Education in Amsterdam, Netherlands: official figures
In 2024, 49.7% of people aged 15 to 74 in the municipality of Amsterdam had completed hbo or university, 3rd highest among the 31 large municipalities covered here, up from 47.7% in 2019.
What is the education level in Amsterdam?
The share of people aged 15 to 74 in the municipality of Amsterdam whose highest education was primary school, vmbo or mbo-1 was 21.5% in 2024, below the national figure of 25.9%.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many students live in Amsterdam?
Students in hbo and university living in Amsterdam numbered 64.5 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2025, above the national figure of 43.0.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many vocational students are there in Amsterdam?
There were 17.5 mbo (secondary vocational) students per 1,000 residents of Amsterdam in 2025, below the national figure of 25.9.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many secondary school pupils are there in Amsterdam?
Secondary-school pupils living in the municipality of Amsterdam numbered 43.1 per 1,000 residents in 2025, against 51.0 nationally.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow far is the nearest primary school in Amsterdam?
The average resident of Amsterdam lived 0.6 km by road from the nearest primary school in 2025, below the national figure of 0.8 km.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow far is the nearest secondary school in Amsterdam?
Residents of Amsterdam lived on average 1.3 km by road from the nearest havo/vwo (pre-university track) secondary school in 2024, 3rd shortest among the 31 large municipalities covered here and below the national figure of 3.4 km.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many young children are in childcare in Amsterdam?
89% of children under 5 were in day care or school in 2019 (895 per 1,000).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many students are there in Amsterdam?
73,450 students were enrolled in higher education in Amsterdam in 2024, 68 for every 1,000 residents.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people in Amsterdam have a degree?
Of adults aged 25 to 64 in Amsterdam in 2024, 58% had a degree-level education, 25% an upper secondary education and 16% at most lower secondary schooling.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 68% of people in Amsterdam were satisfied with schools and other educational facilities (EU quality of life in European cities survey, 2023). Source: Eurostat · saved copy
How Amsterdam compares with other cities in the Netherlands
Residents aged 15 to 74 with higher education (hbo or university) (%) (2024)
Amsterdam ranks 3 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.
| Rank | City | Residents aged 15 to 74 with higher education (hbo or university) (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utrecht | 55.2% |
| 2 | Leiden | 49.8% |
| 3 | Amsterdam | 49.7% |
| 4 | Nijmegen | 46.8% |
| 5 | Haarlem | 45.2% |
| 6 | Groningen | 44.8% |
| 7 | Amersfoort | 43.5% |
Residents aged 15 to 74 whose highest level is primary, vmbo or mbo-1 (%) (2024)
Amsterdam ranks 27 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.
| Rank | City | Residents aged 15 to 74 whose highest level is primary, vmbo or mbo-1 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Amersfoort | 22.1% |
| 25 | Haarlem | 21.9% |
| 26 | Zwolle | 21.9% |
| 27 | Amsterdam | 21.5% |
| 28 | Nijmegen | 19.4% |
| 29 | Utrecht | 18.0% |
| 30 | Leiden | 17.8% |
Resident hbo and university students per 1,000 residents (2025)
Amsterdam ranks 10 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.
| Rank | City | Resident hbo and university students per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Eindhoven | 72.2 |
| 8 | Tilburg | 68.7 |
| 9 | Leeuwarden | 67.3 |
| 10 | Amsterdam | 64.5 |
| 11 | Rotterdam | 55.8 |
| 12 | Breda | 54.9 |
| 13 | Arnhem | 50.1 |
Average road distance to a havo/vwo secondary school (km) (2024)
Amsterdam ranks 29 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.
| Rank | City | Average road distance to a havo/vwo secondary school (km) |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Arnhem | 1.6 km |
| 26 | s-Gravenhage | 1.5 km |
| 27 | Utrecht | 1.5 km |
| 28 | Nijmegen | 1.5 km |
| 29 | Amsterdam | 1.3 km |
| 30 | Leiden | 1.3 km |
| 31 | Haarlem | 1.2 km |
Higher education students per 1,000 residents (2024)
Amsterdam ranks 10 of 29, highest first.
| Rank | City | Higher education students per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Utrecht | 83 |
| 8 | Tilburg | 77 |
| 9 | Leeuwarden | 73 |
| 10 | Amsterdam | 68 |
| 11 | Eindhoven | 67 |
| 12 | s-Gravenhage | 65 |
| 13 | Breda | 59 |
Children 0-4 in day care per 1,000 (2019)
Amsterdam ranks 15 of 20, highest first.
| Rank | City | Children 0-4 in day care per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Zaanstad | 987 |
| 13 | Maastricht | 960 |
| 14 | s-Gravenhage | 910 |
| 15 | Amsterdam | 895 |
| 16 | Haarlem | 787 |
| 17 | Ede | 786 |
| 18 | Sittard-Geleen | 782 |
More on Amsterdam: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government and politics · all cities in the Netherlands
Sources
- Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS): Regionale kerncijfers Nederland (table 70072ned): provinces, COROP areas and selected municipalities, 2014-2026, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d2b63aac3a26…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_percep: Quality of life in European cities survey 2023: perception (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 81bd3e277f3e…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_ceduc: Urban Audit: education (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 af187c7040a4…)
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