2.3 Key figures for education

Table 2.3.1 Degrees awarded
	2013–2014	2014–2015	2015–2016	2016–2017	2017–2018	2018–2019	2019–2020	2020–2021
Bachelor’s programs	1677	1606	1405	1455	1492	1554	1776	2131
Master’s programs	2608	2693	2626	2689	2816	3233	3431	3840
Total initial degree programs	4285	4299	4031	4144	4308	4787	5207	5971
Post-doctoral programs	8	8	30	70	98	101	85	93

Table 2.3.2 Number of first-year students (first-year students in WO-I institutions), by phase
	2014–2015	2015–2016	2016–2017	2017–2018	2018–2019	2019–2020	2020–2021	2021–2022
Total	3089	3729	4161	4865	5436	6086	6450	6188
Bachelor’s	1841	1943	2207	2539	2892	3434	3562	3399
Pre-Master’s	643	1120	1252	1532	1651	1721	1889	1852
Master’s	605	666	702	794	893	931	999	937

In 2021, there was a decrease in external intake relative to 2020. This was an effect of the pandemic. In 2020, the intake of Dutch students was relatively high, due to the absence of university preparatory examinations and fewer students opting to take a gap year. In 2021, this was reflected in a relatively low national intake. This is because some university preparatory graduates had already entered university education a year earlier (i.e., those who would otherwise not have passed their examinations and those who would otherwise have taken a gap year).

Table 2.3.3 Number of (foreign) students (first-year students in WO-I institutions)
	2014–2015	2015–2016	2016–2017	2017–2018	2018–2019	2019–2020	2020–2021	2021–2022
Total	3089	3729	4161	4865	5436	6086	6450	6188
Foreign students	662	812	852	1006	1210	1496	1551	1740
% foreign students	21.4%	21.8%	20.5%	20.7%	22.3%	24.6%	24.0%	28.1%

The growth in the number of foreign first-year students was somewhat lower in 2020/2021 than it had been in previous years, due to the pandemic. Stronger growth was observed again in 2021/2022.

Table 2.3.4 Number of (foreign) students enrolled
	2014–2015	2015–2016	2016–2017	2017–2018	2018–2019	2019–2020	2020–2021	2021–2022
Total	12113	12399	13050	14269	15761	17378	19334	20254
Foreign students	1315	1560	1736	2064	2507	3105	3709	4231
% foreign students	10.9%	12.6%	13.3%	14.5%	15.9%	17.9%	19.2%	20.9%

Table 2.3.5 Number of contract students
	2014–2015	2015–2016	2016–2017	2017–2018	2018–2019	2019–2020	2020–2021	2021–2022
Number of contract students	144	186	115	92	92	143	123

Table 2.3.6 Percentage of students with a positive BSA
	2014–2015	2015–2016	2016–2017	2017–2018	2018–2019	2019–2020*	2020–2021*
Percentage of students with a positive BSA	81%	84%	81%	84%	82%	100%	87%

* NOTE: The situation for the 2019/2020 was different, due to COVID-19. For that year, students who had earned a sufficient number of credits received a positive BSA, and all others were retained. This means that they will be included in the next BSA cohort for the definitive advice.

The percentages were calculated by dividing the number of positive BSAs by the total number of BSAs. Only those students who were enrolling in a program for the first time and those who had received a deferred BSA in the previous year were included. Students who had unenrolled themselves during the year did not receive an official BSA, and they were therefore not included in the calculations.

Table 2.3.7 Progress of first-year Bachelor’s students (full-time)
	2014–2015	2015–2016	2016–2017	2017–2018	2018–2019	2019–2020*	2020–2021*
Average number of credits earned** within the program	45	46	45	45	43	46	46

* See above.
** Including students with no credits.

This refers to the average number of credits after one year for full-time first-year Bachelor’s students, including switchers (by cohort). Credits from previous degree programs were not counted.