Students and alumni value personal guidance and practice-oriented education at Avans
Students and graduates of Avans University of Applied Sciences are positive about their programmes, the support provided by lecturers, and the preparation for professional practice. This is evident from the results of the 2026 National Student Survey (Nationale Studenten Enquête, NSE) and the 2025 HBO Monitor.
The findings show that both current students and alumni appreciate Avans’ personal approach, engaged lecturers, and practice-based learning environment. Many graduates quickly find suitable employment: 90% of alumni are employed within 3 months of graduating. Additionally, 80% of students would choose the same programme at Avans again, and compared to 2025, they feel better supported in terms of their wellbeing.
The NSE further shows that around three-quarters of students are satisfied to very satisfied with their programme. Avans scores above the national average on all key themes.
Chair of the Executive Board, Marjan Hammersma, sees the results as confirmation of Avans’ educational direction:
“We aim to educate professionals who are not only strong in their field, but who can also contribute to solving societal and professional challenges. It is encouraging to see that students and alumni experience that Avans offers them broad development opportunities, with room for personal growth, strong guidance, and a close connection to professional practice.”
Personal guidance and lecturer engagement highly valued
Both the NSE and the HBO Monitor clearly highlight the appreciation for lecturers. Students and alumni perceive lecturers as engaged, knowledgeable, and supportive of their development. In the HBO Monitor, 80% of graduates report being satisfied with their lecturers, compared to 70% nationally.
Students also indicate that, compared to 2025, they are better informed about where to go with questions or concerns, and they experience greater attention to wellbeing than in the previous year. Furthermore, both students and alumni are more positive about the connection between education and professional practice than last year.
First effects of elective education visible
Since the 2024–2025 academic year, Avans has implemented elective education. This approach gives students, from their second year onwards, more freedom to shape their own study paths and to broaden or deepen their learning.
The first effects of this approach are already visible in the NSE. Second-year students are more positive about the flexibility to personalise their learning pathways, while first-year students rate the coherence within the curriculum more positively than last year.
At the same time, Avans will be using these insights to further develop its education, particularly regarding areas such as student guidance and study workload. Although fewer students report excessive workload, nearly a quarter still indicate that they often or always experience high study pressure.
Well prepared for the labour market
Graduates also look back positively on their education. The HBO Monitor shows that 79% are satisfied with their programme overall, and 78% believe their education provides a solid foundation for further development.
At the same time, the research also highlights areas for improvement, such as the alignment between programmes and job level, and the quality of information provided about career opportunities.
About the surveys
The National Student Survey (Nationale Studenten Enquête, NSE) is an annual survey among higher professional education (HBO) and university (WO) students in the Netherlands. This year, more than 11,000 Avans students participated.
The HBO Monitor is a national annual survey among graduates in higher professional education and is conducted by the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market. In this edition, more than 2,000 Avans alumni completed the questionnaire.