International Students Power the Dutch Economy 

07.09.2026

New CPB Report Highlights the Long-Term Value of International Students in the Netherlands

As the higher education sector prepares for EAIE 2026, new research from the Dutch Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) has delivered a clear message: over their lifetime, international students contribute more to Dutch public finances than they cost.

Commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the report found that the positive contribution is strongest among students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and university graduates. The findings are driven by increasing numbers of international graduates choosing to remain in the Netherlands and contribute through employment and taxation.

Between 2017 and 2024, the number of international students in Dutch higher education grew from approximately 76,000 to 131,000. Five years after graduation, around one in five graduates from EEA countries and two in five graduates from outside the EEA are still living and working in the Netherlands.

The report also found that international graduates are finding paid employment more quickly than previous cohorts, helping address labour market shortages while contributing to economic growth.

For Wittenborg, which welcomes students of many different nationalities to the Netherlands, with Apeldoorn hosting a large student community, the findings reinforce the long-term value of international education for both the Dutch economy and local communities.

Global Talent, Local Impact

The CPB notes that international students typically live in the municipality where they study.

For Wittenborg, this local impact is particularly significant.

Based on Wittenborg’s current student population, housing information, employment and financial data, the institution is estimated to generate approximately €9 million in direct economic activity in Apeldoorn every year.

International students living in Apeldoorn account for approximately €6.3 million of this through housing, groceries, transport, leisure and other expenditure. Wittenborg also directly supports 97 Apeldoorn-based employees representing 61 full-time positions, with 43 employees living in Apeldoorn and another 21 in the surrounding region.

Wittenborg’s contribution continues after students graduate.

According to Wittenborg’s graduate tracking, approximately 80% of graduates remain in the Netherlands and find employment. Based on the 233 students who graduated in 2024, this represents approximately 186 internationally experienced graduates entering the Dutch labour market from a single graduating cohort.

Including students and employees living elsewhere within 30 kilometres of Apeldoorn, Wittenborg’s estimated direct economic contribution to the wider region approaches €10 million annually. The longer-term contribution made by graduates working in the Netherlands comes on top of this direct annual impact.

Peter Birdsall, President of Wittenborg, said:

"The CPB findings reinforce the important contribution international students make to the Netherlands. At Wittenborg, students of over 100 nationalities bring talent, ambition and international perspectives to the country.

“They contribute to the cities in which they study, including Apeldoorn, and many continue to contribute to Dutch society and the economy after graduation. As demand for international education continues, it is important that student accommodation and supporting infrastructure develop alongside it."

As discussions continue around student housing, talent retention and the future of international education in the Netherlands, the CPB report provides independent evidence of the long-term value international students create, both nationally and in cities such as Apeldoorn.