Studying in the Netherlands is fulfilling as you get to receive a world-class education, experience living in a wonderful country, and meet new cultures. However, it’s not easy to be admitted to a Dutch university. Since this country has a reputation for high-quality teaching and research, they are selective in accepting their students.
If you’re preparing to study in the Netherlands and still choosing a university, please look for their acceptance rates. As we all know, acceptance rates show how selective a university is. So, if a university has a high acceptance rate, you have more chances of getting admitted. But, please take note that this doesn’t mean that they don’t have excellent academic performance. The education system in the Netherlands is one of the best in the world, so you can be assured that you’ll get an excellent academic experience no matter what institution you apply for.
In this article, let’s talk about some Dutch universities with high acceptance rates. As you can see here, most universities that we have listed are “University of Applied Sciences.” Most of these universities are requirements-based and don’t have a fixed quota, meaning that if international students apply and meet the application requirements, they will most likely be offered a place. So, that’s why many of these have high acceptance rates.
Universities in the Netherlands with High Rates of Acceptance
1. Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences
Established in 1987, the Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences is a small university located in the town of Apeldoorn, Gelderland. Together with its branch campus in Amsterdam, the university has a student population of around 800. Around 25 percent of the students come from the Netherlands, while 75 percent come from different countries around the world. Around 80 nationalities study at the university at any given time. Similarly, the faculty and staff of the university come from over 40 different countries.
Despite being relatively new, the Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in various disciplines. If you are looking for a university in the Netherlands with high acceptance rates, you may want to consider this institution. The most recent figure for acceptance rate for international students was in the 2022 admissions data, where they stated that there were 781 completed applications, 459 offers, and 322 rejections at final interview (≈59% offer rate). We estimate that the acceptance rate has been made lower due to the larger number of international students applying, hence our estimation of ~50%.
2. Aeres University of Applied Sciences
Aeres Hogeschool (Aeres University of Applied Sciences) is another relatively new university established in 2013. It was previously two separate educational institutions, Christelijke Agrarische Hogeschool Dronten and Stoas Hogeschool before they merged in 2013. The university focuses on agriculture and education with most of its courses specializing in dairy farming and food management.
The Aeres University of Applied Sciences aims to produce professionals who have the capability of making responsible decisions once they graduate. The school has three locations in the Netherlands, Dronten, Almere, and Wageningen. Students looking for a career in the agri-food sector can consider Aeres Hogeschool as one of their options.
If you look at the admissions requirements for Aeres, it’s quite relaxed with IELTS of 6.0 and TOEFL of 80. There are no difficult requirements to meet, and with plenty of seats that are not restricted (around 3,500 students studying at the university), we estimate the acceptance rate to be 60% – 70%.
3. HZ University of Applied Sciences
The HZ University of Applied Sciences is relatively small in Vlissingen, Netherlands. It has a student population of around 4,900, with around 500 coming from other countries. Eight of the 23 bachelor’s degree programs of the university are taught in English. This university in the Netherlands, with a high acceptance rate emphasizes individual coaching for its students, with the study coach working with the student to select courses as well as explore career possibilities.
The HZ University of Applied Science is among the top three multidisciplinary universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands. Around eight of the bachelor’s degree programs of the university count as among the top in the Netherlands.
4. Driestar Christian University
Established in 1944 as a small Reformed teacher training college, the Driestar Hogeschool (Driestar Christian University) is the only university in the town of Gouda. The teacher training programs of the university rank among the top in the Netherlands. One of the areas of expertise of the university is special education and it maintains a close relationship with the practitioners of this particular field.
The university also works closely with several primary schools since it focuses on training both primary and secondary teachers. Since some of the 1,500 students of the university come from different parts of the country, it has a boarding house that can accommodate 100 students.
5. Fontys University of Applied Sciences
The university in the Netherlands with the highest acceptance rate is the Fontys University of Applied Sciences. With over 44,000 students spread across different campuses in the Netherlands, the Fontys Hogescholen (Fontys University of Applied Sciences) is one of the country’s biggest universities of applied sciences. The university also has the biggest population of international students in the Netherlands. It is a merger of different higher education institutions in the southern part of the Netherlands. The three biggest campuses of the university are located in Eindhoven, Tilburg, and Venlo.
The programs of Fontys Hogescholen (Fontys University of Applied Sciences) use a combination of theory, internships, and the application of knowledge. It provides students with the opportunity to broaden their knowledge in their chosen fields.
FAQs: Studying in the Netherlands
Which is the Easiest University in the Netherlands to Get Into for International Students?
The easiest Dutch university to get into is the Fontys Hogescholen or Fontys University of Applied Sciences. For a little background, this educational institution houses more than 44,000 students on campus, and they have a wide range of degrees and programs offered to local and international students.
We hope that this article on Dutch universities with high acceptance rates was helpful. To learn more information on studying abroad, check out the Netherlands Study Guide and Programs in Europe for International Students.
