Majority of PhD students in the Netherlands ‘come from abroad’

Statistics show huge increase in international doctorates and those studying healthcare

Just over half of all PhD students in the Netherlands came from abroad in 2020, according to a fact sheet produced by the Rathenau Institute, a science policy think tank.

This is a sharp rise from 15 years earlier, up from 37 to 53 per cent. Most of the incoming PhD students are from outside the EU and are doing work in science, technology and economic studies, the data show.