- Student
- 21/09/2026
Students increasingly studying abroad again
Almost a quarter of graduates from research universities and universities of applied sciences have spent part of their studies abroad, according to new figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Still, students are traveling less often than they did before the pandemic.
Of the students who graduated in the 2024-2025 academic year, more than 17 percent went abroad for three months or longer, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports. Another 5 percent went abroad for less than three months, while CBS does not know how long 2 percent of the students stayed abroad.
During the coronavirus pandemic, students packed their bags less often. By comparison, only 11 percent of the students who graduated in the 2021-2022 academic year went abroad for three months or longer.
Still, students are traveling abroad less often than they did before the pandemic. In the years before the pandemic, around 24 percent of students at universities of applied sciences and research universities typically went abroad for at least three months.
Of all students who went abroad, 42 percent say that their knowledge of both their own culture and other cultures increased. They also say the experience contributed to their independence and their knowledge of their field of study.
In addition, some students gain an “international experience” online, for example by working on a project together with students from an educational institution abroad. This was the case for 15 percent of students at universities of applied sciences and 7 percent of students at research universities.
This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.
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