Key facts
- The Netherlands has two kinds of higher education. Research universities (WO, universiteit) like TU/e, and universities of applied sciences (HBO, hogeschool) like Fontys and Design Academy Eindhoven.
- A WO bachelor takes 3 years (180 credits). An HBO bachelor takes 4 years (240 credits).
- In Dutch terms, HBO asks for a havo, vwo or mbo level 4 diploma. WO asks for a vwo diploma or a passed HBO first year (propedeuse), though TU/e adds extra conditions.
- With an HBO bachelor you usually reach a TU/e master through a pre-master of 30 credits, which takes 6 months to a year.
- The statutory fee is the same at every Dutch university and hogeschool: 2,694 euros in 2026-2027. Institutional fees differ a lot between schools.
What to do
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If you want to go into research or a long technical or scientific career, look at WO. If you want to learn a profession and start working after your bachelor, look at HBO. If you want a hands-on trade, look at MBO.
Each school assesses foreign diplomas itself. Use the admission pages or wizard of the school you want, and look for the subjects you need, such as maths.
Find out if you pay the statutory fee or the institutional fee. Then compare the institutional fee of each school, and remember an HBO bachelor is one year longer.
If you start at HBO and may want a WO master later, check now which pre-master fits your bachelor. TU/e only accepts HBO graduates from a relevant field.
Read the programme page: hours of projects, internships and what graduates do now. Two programmes with similar names can be very different.
Two kinds of higher education
Dutch higher education is split in two. There is WO (wetenschappelijk onderwijs), given by research universities, and HBO (hoger beroepsonderwijs), given by hogescholen, called universities of applied sciences in English.
Research universities mainly offer research-oriented programmes. Many still have a professional side, and most of their graduates work outside research. Universities of applied sciences focus on the practical use of the arts and sciences, and work experience, mostly through internships, is a big part of every programme.
In Eindhoven, TU/e is the research university. Fontys and Design Academy Eindhoven are universities of applied sciences. Design Academy calls itself a University of the Arts that is part of the Dutch Universities of Applied Sciences.
How long it takes
A WO bachelor takes 3 years and 180 credits. An HBO bachelor takes 4 years and 240 credits. Most HBO bachelors start with a first year called the propedeuse, followed by three more years.
TU/e explains it this way: the three-year programme is at a research university and gives a Bachelor of Science (BSc). The four-year programme is at an HBO and gives a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng).
Masters also differ. At a research university a master is at least one year; engineering, maths and science masters take two years (120 credits). HBO masters are at least one year and some last longer.
HBO schools also offer a 2-year Associate degree (Ad), a short programme below the bachelor.
- TU/e: BSc Mechanical Engineering, 3 years, 180 credits
- Fontys: Mechatronics bachelor, 4 years
- Design Academy Eindhoven: bachelor, 4 years
Degrees and how titles are written
Both types give bachelor and master degrees. Study in NL lists Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) for research universities. Universities of applied sciences give a Bachelor of [field], for example Bachelor of Engineering (B Eng), and also BSc, BA and LLB.
Dutch law also has old-style titles, and they show the difference. An HBO bachelor in technology or agriculture can use ing. before their name. Other HBO bachelors can use bc. A WO master in technology can use ir., a law master mr., and other WO masters drs.
So ing. means an HBO engineer and ir. means a WO engineer. Titles like ing., ir., bc., drs. and mr. go before your name. Degrees like B, M, BSc and MA go after it.
What you need to get in
In the Dutch system, a havo, vwo or mbo level 4 diploma gives access to a hogeschool. For a university you need a vwo diploma, or a completed HBO first year (propedeuse).
TU/e is stricter about the HBO route. A Fontys propedeuse alone does not get you into a TU/e bachelor. You also need vwo-level English and a vwo Mathematics B pass, plus physics or chemistry for some programmes.
With a foreign diploma, the school decides if it is good enough. TU/e asks for a pre-university certificate with the right subjects, such as maths B and physics for Mechanical Engineering. Fontys asks for a higher secondary school diploma equivalent to Dutch standards. Design Academy Eindhoven accepts havo, vwo, mbo 4 or an international equivalent, plus a portfolio and interview.
If you are 21 or older and do not have the right diploma, you can often take an admission test (colloquium doctum, or 21+ test). Each school decides on this.
From HBO to a WO master
If you have an HBO bachelor and want a master at a research university, you usually first do a pre-master, a set of bridging courses.
