| Diploma | PQF | Comparable to |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary School Certificate | 3 | a diploma |
| Matriculation Certificate | 3 | a VMBO-T diploma |
| Diploma in Commerce | 4 | an diploma level 2 |
| Diploma of Associate Engineer | 4 | an MBO diploma level 3 of 4 |
| Higher Secondary School Certificate with grade D or E as final result | 4 | at least a VMBO-T diploma |
| Intermediate School Certificate with grade D or E as final result | 4 | at least a VMBO-T diploma |
| Higher Secondary School Certificate with grade A1, A, B or C as final result | 4 | a diploma |
| Intermediate School Certificate with grade A1, A, B or C as final result | 4 | a HAVO diploma |
| Bachelor of Arts (Pass) | 5 | a diploma |
| Bachelor of Science (Pass) | 5 | a VWO diploma |
| Bachelor of Commerce (Pass) | 5 | 2 years of or an associate degree |
| Bachelor of Business Administration (Pass) | 5 | 2 years of HBO or an associate degree |
| Bachelor of Technology (Pass) | 5 | 2 years of HBO or an associate degree |
| Bachelor of Arts (Honours) | 6 | 3 years of HBO or 1 year of |
| Bachelor of Science (Honours) | 6 | 3 years of HBO or 1 year of WO |
| Bachelor of Commerce (Honours), : 3 years | 6 | an HBO bachelor’s degree |
| Bachelor of Commerce (Honours), duration: 4 years | 6 | an HBO bachelor’s degree |
| Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours), duration: 3 years | 6 | 3 years of HBO |
| Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours), duration: 4 years | 6 | an HBO bachelor's degree |
| Professional bachelor's degree, duration: 4 years | 6 | an HBO bachelor’s degree or 2 years of WO |
| Professional bachelor's degree, duration: 5 years | 6 | a WO bachelor’s degree |
| Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) | 6 | a WO bachelor’s degree |
| Master's degree | 7 | Please contact us for a credential evaluation |
| Master of Philosophy (MPhil) | 7 | a 1-year WO master’s degree |
Preparatory vocational secondary education – theoretical programme (voorbereidend middelbaar beroepsonderwijs - theoretische leerweg, VMBO-T). A VMBO-T diploma is awarded upon successful completion of a 4-year programme of vocational secondary education (theoretical programme).
Secondary vocational education (middelbaar beroepsonderwijs, MBO). MBO prepares pupils for the professional practice or further study. This type of education follows on from VMBO; its duration will depend on the chosen qualification. MBO comprises 4 levels (I-IV). Read more on the website of SBB.
Senior general secondary education (hoger algemeen voortgezet onderwijs, HAVO). A HAVO diploma is awarded upon successful completion of a 5-year programme of general secondary education.
Pre-university education (voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs, VWO). A VWO diploma is awarded upon successful completion of a 6-year programme of pre-university education. VWO is the highest level of general secondary education available in the Netherlands.
Higher professional education (hoger beroepsonderwijs, HBO). Dutch higher education distinguishes between research-oriented higher education (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) and higher professional education (hoger beroepsonderwijs, HBO). HBO is more oriented towards professions in specific areas than WO, and has traditionally been offered at universities of applied sciences (hogescholen).
Research-oriented higher education (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO). Dutch higher education distinguishes between research-oriented higher education (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) and higher professional education (hoger beroepsonderwijs, HBO). WO is oriented more towards theory and research than HBO, and has traditionally been offered at research universities (universiteiten).