Record number of PhDs awarded in 2024

When it comes to education, women perform better than men. They get better grades at school, are more likely to go to university and also more likely to obtain their degrees. But they lagged behind in science for a long time. In the 1990s, almost all PhD dissertations were written by men, but this gradually changed, with more and more women obtaining PhDs.

The 2020/2021 academic year was a milestone. For the first time, more women than men obtained a PhD degree in the Netherlands. 52 percent of new PhDs are women. At UU, the percentage of women PhD candidates fluctuated between 52 and 56 percent between 2017 and 2023, according to university figures.

© HOP. Source: CBS.

The number of PhDs increased, especially from 2009 onwards. At the time, then Minister of Education Ronald Plasterk increased the ‘doctorate bonus’, making it more lucrative for faculties to guide PhD candidates. That amount is now around 80,000 euros per approved dissertation. In 2024, almost six thousand PhD titles were awarded.

The number of PhDs at UU was also higher than ever in 2024. No fewer than 610 PhD candidates obtained their degree, three more than in 2019, the most expressive year until that point.

The number of PhDs awarded dropped during the pandemic, but delayed PhD candidates seem to be catching up now, according to the university's Research department. There is no university policy dedicated to increasing the number of PhDs. However, successful grant applications often lead to more PhD research projects.

©DUB. Source: UU

Many women obtain PhDs, especially in the healthcare field. Men still predominate in mathematics, natural sciences and technology.

© HOP. Source: CBS.

According to the Rathenau Institute, the number of foreign PhD candidates has grown considerably over the years: from 27 percent in 2007 to 56 percent in 2023. Of these non-Dutch PhD candidates, slightly more than half come from outside Europe.