Higher professional education (HBO)

HBO institutions provide theoretical and practical training for occupations for which a higher vocational qualification is either required or useful. The four year HBO program includes one full year of internship. Graduates find employment in various fields, including middle and high-ranking jobs in trade and industry, social services, health care and the public sector.

University education

Universities combine academic research and teaching. University education focuses on training in academic disciplines, the independent pursuit of scholarship and the application of scholarly knowledge in the context of a profession. It aims at an understanding of the phenomena studied in the various disciplines and at the generation of new knowledge.

There are fourteen "regular" universities in the Netherlands, including three technical universities and the Agricultural University in Wageningen which is financed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food quality. There are 43 HBO institutions offering 200 different programs for a variety of professions in a range of social areas.