The Dutch higher education system is characterised by a binary system. Alongside the academic education offered by the universities, there is the higher professional education offered by the hogescholen. By law, art education belongs to the higher professional education system, which explains the name of our institution: Hogeschool van Beeldende Kunsten, Muziek en Dans. You can find more information on the Dutch education system here.

The Netherlands has two types of higher education: University Education (in Dutch: Wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) and Higher Professional Education (in Dutch: Hoger Beroeps Onderwijs, HBO). Higher Professional Education is offered by the Dutch hogescholen. The universities conduct research and offer training in the humanities and sciences. The education of hogescholen have a strongly practical orientation, and study programmes are geared more towards specific careers. Internships, through which students gain on-the-job experience in the work they are trained for, are essential components of nearly all curricula.

Dutch institutions for higher education earn income through tuition fees, but an even larger share of their income comes directly from the government. Nevertheless, the law guarantees them considerable autonomy to determine their own policies, to design their own curricula and develop new courses and to make investments for the future. Universities and hogescholen are thus able to respond quickly and effectively to the needs of both students and society. At the moment there are 64 hogescholen and 22 universities in the Netherlands. About 500.000 students are enrolled in higher education (population in Netherlands is 15.000.000).
By law Higher Art Education belongs to the Higher Professional Education. As a consequence the Royal Academy of Art is a faculty of a ‘hogeschool’.