Education in Heerlen-Kerkrade, Netherlands: official figures
In 2024, 23.4% of people aged 15 to 74 in the municipality of Heerlen had completed hbo or university, 2nd lowest among the 31 large municipalities covered here, up from 21.7% in 2019.
What is the education level in Heerlen?
The share of people aged 15 to 74 in the municipality of Heerlen whose highest education was primary school, vmbo or mbo-1 was 34.2% in 2024, above the national figure of 25.9%.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many students live in Heerlen?
Students in hbo and university living in the municipality of Heerlen numbered 22.9 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2025, below the national figure of 43.0.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many vocational students are there in Heerlen?
There were 25.5 mbo (secondary vocational) students per 1,000 residents of the municipality of Heerlen 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 Heerlen?
Secondary-school pupils living in the municipality of Heerlen numbered 42.8 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 Heerlen?
The average resident of the municipality of Heerlen 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 Heerlen?
Residents of the municipality of Heerlen lived on average 1.6 km by road from the nearest havo/vwo (pre-university track) secondary school in 2024, 8th 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 Heerlen-Kerkrade compares with other cities in the Netherlands
Residents aged 15 to 74 with higher education (hbo or university) (%) (2024)
Heerlen-Kerkrade ranks 30 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) (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Zoetermeer | 30.8% |
| 26 | Apeldoorn | 30.4% |
| 27 | Sittard-Geleen | 29.5% |
| 28 | Zaanstad | 27.9% |
| 29 | Venlo | 25.6% |
| 30 | Heerlen-Kerkrade | 23.4% |
| 31 | Nissewaard | 21.1% |
Residents aged 15 to 74 whose highest level is primary, vmbo or mbo-1 (%) (2024)
Heerlen-Kerkrade ranks 1 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heerlen-Kerkrade | 34.2% |
| 2 | Venlo | 32.1% |
| 3 | Nissewaard | 31.0% |
| 4 | Rotterdam | 29.8% |
| 5 | s-Gravenhage | 29.7% |
| 6 | Sittard-Geleen | 29.7% |
| 7 | Zaanstad | 28.0% |
Resident hbo and university students per 1,000 residents (2025)
Heerlen-Kerkrade ranks 30 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Zaanstad | 29.8 |
| 26 | Sittard-Geleen | 28.2 |
| 27 | Venlo | 27.8 |
| 28 | Alkmaar | 27.6 |
| 29 | Apeldoorn | 27.1 |
| 30 | Heerlen-Kerkrade | 22.9 |
| 31 | Nissewaard | 22.8 |
Average road distance to a havo/vwo secondary school (km) (2024)
Heerlen-Kerkrade ranks 24 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Eindhoven | 1.7 km |
| 22 | Amersfoort | 1.7 km |
| 23 | Rotterdam | 1.6 km |
| 24 | Heerlen-Kerkrade | 1.6 km |
| 25 | Arnhem | 1.6 km |
| 26 | s-Gravenhage | 1.5 km |
| 27 | Utrecht | 1.5 km |
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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…)
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