Internationals happy studying in the Netherlands except for housing challenges

A recent survey has revealed that international students are mostly happy with their education in the Netherlands, except for a few challenges such as housing, administrative processes and integration. 

Internationals happy with quality of Dutch education 

Around 700 internationals studying in the Netherlands participated in the 2025 survey conducted by ResearchNed, the Intercity Student Council (ISO), the National Student Union (LSVb) and the Erasmus Student Network The Netherlands (ESN). 

The survey evaluated themes such as social integration, connection with the study programme and fellow students, housing, work, internship and knowledge of health insurance. Most of the survey participants study at a research university and are from a European Economic Area (EEA) country. 

The study comes soon after the new cabinet agreed to scrap the previous government’s plans to cut the number of English-taught courses, but limits will still be implemented for popular courses. 

80 percent of international students were satisfied with the quality of teaching at Dutch universities and the information about their study programmes, as well as the English proficiency of their teachers. 

Dutch housing remains challenge for international students

While survey participants were mostly happy with Dutch education, there were a few drawbacks. One of the major challenges was housing, with only 55 percent of international students feeling positive about their current living situation. 

One in three students from abroad only found accommodation after searching for more than three months, and 75 percent of respondents said they encountered discriminatory advertisements stating “no internationals”. Around 70 percent encountered housing scams and more than half found that rent prices are higher for international students than locals.

Student rooms in the Netherlands are considered among the most expensive in Europe and the costs continue to rise. The reason behind this is that the student housing shortage is worsening as landlords sell off their rental properties after stricter rent regulations were introduced. 

Financing, admin and integration struggles

Another common issue cited by international students is the information provided by official institutions, such as banks, municipalities, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) and the Education Executive Agency (DUO).

Student finance body DUO causes a lot of frustration among international students, who often are not informed about whether they qualify for financial aid. There is also confusion about taxes and benefits, with many finding it difficult to contact the Dutch tax office (Belastingdienst).

Aside from admin struggles, students also found it difficult to integrate, especially when it comes to interacting with Dutch students. Local students prefer to work with other Dutch students, and student associations and social clubs are often seen as inaccessible to internationals. Learning Dutch is also a challenge, as courses are often too expensive for students to afford. 

Despite all these challenges, more than half of the respondents plan on staying in the Netherlands after their studies. On the other hand, the Netherlands has seen a steady decline in student numbers in recent years, something that could cost the Dutch economy billions. 

The organisations concluded that “if the Netherlands wants to continue attracting international students, it is important to look not only at intake but also at the quality of the study experience”.