The 2020 Keuzegids Hbo guide has ranked Avans University of Applied Sciences the number 1 large university of applied sciences in the Netherlands for the sixth consecutive time.
The guide, which was published today, states that its small-scale teaching concept and personal approach make Avans stand out: “Although large universities of applied sciences are often dismissed as ‘teaching factories’, Avans has proved for years to be quite the opposite. The Noord-Brabant-based institution offers excellent education across the board to over 30,000 students. This has everything to with the 21 schools that together make up the university. The large degree of autonomy these schools have translates into the quality of the education they offer.”
Top-rated programmes
This is reflected in the scores for each study programme. 15 Avans study programmes have been awarded the ‘Top-rated programme’ quality seal from the Keuzegids guide. This means they have achieved a score of at least 75 points out of a total 100. Nine study programmes have been ranked number 1 in their respective categories.
Dutch National Student Survey
To compile the guide, Keuzegids uses data from the Dutch National Student Survey (NSS). Dutch universities of applied sciences did not participate in the 2019 NSS, as the survey outcomes were unreliable and hence unusable due to the introduction of new privacy laws. Applying this legislation meant that outcomes could no longer be traced to individual study programmes, which is in fact the key information collected from this survey. For this reason, Keuzegids decided to use last year’s NSS outcomes. These have been supplemented with new data concerning the chances of earning a degree (i.e. study success rates) and expert opinions (from the NVAO Dutch-Flemish quality assessment agency).
Keuzegids Hbo guide
The Keuzegids Hbo is an independently produced guide that assesses and compares the quality of all study programmes offered in the Netherlands. Its aim is to provide relevant information that helps future students make an informed choice about which programme to join.