Higher education

What does the survey entail?

Purpose

The purpose of the survey is to collect data on students and graduates in higher education. Data on graduates is broken down by gender and migration background, while data on students is additionally broken by prior education, nationality, and year of study. Data on students is also broken down by type of education (higher vocational education (HBO) and university education (WO)), study course, and form and stage of education. Data on qualifications is broken down by type of education, study course, and form of education, as well as by type of qualification.

Target population

All students and graduates in state-funded higher education. Since the 2012/’13 academic year, graduates from theological universities, the University of Humanistic Studies and the Transnational University Limburg have also been part of the target population. Students at these institutions have been part of the target population since 2015/’16 (theological universities, the University of Humanistic Studies) and 2016/’17 (Transnational University Limburg).

Statistical unit

Individuals.

Date/year survey started

The first data on students was collected in the 2000/’01 academic year and on graduates in 2002/’03.

Frequency

Every year.

Publication strategy

In the first quarter of the calendar year, the existing StatLine tables are updated with the provisional figures from the new academic year. In the second quarter of the calendar year, the provisional figures from the previous academic year are replaced with the definitive figures.

How is the survey conducted?

Survey type

Registry information at an individual level.

Data collection method

Every year, the Education Executive Agency (DUO) provides Statistics Netherlands (CBS) with a single-number dataset with information on enrolment and graduation in higher education. This dataset is used to detemine how many students are enrolled in higher education at the beginning of an academic year, 1 October and how many students have graduated.

Respondents

The single-number dataset is based on information provided by educational institutions that are funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) and – up until 2018 – the Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ). DUO enriches the dataset in agreement with a working group that includes the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, DUO, the Education Inspectorate, Universities of the Netherlands, the Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences, and CBS. The personal data originates from the Social Statistical Database (SSD). The classification of study courses is based on the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED).

Scope of sample survey

Not applicable.

Checking and correction methods

DUO checks all the data they receive from their respondents for internal consistency and completeness. If necessary, the data is improved in consultation with the respondents. When the data is converted into the singe-number dataset, DUO monitors this process carefully. The monitoring process has been agreed upon by the working group. All members of the working group check the single-number dataset before it is formally approved upon.

Weighting

Not applicable.

Quality of the results

Accuracy

The provisional figures generally produce a slight underestimate of the number of students and graduates due to subsequent data deliveries to DUO. The definitive figures may sometimes differ slightly from figures published by DUO itself, since DUO ocassionally improves data from older years, where CBS does not adjust definitive figures.

The differences between figures from CBS and DUO are larger for international students. At DUO, data on international students is based on a student's most recent nationality, as known to DUO, while CBS looks at the student's nationality on 1 October of the academic year in question. This means that in DUO’s records, students who acquire Dutch nationality over time change from international student to non-international student for all the years in which they are studying. At CBS, this change only takes place in the year in which the student acquires Dutch nationality. This means that the differences between CBS and DUO for the number of international students increase in time.

Sequential comparability

When comparing figures over time, there are a number of things to consider: (1) the introduction of the Bachelor-Master system, (2) the introduction of the two-year associate degree in higher vocational education (HBO) in the 2006/’07 academic year and (3) the reorganisation of study programmes from year to year, which makes it more difficult to compare the figures on study programmes over time.

After the introduction of the Bachelor-Master system in 2002/’03, all graduates received a Bachelor’s degree, irrespective of whether they had successfully completed an ‘old-style’ course or a Bachelor’s degree programme. Universities, on the other hand, have gradually shifted to Bachelor's and Master's degrees. This means that figures on graduates are difficult to compare over time. However, figures on enrolment are comparable over time because students in each type of education are counted only once.

Quality strategy

Specialists at CBS check the data upon receipt. If necessary, the data is improved in consultation with DUO.