Education in Leeuwarden, Netherlands: official figures
In 2024, 32.4% of people aged 15 to 74 in Leeuwarden had completed hbo or university, 11th lowest among the 31 large municipalities covered here, up from 30.3% in 2019.
What is the education level in Leeuwarden?
The share of people aged 15 to 74 in Leeuwarden whose highest education was primary school, vmbo or mbo-1 was 23.9% in 2024, below the national figure of 25.9%.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many students live in Leeuwarden?
Students in hbo and university living in the municipality of Leeuwarden numbered 67.3 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 Leeuwarden?
There were 31.7 mbo (secondary vocational) students per 1,000 residents of Leeuwarden in 2025, above the national figure of 25.9.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many secondary school pupils are there in Leeuwarden?
Secondary-school pupils living in Leeuwarden numbered 47.4 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 Leeuwarden?
The average resident of Leeuwarden 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 Leeuwarden?
Residents of Leeuwarden lived on average 3.1 km by road from the nearest havo/vwo (pre-university track) secondary school in 2024, 2nd 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 students are there in Leeuwarden?
9,450 students were enrolled in higher education in Leeuwarden in 2024, 73 for every 1,000 residents.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people in Leeuwarden have a degree?
Of adults aged 25 to 64 in Leeuwarden in 2024, 40% had a degree-level education, 42% an upper secondary education and 18% at most lower secondary schooling.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow Leeuwarden compares with other cities in the Netherlands
Residents aged 15 to 74 with higher education (hbo or university) (%) (2024)
Leeuwarden ranks 21 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) (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Alkmaar | 33.4% |
| 19 | Haarlemmermeer | 33.3% |
| 20 | Ede | 32.6% |
| 21 | Leeuwarden | 32.4% |
| 22 | Alphen aan den | 32.1% |
| 23 | Almere | 30.8% |
| 24 | Enschede | 30.8% |
Residents aged 15 to 74 whose highest level is primary, vmbo or mbo-1 (%) (2024)
Leeuwarden ranks 20 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Haarlemmermeer | 24.8% |
| 18 | Alkmaar | 24.5% |
| 19 | s-Hertogenbosch | 24.4% |
| 20 | Leeuwarden | 23.9% |
| 21 | Maastricht | 23.9% |
| 22 | Eindhoven | 23.7% |
| 23 | Breda | 22.1% |
Resident hbo and university students per 1,000 residents (2025)
Leeuwarden ranks 9 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Enschede | 80.3 |
| 7 | Eindhoven | 72.2 |
| 8 | Tilburg | 68.7 |
| 9 | Leeuwarden | 67.3 |
| 10 | Amsterdam | 64.5 |
| 11 | Rotterdam | 55.8 |
| 12 | Breda | 54.9 |
Average road distance to a havo/vwo secondary school (km) (2024)
Leeuwarden ranks 2 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ede | 3.2 km |
| 2 | Leeuwarden | 3.1 km |
| 3 | Sittard-Geleen | 3.0 km |
| 4 | Nissewaard | 2.9 km |
| 5 | Deventer | 2.9 km |
| 6 | Apeldoorn | 2.8 km |
| 7 | Alphen aan den | 2.8 km |
Higher education students per 1,000 residents (2024)
Leeuwarden ranks 9 of 29, highest first.
| Rank | City | Higher education students per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Leiden | 83 |
| 7 | Utrecht | 83 |
| 8 | Tilburg | 77 |
| 9 | Leeuwarden | 73 |
| 10 | Amsterdam | 68 |
| 11 | Eindhoven | 67 |
| 12 | s-Gravenhage | 65 |
More on Leeuwarden: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · 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_ceduc: Urban Audit: education (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 af187c7040a4…)
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