At TU/e each master has its own pre-master of 30 credits, which takes 6 months to a year. It is for graduates of a Dutch HBO in a relevant field. Pre-masters start in September, and Industrial Design also in February. The deadline is 1 May for most programmes and 1 November for the February start.
Finishing the pre-master does not give you a degree. It gives you admission to the matching TU/e master. You apply through Studielink.
What it costs
The statutory fee (wettelijk collegegeld) is set by the government and is the same at every Dutch university and hogeschool. It is 2,694 euros full-time in 2026-2027. TU/e lists 2,771 euros for 2027-2028.
You pay the statutory fee if you have EU, EEA, Swiss or Surinamese nationality and no comparable Dutch degree yet. Otherwise you pay the institutional fee, which each school sets itself. It can never be lower than the statutory fee.
Institutional fees in Eindhoven for 2026-2027 vary a lot. An HBO bachelor is one year longer, so multiply by four years, not three.
- TU/e: 18,600 euros for a bachelor and 21,700 euros for a master; both 22,400 euros in 2027-2028
- Fontys: 10,210 euros standard; 13,080 euros for most engineering, ICT and science programmes
- Design Academy Eindhoven: 12,449 euros for a bachelor and 19,762 euros for a master
How employers see it
Both routes prepare you for work, in different ways. Study in NL notes that most research university graduates find work outside research.
TU/e says its Mechanical Engineering graduates work anywhere from machine factories and start-ups to research institutes and multinationals. Fontys says its Mechatronics students do real projects with industry partners in the Brainport region and go into R&D, industrial automation and maintenance.
Our tip: look at a few real job ads in the field you want, and see which degree they ask for. That tells you more than any general rule.
Where MBO fits
MBO is secondary vocational education. It prepares you for a specific job and takes up to four years. There are four levels, from assistant training (level 1) to middle-management training (level 4).
Each MBO course has two paths. In BOL, practice is 20% to 60% of the course. In BBL, practice is more than 60%. With an MBO level 4 diploma you can go on to HBO.
In Eindhoven, Summa College offers more than 250 MBO courses. Most are in Dutch. The English-taught ones include International Business, International Fashion and Metal Factory, each 3 years. Summa still asks for Dutch at level 2F (B1) to start.
How to choose
Start with how you like to learn. If you enjoy theory, maths and asking why things work, WO fits. If you learn best by doing projects and want to start working after your bachelor, HBO fits. If you want a trade and lots of practice, MBO fits.
Then check the practical side: your diploma, the cost over the full length of the programme, and the language. If you want a WO master in engineering or science, plan for 5 years: a 3-year bachelor plus a 2-year master.
You are not locked in. HBO graduates can still reach a WO master through a pre-master, and MBO 4 graduates can move on to HBO.
Mistakes to avoid
- Reading 'applied sciences' as 'second best'. It is a different kind of education, focused on practice and a profession.
- Comparing fees per year only. An HBO bachelor takes 4 years, a WO bachelor 3.
- Assuming an HBO propedeuse gets you straight into TU/e. You also need vwo-level maths and English.
- Expecting to go from any HBO bachelor straight into a TU/e master. You usually need a pre-master in a relevant field.
- Mixing up ing. and ir. on a CV. ing. is an HBO title, ir. a WO master title.
- Picking an English-taught MBO course without Dutch. Summa still asks for B1 Dutch to start.
Useful links
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More official sources
Sources we checked
Coming up
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Sat 24 Oct · Bachelor sessions 10:00-15:30 (three slots); Master sessions 11:00-12:30 and 13:00-14:30
Design Academy Eindhoven Bachelor & Master Open Day
Design Academy Eindhoven
For aspiring designers: tour the academy, see the departments and hear about the bachelor and master programmes in person. Register on the school site first.
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Tue 27 Oct · 15:00-16:00
Study in NL: Ask the Ambassadors
Online (Microsoft Teams)
For international students thinking about studying in the Netherlands: ask student ambassadors your questions in a live online Q&A.
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Sat 31 Oct · 10:00-16:00
Fontys Open Day Eindhoven
Fontys campus Eindhoven (building per programme)
For students choosing a bachelor's or associate degree: visit the programmes on the Eindhoven campus and talk to students and teachers.
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Sat 31 Oct · 10:00-16:00
Fontys Open Day Tilburg
Fontys campus Tilburg (building per programme)
For students choosing a bachelor's: visit the Tilburg programmes, including the English-taught arts programmes, and talk to students and teachers.
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We checked this guide against its sources on 13 October 2026. Rules change: the official source always wins. Spotted something out of date? DM @gone.with.us or email contact@gonewithus.nl.