Education in Groningen, Netherlands: official figures
In 2024, 44.8% of people aged 15 to 74 in Groningen had completed hbo or university, 6th highest among the 31 large municipalities covered here, up from 42.6% in 2019.
What is the education level in Groningen?
The share of people aged 15 to 74 in Groningen whose highest education was primary school, vmbo or mbo-1 was 15.7% in 2024, below the national figure of 25.9%.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many students live in Groningen?
Students in hbo and university living in the municipality of Groningen numbered 149.2 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 Groningen?
There were 21.6 mbo (secondary vocational) students per 1,000 residents of Groningen 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 Groningen?
Secondary-school pupils living in Groningen numbered 40.3 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 Groningen?
The average resident of Groningen lived 0.8 km by road from the nearest primary school in 2025, level with the national figure of 0.8 km.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow far is the nearest secondary school in Groningen?
Residents of Groningen lived on average 2.2 km by road from the nearest havo/vwo (pre-university track) secondary school in 2024, 13th longest 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 Groningen?
131% of children under 5 were in day care or school in 2019 (1,310 per 1,000).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many students are there in Groningen?
40,310 students were enrolled in higher education in Groningen in 2024, 165 for every 1,000 residents.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people in Groningen have a degree?
Of adults aged 25 to 64 in Groningen in 2024, 56% had a degree-level education, 32% an upper secondary education and 12% at most lower secondary schooling.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 85% of people in Groningen were satisfied with schools and other educational facilities (EU quality of life in European cities survey, 2023). Source: Eurostat · saved copy
How Groningen compares with other cities in the Netherlands
Residents aged 15 to 74 with higher education (hbo or university) (%) (2024)
Groningen ranks 6 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) (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Amsterdam | 49.7% |
| 4 | Nijmegen | 46.8% |
| 5 | Haarlem | 45.2% |
| 6 | Groningen | 44.8% |
| 7 | Amersfoort | 43.5% |
| 8 | Eindhoven | 42.8% |
| 9 | Breda | 41.3% |
Residents aged 15 to 74 whose highest level is primary, vmbo or mbo-1 (%) (2024)
Groningen ranks 31 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Haarlem | 21.9% |
| 26 | Zwolle | 21.9% |
| 27 | Amsterdam | 21.5% |
| 28 | Nijmegen | 19.4% |
| 29 | Utrecht | 18.0% |
| 30 | Leiden | 17.8% |
| 31 | Groningen | 15.7% |
Resident hbo and university students per 1,000 residents (2025)
Groningen ranks 1 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Groningen | 149.2 |
| 2 | Leiden | 129.7 |
| 3 | Maastricht | 125.9 |
| 4 | Nijmegen | 109.7 |
| 5 | Utrecht | 87.6 |
| 6 | Enschede | 80.3 |
| 7 | Eindhoven | 72.2 |
Average road distance to a havo/vwo secondary school (km) (2024)
Groningen ranks 13 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Zaanstad | 2.5 km |
| 11 | Alkmaar | 2.4 km |
| 12 | Venlo | 2.4 km |
| 13 | Groningen | 2.2 km |
| 14 | Zoetermeer | 2.2 km |
| 15 | Tilburg | 2.0 km |
| 16 | Enschede | 2.0 km |
Higher education students per 1,000 residents (2024)
Groningen ranks 1 of 29, highest first.
| Rank | City | Higher education students per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Groningen | 165 |
| 2 | Maastricht | 145 |
| 3 | Nijmegen | 116 |
| 4 | Enschede | 87 |
| 5 | Ede | 83 |
| 6 | Leiden | 83 |
| 7 | Utrecht | 83 |
Children 0-4 in day care per 1,000 (2019)
Groningen ranks 3 of 20, highest first.
| Rank | City | Children 0-4 in day care per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | s-Hertogenbosch | 1,336 |
| 2 | Amersfoort | 1,327 |
| 3 | Groningen | 1,310 |
| 4 | Deventer | 1,293 |
| 5 | Breda | 1,281 |
| 6 | Nijmegen | 1,262 |
| 7 | Almere | 1,154 |
More on Groningen: 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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