| Diploma | Comparable to |
|---|---|
| Basic Education Certificate | 3 years of general secondary education |
| National Technical Certificate (NTC) | an diploma 2 or 3 |
| National Business Certificate (NBC) | an MBO diploma level 2 or 3 |
| Advanced National Technical Certificate (ANTC) | an MBO diploma level 3 or 4 |
| Advanced National Business Certificate (ANBC) | an MBO diploma level 3 or 4 |
| National Diploma (ND) | an MBO diploma level 4 |
| West African Senior School Certificate from the WAEC including at least 6 subjects with grade C6 or higher. | a diploma |
| Senior School Certificate from the NECO including at least 6 subjects with grade B3 or higher. | a HAVO diploma |
| Higher National Diploma (HND) | an associate degree or 2 years of |
| Bachelor's degree ( : 4 years) | an HBO bachelor's degree or 2 years of |
| Bachelor's degree (duration: 5 years) | an HBO bachelor's degree or a WO bachelor's degree |
| Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) | a WO bachelor's degree |
| Postgraduate diploma | Please contact us for a credential evaluation |
| Master's degree | Please contact us for a credential evaluation |
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).