Education in North Brabant, Netherlands: official figures
The share of adults aged 25 to 64 with a degree-level (tertiary) education was 43.9% in 2025, against 46.1% for the Netherlands and 36.9% across the EU; 6th highest of 12 provinces in the Netherlands.
What percentage of people have a degree in North Brabant?
32.2% of residents aged 15 to 74 in North Brabant held a higher professional (hbo) or university degree in 2024, below the national figure of 33.3%; that is 4th highest among the 12 provinces, up from 29.0% in 2019.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyWhat is the education level in North Brabant?
26.5% of residents aged 15 to 74 in North Brabant had no qualification above vmbo or mbo level 1 in 2024, 6th lowest among the 12 provinces (above the national figure of 25.9%).
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many students live in North Brabant?
The province of North Brabant was home to 36.3 higher-education students (hbo and university) per 1,000 residents in 2025, 6th lowest among the 12 provinces (Netherlands: 43.0).
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many vocational students are there in North Brabant?
There were 25.0 mbo (secondary vocational) students per 1,000 residents of North Brabant 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 North Brabant?
Secondary-school pupils living in North Brabant numbered 49.1 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 North Brabant?
The average resident of the province of North Brabant lived 0.7 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 North Brabant?
The nearest havo or vwo school was an average 3.5 km away for people in the province of North Brabant in 2024, above the national figure of 3.4 km; that is 5th shortest among the 12 provinces.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow many young people in North Brabant leave school early?
The early school leaving rate was 8.3% in 2025 (18 to 24-year-olds with no upper secondary qualification who are not in education or training) (the Netherlands: 7.4%; EU: 9.1%); 6th lowest of 12 provinces in Netherlands. In 2015 it was 9.1%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many young people in North Brabant are NEET?
4.9% of young people aged 15 to 29 were neither in work nor in education or training (NEET) in 2025 (the Netherlands: 5.3%; EU: 11.0%); 3rd lowest of 12 provinces in Netherlands. In 2015 it was 6.4%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many adults in North Brabant are in education or training?
25.0% of adults aged 25 to 64 had taken part in education or training in the previous four weeks in 2025 (the Netherlands: 25.9%; EU: 13.7%); 6th lowest of 12 provinces in Netherlands. In 2015 it was 17.8%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many adults in North Brabant have no qualifications?
In 2025, 20.8% of 25 to 64-year-olds had left education with at most a lower secondary education (the Netherlands: 18.4%; EU: 18.8%); 3rd highest of 12 provinces in Netherlands. In 2015 it was 25.2%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat education do adults in North Brabant have?
35.3% of adults aged 25 to 64 had an upper secondary or post-secondary (non-degree) education as their highest level in 2025 (the Netherlands: 35.5%; EU: 44.3%); 4th lowest of 12 provinces in Netherlands. In 2015 it was 41.6%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many pupils and students are there in North Brabant?
Schools in North Brabant taught 161,333 primary pupils and 226,164 secondary pupils in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow North Brabant compares with other provinces
Residents aged 15 to 74 with higher education (hbo or university) (%) (2024)
North Brabant ranks 4 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Residents aged 15 to 74 with higher education (hbo or university) (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utrecht | 42.2% |
| 2 | North Holland | 39.2% |
| 3 | South Holland | 33.3% |
| 4 | North Brabant | 32.2% |
| 5 | Gelderland | 32.1% |
| 6 | Groningen | 31.9% |
| 7 | Overijssel | 29.6% |
Residents aged 15 to 74 whose highest level is primary, vmbo or mbo-1 (%) (2024)
North Brabant ranks 7 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Residents aged 15 to 74 whose highest level is primary, vmbo or mbo-1 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | South Holland | 27.2% |
| 5 | Drenthe | 26.8% |
| 6 | Friesland (NL) | 26.6% |
| 7 | North Brabant | 26.5% |
| 8 | Overijssel | 26.0% |
| 9 | Gelderland | 26.0% |
| 10 | North Holland | 23.8% |
Resident hbo and university students per 1,000 residents (2025)
North Brabant ranks 7 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Resident hbo and university students per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | North Holland | 41.5 |
| 5 | Gelderland | 39.3 |
| 6 | Overijssel | 38.2 |
| 7 | North Brabant | 36.3 |
| 8 | Limburg (NL) | 35.5 |
| 9 | Friesland (NL) | 33.3 |
| 10 | Flevoland | 30.8 |
Average road distance to a havo/vwo secondary school (km) (2024)
North Brabant ranks 8 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Average road distance to a havo/vwo secondary school (km) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Overijssel | 4.1 km |
| 6 | Flevoland | 3.8 km |
| 7 | Gelderland | 3.7 km |
| 8 | North Brabant | 3.5 km |
| 9 | Limburg (NL) | 3.4 km |
| 10 | Utrecht | 2.6 km |
| 11 | North Holland | 2.5 km |
Early leavers from education and training (age 18-24) (2025)
North Brabant ranks 7 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Early leavers from education and training (age 18-24) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Flevoland | 9.1% |
| 5 | Zeeland | 8.9% |
| 6 | Overijssel | 8.5% |
| 7 | North Brabant | 8.3% |
| 8 | Gelderland | 7.4% |
| 9 | North Holland | 7.2% |
| 10 | South Holland | 6.3% |
Young people (15-29) not in employment, education or training (2025)
North Brabant ranks 10 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Young people (15-29) not in employment, education or training |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | South Holland | 5.4% |
| 7 | Gelderland | 5.4% |
| 8 | Groningen | 5.2% |
| 9 | North Holland | 4.9% |
| 10 | North Brabant | 4.9% |
| 11 | Zeeland | 4.7% |
| 12 | Utrecht | 4.0% |
Adults (25-64) in education or training in the last 4 weeks (2025)
North Brabant ranks 7 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) in education or training in the last 4 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | South Holland | 26.5% |
| 5 | Gelderland | 25.7% |
| 6 | Flevoland | 25.6% |
| 7 | North Brabant | 25.0% |
| 8 | Drenthe | 24.6% |
| 9 | Overijssel | 24.4% |
| 10 | Friesland (NL) | 24.1% |
Adults (25-64) with at most lower secondary education (2025)
North Brabant ranks 3 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) with at most lower secondary education |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zeeland | 22.5% |
| 2 | Limburg (NL) | 22.4% |
| 3 | North Brabant | 20.8% |
| 4 | Flevoland | 19.6% |
| 5 | Drenthe | 19.4% |
| 6 | South Holland | 19.0% |
| 7 | Gelderland | 18.3% |
Adults (25-64) whose highest level is upper secondary (2025)
North Brabant ranks 9 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) whose highest level is upper secondary |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Groningen | 38.6% |
| 7 | Flevoland | 38.5% |
| 8 | Gelderland | 37.6% |
| 9 | North Brabant | 35.3% |
| 10 | South Holland | 33.8% |
| 11 | North Holland | 31.1% |
| 12 | Utrecht | 28.9% |
More on North Brabant: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · government and politics · the Netherlands
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Adults (25-64) with a degree-level education, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6ff9f4bfff72…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset trng_lfse_04: Participation rate of adults in education and training (last 4 weeks) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 42ceced85786…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Population aged 25-64 by educational attainment level, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 63810622cd71…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_22: Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1467a7225373…)
- 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 edat_lfse_16: Early leavers from education and training by sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c3cc66b98a4a…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset educ_uoe_enra11: Pupils and students enrolled by education level, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 20b6224cca4f…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.