The provisional intake figures for this academic year are now available. UvA-wide, the number of first-year students in Bachelor's programmes has fallen by -3.6% and there was average increase of +2.5% in intake for Master's programmes. The Faculty of Economics and Business is the only faculty where the number of new Bachelor's and Master's students is increasing. The total number of students at the UvA has risen slightly this academic year by +1.7%. The UvA now has 43,039 students; last year there were 42,324. This is all per the provisional figures from mid-October 2023 - as usual, the definitive (national) figures will be available in February of the new calendar year.

Balance in Psychology

A striking element in the intake figures for this academic year is that a numerus fixus on the English-language track of a course appears to be effective in curbing the number of international students while maintaining a balance between Dutch and international students. This is evident in the Bachelor's programme in Psychology. The programme already had an overall enrollment fixus, but to ensure that Dutch students have just as much opportunity to study Psychology, since this year the programme has – in addition to the overall fixus – also maximized the intake into the English-language track. As a result, the number of new students from the Netherlands has increased sharply (from 141 last year to 232 this year; +65%), while the number of new international students has decreased (from 341 to 260; -24%). Of this year’s new students, there is almost a 50-50 split between Dutch and international.

Undesirable effect in Political Science

Many courses at the UvA have both a Dutch and an English version (track). A numerus fixus on an entire course applies to both tracks and appears to have a particularly deterrent effect on Dutch students. This can be seen in the Bachelor's programme in Political Science, where a complete numerus fixus applies from this academic year. The number of new students has fallen sharply: from 490 last year to 300 this year (-39%). But it is striking that the number of new students from the Netherlands declined most sharply: from 165 to 77 (-53%). Dutch students are very likely to choose the same course at another university that does not have a numerus fixus. The international intake for Political Science has also decreased, but relatively less severely: from 325 to 223 (-31%). The introduction of the numerus fixus at Political Science has therefore had an undesirable effect on the balance between Dutch and international students.

Internationalisation in Balance bill

'The new bill mentions the fixus on an English-language track as an instrument. That’s good; we have been asking for this for a long time and the figures now show that we as universities can regulate the intake if necessary,' says president of the Executive Board Geert ten Dam. 'It also means that it isn’t necessary to control the intake with language policy, which will have a negative effect on the internationalisation of higher education and research in the Netherlands. So, we can regulate the intake of international students and be a bilingual university at the same time.'

Bachelor's intake

The total number of first-year Bachelor's students at the UvA fell by -3.6%, from 8,512 last year to 8,207. The number of new Bachelor's students from the Netherlands decreased by -3.4%: 4,792 this year versus 4,963 last year. Overall, the international intake in the Bachelor's phase also decreased, by -3.8%: from 3,549 to 3,415. But within this there is a clear difference between the intake from the European Economic Area (EEA) and non-EEA. The number of new bachelor's students from the EEA decreased significantly by -13.1%: from 2,365 to 2,056. The number from outside the EEA actually increased sharply: from 1,148 to 1,359 (+14.8%).

The number of first-year students in the Bachelor's phase dropped most sharply at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG), from 2,513 to 2,218 (-11.7%). This is largely due to the declining numbers in Political Science. The decrease is less pronounced at the Faculty of Humanities (FGw), from 1,648 to 1,571 (-4.7%), followed by the Faculty of Science (FNWI), from 1,185 to 1,155 (-2.5%), and the Faculty of Law ( FdR), from 808 to 794 (-1.7%). The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) is the only faculty where the intake of Bachelor’s students increased, from 1,695 to 1,766 (+4.2%).

The influx of new Bachelor's students with Dutch nationality decreased at all five faculties, most sharply at the FEB: from 648 to 594 (-8.3%). At the FMG, there was a striking decline in the number of new Bachelor's students from the EEA: from 947 to 686 (-27.6%). Looking at the Bachelor's inflow from non-EEA countries, the FEB stands out once more: the non-EEA inflow increased by +29.6%, from 476 to 617.

UvA-wide, the number of new Bachelor's students from China has grown significantly: +28.1%, from 253 to 324. This year there are almost as many new Bachelor's students from Ukraine as in the previous academic year: 49, compared to 51 last year. Unlike last year, new students from Ukraine will no longer be able to study at the UvA at the regular tuition fee rate this year. They must now pay the institutional rate that applies to all students from non-EEA countries. The change in the tuition fee rate does not appear to have affected the intake from Ukraine.

Intake Master’s

This year there are 6,612 new students enrolled in the UvA's master's programmes. That is 164 more than last year when there were 6,448 (+2.5%). The number of new Master's students from the Netherlands increased slightly, from 3,850 to 3,892 (+1.1%). Those from EEA countries also increased slightly, from 1,569 to 1,610 (+2.6%). The number from outside Europe increased most sharply, from 1,029 to 1,110 (+7.9%).

The number of new Master's students increased sharply at the FEB: from 1,231 to 1,355 (+10.1%). The FNWI had the next biggest rise: from 1,163 to 1,215 (+4.5%). Small increases can be seen at the FMG: from 1,759 to 1,786 (+1.5%), and the FdR from 944 to 955 (+1.2%). There are fewer new Master's students at the FGw this year: 1,136, compared to 1,172 last academic year (-3.1%).

The intake of Master's students from the Netherlands grew at the FMG, FNWI and FdR, and decreased at the FGw and FEB. The FEB, FGw and FMG saw an increase in the number of new Master's students from the EEA, whereas there was a decrease at the FdR and FNWI. The increase is greatest at the FEB: from 271 to 297 (+9.6%). The non-EEA intake also increased at the FEB, very sharply: from 333 to 443 (+33%).

Just as in the Bachelor's phase, the increase in new Master's students from China is striking across the UvA. It goes from 413 to 500 (+21.1%). The number of new Master’s students from Ukraine is almost the same as last year and goes from 20 to 21 (+5.0%).

65% Dutch students

Taking into account all students registered at the UvA this academic year, a small increase of 1.7% can be seen compared to the previous year, from 42,324 to 43,039 students. Of these, 27,930 (almost 65%) have Dutch nationality and 15,109 are international. Of those 15,109, 9,606 come from the EEA and 5,503 from non-EEA countries.