in a school - boarding school - about €42,000 a year.

*European Union (EU) members are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

** EEA stands for European Economic Area, which includes the EU countries and Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.