IB Diploma: University Admission in the Netherlands

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

The IB Diploma is one of the easiest foreign qualifications to use in the Netherlands. Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for international education, compares it with a VWO diploma, the school-leaving certificate that gives Dutch students access to research universities. Most bachelor's programmes then admit every qualified applicant, without ranking. The details that matter are your Higher Level subjects, the deadline for your programme and, for selective programmes, the selection procedure.

How the IB is recognised

IB Diploma: compared with a VWO diploma, so it gives access to research universities (universiteiten) and universities of applied sciences (hogescholen).
IB Career-related Programme Certificate: compared with at least a HAVO diploma, the level for universities of applied sciences.
Single Diploma Programme courses without the full Diploma count only as VWO subject certificates.

Nuffic's comparison is advice. Each institution decides on admission itself, and some add conditions. You do not need a Nuffic evaluation to apply. See credential evaluation for the Netherlands.

Conditions universities add

There is no national minimum IB score. The conditions come from institutions and programmes:

Maastricht University accepts the IB Diploma with at least three subjects at Higher Level.
Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) publishes a table of required IB subjects. Every bachelor's programme in it requires Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches at Higher Level. Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design and several others also require Physics HL. Chemical Engineering and Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering require Physics HL with Chemistry SL, or Chemistry HL with Physics SL.
Many economics, science and engineering programmes elsewhere have similar subject requirements, matching the mathematics and science subjects Dutch students need in VWO.

If you lack a required subject, you must obtain a certificate before enrolling. Erasmus University Rotterdam, for example, accepts the Dutch state exam and approved test centres for missing subjects. This is easier to avoid by choosing the right subjects at the start of the Diploma Programme.

No conversion formula

Dutch institutions do not convert IB points into a national score, because most bachelor's programmes do not rank applicants. Where places are limited, the programme runs its own selection.

Numerus fixus and selective programmes

Programmes with a fixed number of places are called numerus fixus programmes.

The application deadline is 15 January; for a September 2027 start, 15 January 2027.
You can apply to at most two numerus fixus programmes a year, and to only one institution for Medicine, Dentistry, Physiotherapy, Midwifery and Oral Health Care.
Selection may use a test, an interview, a motivation letter, a lottery or a combination. Your IB grades may be one element, but there is no national formula.

University colleges and many arts programmes also select through their own procedures. The general deadline for other bachelor's programmes is 1 May 2027.

Medicine

Medicine is a numerus fixus programme, so the 15 January deadline and the one-institution rule apply. Language is the other hurdle: the University of Groningen, for example, requires proof of Dutch for Medicine and Dentistry, and an IB Diploma with Dutch A at Standard or Higher Level exempts you from it. Check each faculty's subject requirements before you choose your Higher Level sciences.

Language

For English-taught programmes, the IB often replaces a separate English test. The University of Groningen exempts applicants with an IB Diploma taught in English, and University College Groningen applies the same rule. Rules differ by institution, so check before booking IELTS or TOEFL. See IELTS and TOEFL for European universities.

Timing

IB results for the May session come out in early July, after all Dutch application deadlines. You therefore apply before you have your results, and admission is usually conditional on the final diploma. Once results are out, you upload or send the final diploma by the date in your offer. Applicants who need a residence permit should apply well before 1 May: Leiden University, for example, sets 1 April for them. November-session candidates can apply for programmes with a February start, such as some at University College Groningen, where the application deadline for February 2027 was 1 November 2026.

Documents

Prepare the IB Diploma and the Transcript of Grades issued by the IB. After admission, many institutions ask for a certified copy; follow the instructions in your offer.

Where to look next

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.