Education in Zuid-Limburg (Limburg (NL), Netherlands): official figures
29.3% of residents aged 15 to 74 in Zuid-Limburg held a higher professional (hbo) or university degree in 2024, below the national figure of 33.3%; that is 19th lowest among the 40 COROP areas, up from 27.0% in 2019.
What is the education level in the Zuid-Limburg region?
28.8% of residents aged 15 to 74 in Zuid-Limburg had no qualification above vmbo or mbo level 1 in 2024, 9th highest among the 40 COROP areas (above the national figure of 25.9%).
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many students live in the Zuid-Limburg region?
Zuid-Limburg was home to 45.2 higher-education students (hbo and university) per 1,000 residents in 2025, 7th highest among the 40 COROP areas (Netherlands: 43.0).
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many vocational students are there in the Zuid-Limburg region?
There were 20.5 mbo (secondary vocational) students per 1,000 residents of Zuid-Limburg 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 the Zuid-Limburg region?
Secondary-school pupils living in Zuid-Limburg numbered 40.8 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 the Zuid-Limburg region?
The average resident of Zuid-Limburg 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 the Zuid-Limburg region?
The nearest havo or vwo school was an average 3.0 km away for people in Zuid-Limburg in 2024, below the national figure of 3.4 km; that is 12th shortest among the 40 COROP areas.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow Zuid-Limburg compares with other COROP regions in the Netherlands
Residents aged 15 to 74 with higher education (hbo or university) (%) (2024)
Zuid-Limburg ranks 22 of 40, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Residents aged 15 to 74 with higher education (hbo or university) (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Midden-Noord-Brabant | 30.2% |
| 20 | Noord-Overijssel | 29.6% |
| 21 | IJmond | 29.6% |
| 22 | Zuid-Limburg | 29.3% |
| 23 | Midden-Limburg | 29.0% |
| 24 | Twente | 28.7% |
| 25 | Achterhoek | 28.1% |
Residents aged 15 to 74 whose highest level is primary, vmbo or mbo-1 (%) (2024)
Zuid-Limburg ranks 9 of 40, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Residents aged 15 to 74 whose highest level is primary, vmbo or mbo-1 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Zuidoost-Zuid-Holland | 29.1% |
| 7 | Groot-Rijnmond | 28.9% |
| 8 | Zuidwest-Drenthe | 28.8% |
| 9 | Zuid-Limburg | 28.8% |
| 10 | Delfzijl en omgeving | 28.7% |
| 11 | Midden-Limburg | 28.3% |
| 12 | Kop van Noord-Holland | 28.2% |
Resident hbo and university students per 1,000 residents (2025)
Zuid-Limburg ranks 7 of 40, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Resident hbo and university students per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Groot-Amsterdam | 55.6 |
| 5 | Arnhem/Nijmegen | 53.6 |
| 6 | Utrecht | 46.9 |
| 7 | Zuid-Limburg | 45.2 |
| 8 | Midden-Noord-Brabant | 45.0 |
| 9 | Agglomeratie ’s-Gravenhage | 44.5 |
| 10 | Twente | 43.2 |
Average road distance to a havo/vwo secondary school (km) (2024)
Zuid-Limburg ranks 29 of 40, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Average road distance to a havo/vwo secondary school (km) |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Zuidoost-Noord-Brabant | 3.3 km |
| 27 | Zuidoost-Zuid-Holland | 3.2 km |
| 28 | Alkmaar en omgeving | 3.1 km |
| 29 | Zuid-Limburg | 3.0 km |
| 30 | Arnhem/Nijmegen | 2.7 km |
| 31 | Zaanstreek | 2.7 km |
| 32 | Utrecht | 2.6 km |
More on Zuid-Limburg: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · Limburg (NL) · 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…)
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