Ranking

Universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands are generally not included in worldwide university rankings. Therefore, Dutch organisations have created their own standards for ranking these types of institutions.

National Student Survey
The Nationale Studenten Enquete (NSE), known as the National Student Survey in English, is a yearly survey sent out to students following a programme in higher education. The Studychoice123 Foundation (in Dutch Studiekeuze123), an initiative of higher education organisations, is responsible for the NSE and collaborates with the Ministry of Education. Studychoice123 asks all higher education institutions to participate in the National Student Survey every year. Questions pertain to the quality of the professors, the study, the skills and training acquired, testing and assessment, and other relevant information. The results of NSE are only available in Dutch.

Keuzegids rankings
The Keuzegids is the only independent guide, published yearly by the Centrum Hoger Onderwijs Informatie (Higher Education Information Centre). One of the five published reports, ‘HBO full-time studies’ (HBO Voltijd), critically assesses and compares the quality of study programmes of higher professional universities in the Netherlands.
Results take into account the perspectives of both students and the universities themselves. Rankings are generally based on data about the programme’s success rates, expert opinions from the accreditation of programmes, and student opinions taken from the results of the NSE.

HZ in the rankings
Since 2011 HZ has constantly been in the top three of Dutch universities of applied sciences, with several programmes on number 1 and in the top 3.