The rising number of international preliminary enrolments for the bachelor’s programme at the University of Twente is rapidly matching the number of Dutch preliminary enrolments.
This is illustrated by the figures drawn from the total number of preliminary enrolments in Studielink, the national registration system for universities. The deadline for Dutch students closed on 1 May.
The University of Twente saw a large increase in the preliminary enrolments this year, 15 percent more than last year. The higher increase in international students (+26 percent) relative to Dutch enrolments (+7 percent) means that there are now nearly as many international as Dutch preliminary enrolments. 1255 of the 2730 (46 percent) preliminary enrolments for the 20 bachelor’s programmes come from outside of the Netherlands.
The ratio of preliminary enrolments doesn’t necessarily reflect the number of foreign and Dutch students that will soon be starting on their bachelor’s at the UT this coming academic year: the percentage of Dutch preliminary enrolees that eventually study at the UT is generally higher.
Internationalization
The progressive internationalization of bachelor’s programmes is a national trend: the total number of preliminary enrolments increased by 11 percent, in which the number of potential students from outside of the EU especially stands out with 36 percent growth. Development at the University of Twente is stronger than the national trend. Growth of the English language selection and increased commitment to international recruitment both play a role in this.
This is mainly reflected in the educational programmes that will be offered in English starting the 2017-2018 academic year: Mechanical Engineering saw the total preliminary enrolments increase by 85% and Civil Engineering noted an increase of 47 percent. Other educational programmes showing growth are Communication Science (+ 66 percent), Business & IT (+47 percent) and Electrical Engineering (+47 percent). The 12 existing English-language bachelors’ saw the number of preliminary enrolments increase by 11 percent compared to 4 percent for the six Dutch-language bachelors’.
The increased number of technical study programmes among the preliminary enrolments is due to the substantial growth in numbers for educational programmes such as Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering, as well as Business & IT and Technical Computer Science. Of all preliminary enrolees, 69 percent chose a technical UT educational programme.
About the preliminary enrolment statistics
The deadline for Dutch and non-EU students to enrol for University via Studielink, the national registration system, closed on 1 May. The preliminary enrolment is followed by matching activities where students, together with the educational institution, assess if the chosen study and educational institution are a good match.
Students have until 1 October to redeem their preliminary enrolment. The actual number of students beginning their bachelor’s programme in the new academic year will then be known. Students may submit a preliminary enrolment for multiple studies and some studies work with an admissions quota. Students from other European countries (the so-called European Economic Area) may submit a preliminary enrolment until 1 July.
