Tuition fees in the Netherlands
There are two kinds of tuition fee in Dutch higher education: the statutory fee (wettelijk collegegeld), which is set by the government and is the same at every publicly funded institution, and the institutional fee (instellingscollegegeld), which each institution sets for itself. Which one you pay depends on your nationality or residence status, and on whether this is your first degree at that level.
Who pays the statutory fee
According to DUO, you qualify for the statutory fee if you meet the nationality requirement and this is your first bachelor’s or master’s degree at a publicly funded institution. The nationality requirement is met by, among others, Dutch nationals, citizens of an EU/EEA country, Switzerland or Suriname, and people holding certain residence permits. DUO’s own guidelines list the conditions, exceptions and special cases, so if your situation is not obvious (for example a second master’s, or a non-EU parent living in the Netherlands), ask the institution or check DUO.
Who pays the institutional fee
Everyone who does not qualify pays the institutional fee. DUO describes it as set independently by each institution and usually higher than the statutory fee. We do not list per-university institutional fees here: they differ by programme and year, and DUO’s open data, the source of this directory, does not include them. The table below links to each university’s own website so you can find the current figure for your programme.
Our tuition fees by university page explains the same point from the ranking side.
What else you pay
- Living costs, which over a degree are usually the bigger number — see cost of living.
- Books and materials: Nibud’s 2024 student average is about €41 a month.
- Health insurance, depending on whether you work — see health insurance.
- Some programmes also charge for excursions, equipment or placements. Ask the programme.
Reducing the bill
There is no national tuition waiver for non-EU students. Some universities and the Dutch government fund scholarships; browse what we have on the scholarships page.
Sources
- Staatscourant 2026, 21984 — tuition fee regulation 2026/27 — €2,694 full; €1,604–€2,694 part-time/dual
- DUO — Soort collegegeld bepalen (type of tuition fee) — 2025/26 statutory fee €2,601; institutional fee set by each institution
- DUO — Inschrijven student (nationality requirement) — Who qualifies for the statutory fee
- Study in NL — Daily student expenses — Nibud 2024 books and materials
Last checked: 5 October 2026. Rules and amounts change; confirm them on the official page before you act on them. This is general information, not legal or immigration advice.
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