Studying in the Netherlands in English is not disappearing. It is getting narrower. Under a new balance law, Dutch universities are cutting or capping Netherlands English-taught degrees, switching some bachelor programmes back to Dutch and setting enrolment limits on others. The goal is to ease housing shortages and protect the Dutch language, not to shut out the world. But for an international student picking a 2027 intake, the practical effect is real: fewer English seats, and more competition for the ones that remain.
By the Travel Explore editorial desk. Last updated 11 July 2026.
What’s inside
- Why the Dutch are scaling back
- What changes for 2026-27
- How to lock in an English place
- Student questions
Why the Netherlands is scaling back English-taught degrees
International enrolment in the Netherlands grew fast for a decade, and it brought strain: packed lecture halls, a severe student housing crunch, and worry that Dutch was fading as the language of instruction. The government’s Balanced Internationalisation Act pushes universities to restore Dutch as the norm in bachelor teaching while keeping English where the labour market clearly needs it. Ministers framed the aim as balance, not closure, with one saying the country still “relies on knowledge”. Universities have also moved on their own, converting several psychology and business bachelors to Dutch and adding caps elsewhere. Master’s programmes, which are far more international, are much less affected.
What the changes mean for international students
Picture a Vietnamese student who set her heart on an English-taught psychology degree in the Randstad. Many of those exact programmes are shifting to Dutch, so her list of options shrinks and the remaining English seats draw more applicants. Several economics and business bachelors are introducing a numerus fixus, a fixed cap, on their English tracks. The timing matters: most changes take effect from the 2026-27 academic year, not overnight, and one language-testing requirement for existing programmes was dropped in July after pushback. Border-region and shortage-linked courses are more likely to keep English teaching.
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How to lock in an English programme before the caps bite
Move earlier than you think you need to. Confirm directly on each university’s page that your programme is still taught in English for your intake year, because course catalogues are being updated. Favour master’s programmes and shortage-linked fields, which keep more English seats. Prepare a strong file: solid grades, a clear motivation letter, and an English test result ready to submit. For capped programmes, apply the day the window opens rather than near the deadline. A backup choice in a border-region university can save your year.
Related reads
- The Netherlands’ highly skilled migrant salary rules
- IELTS, PTE or Duolingo: which English test to sit
What to remember
- English bachelor seats are shrinking, not vanishing.
- Several psychology and business bachelors are switching to Dutch.
- Master’s programmes stay largely English-taught.
- Apply early to capped English tracks.
Student questions
Can I still study in the Netherlands in English?
Yes, especially at master’s level and in shortage-linked fields, though English bachelor options are narrowing.
What is a numerus fixus?
It is a fixed cap on the number of students admitted to a programme, decided through selection rather than first-come entry.
When do the changes start?
Most take effect from the 2026-27 academic year, with universities updating course lists ahead of that.
Are master’s degrees affected too?
Far less. The reforms focus mainly on bachelor teaching and the language of instruction.
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Choose your programme with open eyes
The Dutch door is still open, just not as wide. Verify the language of your course, target the intakes that stay English, and apply early. For study-abroad and student visa updates as they change, follow us at https://linktr.ee/travelexpore
Sources
- Government.nl, balanced internationalisation of higher education (T0 official)
- Universiteiten van Nederland, universities rebalance internationalisation (T1 sector body)
- ACA, Internationalisation in Balance bill briefing (T1 specialist)