| Diploma | Comparable to |
|---|---|
| Intermediate Baccalaureate / شهادة الدراسة المتوسطة | 2 years of HAVO |
| Vocational Secondary School Certificate / شهادة الدراسة الإعدادية المهنية | an MBO diploma level 2 or 3 |
| Secondary School Certificate/Baccaleureate / وثيقة مدرسية / المرحلة الإعدادية | a HAVO diploma |
| Technical Diploma / دبلوم فني | an associate degree or 2 years of HBO |
| Bachelor's degree / البكالوريوس from a technical institute | an HBO bachelor's degree |
| Bachelor's degree / البكالوريوس from a higher institute or university | an HBO's bachelor degree or 2 years of WO |
| Bachelor's degree / البكالوريوس in veterinary medicine/ البكالوريوس في الطب البيطري | a WO bachelor's degree |
| Bachelor's degree / البكالوريوس in pharmacology/ البكالوريوس في الصيدلة | a WO bachelor's degree |
| Bachelor's degree / البكالوريوس in dentistry/ البكالوريوس في طب الأسنان | a WO bachelor's degree |
| Bachelor's degree / البكالوريوس in medicine/ البكالوريوس في الطب البشري | 1 year of a 3-year WO master's programme in medicine |
| Higher Diploma / دبلوم عالي | usually a 1-year WO master's degree |
| Master's degree / الماجستير | 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).