The results of the 2025 National Student Survey (NSS) are in. Students at Avans University of Applied Sciences are especially positive about their lecturers and the personal attention they receive. They also feel at home at Avans. Once again, Avans scores higher than other universities of applied sciences on these aspects.
Students particularly value the guidance they receive, the atmosphere within their study programmes, and the quality of the lecturers. Avans continues to score above the national average across all core themes of the NSS. However, overall satisfaction with their study programme has slightly decreased.
Modular education requires adjustment
This academic year, Avans introduced modular education. This means that from the second year onwards, students have more freedom to choose their own study programme. For some, this takes a bit of getting used to. That also applies to lecturers and the rest of the organisation. We believe in this change, as having more control over your studies leads to greater motivation and satisfaction in the long term. It's encouraging to see that students appreciate the increased flexibility in shaping their programme more than they did last year.
Encouragement
Marjan Hammersma, Chair of the Executive Board of Avans, adds: “It’s wonderful to see that our students feel at home at Avans and appreciate the dedication and commitment of our lecturers. The high scores for how well our programmes align with professional practice motivate us to continue developing future-proof education—education that offers students freedom of choice, remains relevant, and meets the needs of society and the job market, both now and in the future.”
More focus on wellbeing
Student wellbeing remains an important focus. About 1 in 4 students experience study pressure as too high. Most students, however, say the pressure is “just right” and feel better supported than in previous years. That’s a promising development.
Top-scoring programmes
The highest-scoring programme is Cabaret in Den Bosch. Among Associate degrees, the top performer is Engineering in Roosendaal. In part-time programmes, Business IT & Management In Breda receives the highest ratings. Electrical and Electronic Engineering in Breda leads among the dual programmes.
About the NSS
The National Student Survey is an annual study involving all students in higher professional and academic education in the Netherlands. It is commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The results play a key role in the Keuzegids hbo, which will be published in October.
Explore the Results
The National Centre for Study Choice has clearly presented all results in the NSS dashboard. This overview (in Dutch) shows how Avans compares to other universities of applied sciences.