International students provide a net financial gain for the Dutch government over their lifetimes, despite the costs of educating them, according to a new report from the Dutch Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB). The analysis determined that students who come to the Netherlands from abroad ultimately generate more in government revenues than they cost in public spending. The biggest gains come from those who stay in the country and enter the labour market after graduating.
Revenue by Country of Origin
A university graduate from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) contributes about €243,000 over their lifetime, while one from an EEA country contributes €82,500. For graduates of universities of applied sciences, the figures are €117,000 for non-EEA students and €13,300 for EEA students. These numbers suggest that the economic argument for international higher education is heavily weighted toward those who remain in the workforce long-term.
Retention is rising, according to the report. About one in five EEA students remains in the Netherlands five years after leaving the education system. For students from non-EEA countries, this figure is approximately two in five. The data also shows that recent international graduates are finding paid work faster than earlier cohorts, although their employment rate remains below that of Dutch students.
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The findings come amid ongoing debate in the Netherlands over the scale and impact of international education. The CPB says international students can help ease labour shortages in the short term, although they can also add pressure to the housing market. Although it added that in the longer term it does not anticipate significant effects on the labour or housing markets, and said that international students can contribute to innovation and international relations.
For a student moving across borders for a degree, the transition often involves handling complex visa regulations and adjusting to a new cultural environment while simultaneously building a career. The financial metrics of this migration rely heavily on the ability of institutions to integrate these individuals into the workforce quickly and effectively. When the labour market absorbs graduates efficiently, the fiscal benefits outlined in the report materialize through sustained tax contributions rather than short-term spikes in spending.
Declining Enrollment Figures
Responding to the release of the research, Simone Hackett, senior lecturer and researcher at The Hague University of Applied Sciences said: “The reality is simple: Dutch universities, universities of applied sciences and the Dutch economy and society need international students.”
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“Of course, internationalisation comes with challenges housing, capacity and making sure we attract the right talent,” she added. “However these anti-international student sentiment needs to go and debates need to be based on facts, not on assumptions! We need more research and hard evidence like this!”
Recent data from Nuffic shows that the total number of international students in The Netherlands has dropped for the first time since records began 20 years ago. During the 2025/26 academic year, there were 129,764 international students enrolled across degree levels at Dutch universities and higher professional education (HBO) – a 0.1% decline of just 133 students on the year before.
The data follows several years of federal restrictions on international students in The Netherlands, under the government’s internationalisation in balance bill which sought to bring down international enrolments and strengthen the Dutch language in education.
