78% Of University Students in the Netherlands Satisfied With Higher Education, Survey Finds

Over 78 percent of 137,000 university students and 66 percent of 195,000 higher professional education students in the Netherlands said they are very satisfied with their education overall, the annual National Student Survey (NSE) assembled by Stichting Studiekeuze123, an organization established by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, has revealed.

The survey involving more than 330,000 WO (academic orientation) students and HBO (professional orientation) students was conducted between January 2020 and March 2021, Erudera.com reports.

According to the findings, HBO students are less satisfied with some specific aspects of their education, whereas about 2 percent of survey participants who pursue studies in a non-funded (private) training institution expressed more satisfaction about their education.

Furthermore, 85 percent of students agreed that their lecturers are substantive experts, also nearly 85 percent said they are able to express their opinions at the educational institutions where they pursue studies, whereas almost three-quarters of students agreed that educational institutions are open for feedback from their students.

Half of the students said they are very satisfied with the space provided to design their own program scores, 17 percent said they are dissatisfied with this, whereas 32 percent were neutral.

Other results include:

• 49 percent of students participating in the survey agreed that their teachers inspire them.
• 76 percent of university students indicated that their lecturers could teach well in English, 56 percent of HBO students also strongly agreed with this statement.
• 45 percent of university students said they are very satisfied with university preparing them to create a professional career, 56 percent of HBO students also agreed with it.
• 76 percent of students attending a non-funded study program said they are very satisfied with the connection to professional practices.

More than 270,000 students give their opinions about their educational institution and study programs annually through the National Student Survey.

The Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) said earlier this year that Dutch universities projected an increase in number of students signing up for a bachelor degree during the upcoming academic year. Following the assumptions, VSNU noted that an increase in the number of international students in the Netherlands is also expected.

In March 2021, the auditing service Price water Coopers (PwC) pointed out that Dutch universities suffered a loss of €1.1 billion, claiming that education institutions in the country need a new funding model. The call was also supported by student organizations, which urged politicians to make more investments at universities.