Study in Holland: features, ratings, tuition fees

Today we would like to talk about education in Holland . Special conditions, features of training, recognition of programs in the world - all this in our article. Recall that the last publication was about the magistracy in Germany and received many comments.

A high level of higher education in the Netherlands, recognized worldwide, is guaranteed by a strict state system of standards and quality control.
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The Dutch legislation (the Higher Education and Science Act) states that the training programs offered by the country's higher education institutions must be evaluated according to a certain number of criteria.
The recognition of a diploma and a degree in Holland occurs only after the completion of an accredited program for the corresponding degree. Such a system ensures that higher education programs in the Netherlands meet the highest standards.

PhD and special courses

Postgraduate (PhD) programs are not accredited: specific educational institutions are responsible for them. This also applies to programs and courses, at the end of which students do not receive state diplomas, but certificates and certificates, including special courses.
The quality of special courses included in the accredited graduate programs is ensured by the accreditation of the entire master complex in general. Other special courses are regulated only by the educational institutions themselves.

International recognition

If a course is not accredited, this does not mean that it is of poor quality.
Some universities also offer undergraduate, graduate and other programs accredited by other countries. In this case, a diploma of such a course will be recognized in these countries, but will not necessarily be recognized in Holland.
For example, the master's program at the Dutch University of Applied Sciences has been approved by an accredited university in the UK, whose diplomas are awarded to those who complete the course.

Dutch universities in the QS World University rankings

Dutch universities are among the best in the QS World University Rankings, both in the overall ranking and in individual branches of knowledge.

In total, 13 Dutch research universities out of 18 were ranked. Almost all of them were in the top 300 (position in the rating is shown in brackets):

• University of Amsterdam (50)
• Leiden University (75)
• Utrecht University (80)
• Delft University of Technology (86)
• Erasmus University Rotterdam (90)
• University of Groningen (90)
• Maastricht University (118)
• Eindhoven University of Technology (147)
• Wageningen University and Research Center (151)
• Radboud University Nijmegen (156)
• VU Amsterdam University (171)
• University of Twente (212)
• Tilburg University (367)

View full rating here .

Dutch approach

Interactive learning

The Dutch teaching style is interactive and focused on the student’s figure. The main role is played by teamwork, during which students of different nationalities learn to communicate with each other.
A significant part of all curricula includes writing independent works and group tasks for analyzing and solving specific tasks. You can also get hands-on experience through internships or laboratory experiments (depending on the specialty).

Teamwork

Holland is famous for its teaching style, the essence of which is teamwork, which ensures self-study and self-discipline. The teacher works as a group moderator and guides the workflow.
Teamwork is extremely valuable. Students are expected to actively reflect on the material of the lesson and express their opinions. Questions, criticism in relation to the lecturer or colleagues are always welcome. Especially good when you can find a creative application of the knowledge gained.

All opinions are valuable.

The Dutch teaching method is based on respect for personal opinion and conviction. This applies not only to higher education, but to other areas of life. It was from this setting that the diversity and pluralism of Dutch society originated.

Price and quality

Highest quality education is not always expensive

Compared with English-speaking countries, Holland is not a very expensive country. This also applies to higher education: there is not so much to pay for tuition here. Considering that university teaching in the Netherlands is conducted at the highest level, it should be admitted that studying in Holland with its reasonable prices is optimal in terms of price and quality.

In many disciplines, for example, in water engineering and water management, design and sustainable energy, Dutch education is considered one of the best in the world.

In 2015, 5 Dutch universities are in the top 100 universities in the world according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings . In the same ranking, the Netherlands ranked third in the world in terms of the balance of price and quality of education.

Investment is justified

Despite its modest size, the Netherlands occupies a prominent place in the world. This is the 16th largest economy of the planet. Some of the leading multinational companies - such as Philips, Heineken, KLM, Shell, ING Bank and Unilever - are based in Holland.
Moreover, the European headquarters of many global companies, such as Sony, Sara Lee and Microsoft, are located in the Netherlands.

Thus, your diploma from a Dutch university and the experience of living in this country can be a great career advantage. And not only in Holland, but also in your homeland, and in other countries. And all this - for a very reasonable fee.

Study is not so expensive

For residents of the EU, the annual tuition fee for study programs is around € 1,700, depending on the university. For non-EU citizens, tuition fees are higher.

Actual prices you can see online .

Compared to other Western European countries, living in Holland is cheap .
Discounts are available for students in many bars, restaurants, museums and cinemas. You can easily move around the city by bicycle: it is not only the most Dutch, but also the cheapest way to travel.

Are you still hesitating to act or not? Then we recommend the article " 5 Myths about education abroad ."

We hope that the material was interesting to you, in the next article we will continue to talk about education in Holland - scholarships and grants, visa, accommodation and work while studying. Follow our publications.

The author of the article is Vyacheslav Davidenko, founder of MBA Consult .
The article was prepared jointly with Nuffic Neso Russia - the official representative of the Dutch education in Russia.