ABSTRACT
The higher education system in the Netherlands is increasingly characterized by market elements. Ever since the late 1980s, producer and consumer sovereignty increased steadily. Today, Dutch higher education providers operate relatively independently from the government, and by positioning themselves strategically in the market try to gain a competitive advantage over other providers and generate revenues from various activities. Students have a large freedom to choose. They pay tuition fees, and have seen their student grants becoming increasingly tied to study performance criteria. This chapter will try to illustrate this by presenting a large number of facts and trends on the Dutch higher education system.
