Education in Rotterdam, Netherlands: official figures
33.5% of residents aged 15 to 74 in Rotterdam held a higher professional (hbo) or university degree in 2024, above the national figure of 33.3%; that is 16th highest among the 31 large municipalities covered here, up from 30.3% in 2019.
What is the education level in Rotterdam?
29.8% of residents aged 15 to 74 in Rotterdam had no qualification above vmbo or mbo level 1 in 2024, 4th highest among the 31 large municipalities covered here (above the national figure of 25.9%).
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many students live in Rotterdam?
Rotterdam was home to 55.8 higher-education students (hbo and university) per 1,000 residents in 2025, 11th highest among the 31 large municipalities covered here (Netherlands: 43.0).
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many vocational students are there in Rotterdam?
There were 27.2 mbo (secondary vocational) students per 1,000 residents of the municipality of Rotterdam 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 Rotterdam?
Secondary-school pupils living in Rotterdam numbered 47.5 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 Rotterdam?
The average resident of Rotterdam 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 Rotterdam?
The nearest havo or vwo school was an average 1.6 km away for people in Rotterdam in 2024, below the national figure of 3.4 km; that is 9th shortest among the 31 large municipalities covered here.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many young children are in childcare in Rotterdam?
46% of children under 5 were in day care or school in 2019 (457 per 1,000).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many students are there in Rotterdam?
59,770 students were enrolled in higher education in Rotterdam in 2024, 47 for every 1,000 residents.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people in Rotterdam have a degree?
Of adults aged 25 to 64 in Rotterdam in 2024, 36% had a degree-level education, 40% an upper secondary education and 24% at most lower secondary schooling.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- In the EU's 2023 survey of quality of life in European cities, 75% of residents of Rotterdam were satisfied with schools and other educational facilities. Source: Eurostat · saved copy
How Rotterdam compares with other cities in the Netherlands
Residents aged 15 to 74 with higher education (hbo or university) (%) (2024)
Rotterdam ranks 16 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) (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | s-Gravenhage | 37.1% |
| 14 | Maastricht | 35.9% |
| 15 | Deventer | 34.7% |
| 16 | Rotterdam | 33.5% |
| 17 | Tilburg | 33.5% |
| 18 | Alkmaar | 33.4% |
| 19 | Haarlemmermeer | 33.3% |
Residents aged 15 to 74 whose highest level is primary, vmbo or mbo-1 (%) (2024)
Rotterdam ranks 4 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)
Rotterdam ranks 11 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Tilburg | 68.7 |
| 9 | Leeuwarden | 67.3 |
| 10 | Amsterdam | 64.5 |
| 11 | Rotterdam | 55.8 |
| 12 | Breda | 54.9 |
| 13 | Arnhem | 50.1 |
| 14 | s-Gravenhage | 50.0 |
Average road distance to a havo/vwo secondary school (km) (2024)
Rotterdam ranks 23 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Maastricht | 1.8 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 |
Higher education students per 1,000 residents (2024)
Rotterdam ranks 16 of 29, highest first.
| Rank | City | Higher education students per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Breda | 59 |
| 14 | Arnhem | 50 |
| 15 | Zwolle | 48 |
| 16 | Rotterdam | 47 |
| 17 | Haarlemmermeer | 38 |
| 18 | Amersfoort | 37 |
| 19 | Deventer | 37 |
Children 0-4 in day care per 1,000 (2019)
Rotterdam ranks 20 of 20, highest first.
| Rank | City | Children 0-4 in day care per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | s-Gravenhage | 910 |
| 15 | Amsterdam | 895 |
| 16 | Haarlem | 787 |
| 17 | Ede | 786 |
| 18 | Sittard-Geleen | 782 |
| 19 | Leiden | 492 |
| 20 | Rotterdam | 457 |
More on Rotterdam: 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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