Why more Hungarian and EU students are choosing the Netherlands over the UK - and the number that explains it

If you're a Hungarian, or EU student dreaming of studying abroad, there's a good chance the UK has been your default answer. Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Edinburgh — the names are familiar, the rankings are excellent, and the English-language instruction makes the whole process feel accessible.

But here's something most students and parents in Hungary don't fully realise until they're deep into the application process: as a Hungarian/ EU citizen, you no longer get UK "home" tuition rates. Since Brexit, Hungarian students pay the same international fees as students from anywhere outside the UK — and those fees are steep.

Meanwhile, just a short flight away, there's a country offering English-taught degrees, EU tuition rates, and globally ranked universities. It's the Netherlands — and the gap between what you'd pay there versus the UK might genuinely surprise you.

The number that changes everything

Here's the comparison, plainly:

In the UK, as a non-UK national, Hungarian students pay international tuition fees — typically somewhere between £15,000 and £38,000 per year for a bachelor's degree, depending on the university and subject. At Oxford or Cambridge, that figure can climb to £37,000–£70,000 per year before living costs.

In the Netherlands, because Hungary is an EU member state, Hungarian students qualify for the same statutory tuition rate as Dutch students — around €2,700 per year for the 2026/27 academic year. That's not a typo. It's the same low rate Dutch citizens themselves pay.

Over a three-year bachelor's degree, that's roughly €8,100 total tuition in the Netherlands, compared to anywhere from €170,000 to over €700,000 in the UK for the same three years, depending on the university and course.

This isn't a small difference. It's the difference between a manageable family investment and a financial decision that reshapes a household's entire budget.

But is the education actually comparable?

This is the part that surprises people most. The Netherlands isn't a "budget alternative" in terms of quality — it's a genuinely strong higher education system that happens to also be affordable for EU citizens.

A few facts worth knowing:

The Netherlands has over a dozen universities ranked in the global top 200. The University of Amsterdam, Utrecht University, and Leiden University (one of Europe's oldest, founded in 1575) all sit comfortably among Europe's strongest research institutions. Wageningen University is ranked among the best in the world for agricultural and environmental sciences.

More than 2,100 degree programmes are taught entirely in English — including the vast majority of master's programmes and a growing share of bachelor's degrees. You don't need to speak Dutch to study, work part-time, or build a social life there, although picking up some Dutch certainly helps.

The teaching style tends to be more discussion-based and less exam-heavy than the Hungarian or even UK system, with a strong emphasis on group projects, presentations, and independent research — a style many international students find genuinely engaging once they adjust to it.

What it actually costs to live there

Tuition is only part of the picture, so let's be realistic about the rest.

Monthly living costs in the Netherlands typically range from €1,000 to €1,400, with housing taking the largest share. Amsterdam is the most expensive city, with a room in a shared house running €600–900 per month. Smaller, equally excellent university cities like Groningen, Enschede, or Maastricht are considerably more affordable, often €400–550 for a room.

Here's something else worth knowing: EU students who work at least 56 hours a month in the Netherlands can qualify for Dutch student finance — known as DUO — which includes a basic grant, a supplementary grant for lower-income families, an affordable student loan, and a free public transport card. This is a genuine source of financial support that most Hungarian families don't know they're eligible for.

Why this matters more in 2026 than it used to

UK tuition has continued climbing, and recent changes to the UK's Graduate Route visa (the post-study work visa is being shortened from two years to eighteen months starting January 2027) have made the UK a slightly less straightforward long-term plan for international students. None of this makes the UK a bad choice — many of our students still choose it, and for good reason. But it does mean the decision deserves more thought than simply picking the most familiar name.

The Netherlands, by contrast, offers EU citizens full labour market access during and after study, a straightforward path to staying and working after graduation, and a tuition structure that doesn't put the family under serious financial strain.

So which one is right for you?

There isn't a universally correct answer — it depends on the subject you want to study, the kind of environment you'll thrive in, your career goals, and yes, your family's budget. Some fields and career paths are genuinely better served by a UK degree's global brand recognition. Others — particularly in sciences, social sciences, business, and engineering — are exceptionally well served by Dutch universities at a fraction of the cost.

What matters most is making this decision with full information, rather than defaulting to the most familiar option because it's the one everyone talks about.

This is exactly the kind of decision we help families work through at Lumen — comparing real costs, real outcomes, and real fit, not just rankings and reputation.

Book a free 30-minute consultation with the Lumen team →

Sources: Dutch Ministry of Education tuition rates (DUO, 2026/27); Study in NL official guidance; UK university published international fee schedules (2026/27); Save the Student UK tuition guide.