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Education in Sittard-Geleen, Netherlands: official figures

29.5% of residents aged 15 to 74 in Sittard-Geleen held a higher professional (hbo) or university degree in 2024, below the national figure of 33.3%; that is 5th lowest among the 31 large municipalities covered here, up from 27.6% in 2019.

Residents aged 15 to 74 with higher education (hbo or university) (%)
29.5%
2024
Residents aged 15 to 74 whose highest level is primary, vmbo or mbo-1 (%)
29.7%
2024
Resident hbo and university students per 1,000 residents
28.2
2025
Resident mbo (vocational) students per 1,000 residents
22.5
2025
Resident secondary-school pupils per 1,000 residents
40.9
2025
Average road distance to a primary school (km)
0.8 km
2025
Average road distance to a havo/vwo secondary school (km)
3.0 km
2024

What is the education level in Sittard-Geleen?

29.7% of residents aged 15 to 74 in Sittard-Geleen had no qualification above vmbo or mbo level 1 in 2024, 6th highest among the 31 large municipalities covered here (above the national figure of 25.9%).

Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copy

How many students live in Sittard-Geleen?

Sittard-Geleen was home to 28.2 higher-education students (hbo and university) per 1,000 residents in 2025, 6th lowest among the 31 large municipalities covered here (Netherlands: 43.0).

Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copy

How many vocational students are there in Sittard-Geleen?

There were 22.5 mbo (secondary vocational) students per 1,000 residents of Sittard-Geleen in 2025, below the national figure of 25.9.

Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copy

How many secondary school pupils are there in Sittard-Geleen?

Secondary-school pupils living in Sittard-Geleen numbered 40.9 per 1,000 residents in 2025, against 51.0 nationally.

Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copy

How far is the nearest primary school in Sittard-Geleen?

The average resident of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen 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 copy

How far is the nearest secondary school in Sittard-Geleen?

The nearest havo or vwo school was an average 3.0 km away for people in the municipality of Sittard-Geleen in 2024, below the national figure of 3.4 km; that is 3rd longest among the 31 large municipalities covered here.

Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copy

How many young children are in childcare in Sittard-Geleen?

78% of children under 5 were in day care or school in 2019 (782 per 1,000).

Source: Eurostat · saved copy

How many students are there in Sittard-Geleen?

3,470 students were enrolled in higher education in Sittard-Geleen in 2024, 30 for every 1,000 residents.

Source: Eurostat · saved copy

How many people in Sittard-Geleen have a degree?

Of adults aged 25 to 64 in Sittard-Geleen in 2024, 34% had a degree-level education, 43% an upper secondary education and 23% at most lower secondary schooling.

Source: Eurostat · saved copy

How Sittard-Geleen compares with other cities in the Netherlands

Residents aged 15 to 74 with higher education (hbo or university) (%) (2024)

Sittard-Geleen ranks 27 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.

RankCityResidents aged 15 to 74 with higher education (hbo or university) (%)
24Enschede30.8%
25Zoetermeer30.8%
26Apeldoorn30.4%
27Sittard-Geleen29.5%
28Zaanstad27.9%
29Venlo25.6%
30Heerlen-Kerkrade23.4%
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copy

Residents aged 15 to 74 whose highest level is primary, vmbo or mbo-1 (%) (2024)

Sittard-Geleen ranks 6 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.

RankCityResidents aged 15 to 74 whose highest level is primary, vmbo or mbo-1 (%)
3Nissewaard31.0%
4Rotterdam29.8%
5s-Gravenhage29.7%
6Sittard-Geleen29.7%
7Zaanstad28.0%
8Almere26.8%
9Tilburg26.7%
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copy

Resident hbo and university students per 1,000 residents (2025)

Sittard-Geleen ranks 26 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.

RankCityResident hbo and university students per 1,000 residents
23Zoetermeer32.3
24Alphen aan den30.9
25Zaanstad29.8
26Sittard-Geleen28.2
27Venlo27.8
28Alkmaar27.6
29Apeldoorn27.1
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copy

Average road distance to a havo/vwo secondary school (km) (2024)

Sittard-Geleen ranks 3 of 31, highest first. Heerlen-Kerkrade is shown with figures for the municipality of Heerlen.

RankCityAverage road distance to a havo/vwo secondary school (km)
1Ede3.2 km
2Leeuwarden3.1 km
3Sittard-Geleen3.0 km
4Nissewaard2.9 km
5Deventer2.9 km
6Apeldoorn2.8 km
7Alphen aan den2.8 km
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copy

Higher education students per 1,000 residents (2024)

Sittard-Geleen ranks 26 of 29, highest first.

RankCityHigher education students per 1,000 residents
23Zoetermeer32
24Zaanstad31
25Alkmaar30
26Sittard-Geleen30
27Venlo30
28Apeldoorn28
29Nissewaard27
Source: Eurostat · saved copy

Children 0-4 in day care per 1,000 (2019)

Sittard-Geleen ranks 18 of 20, highest first.

RankCityChildren 0-4 in day care per 1,000
14s-Gravenhage910
15Amsterdam895
16Haarlem787
17Ede786
18Sittard-Geleen782
19Leiden492
20Rotterdam457
Source: Eurostat · saved copy

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Sources

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