No fewer than 7 HVHL degree programmes received the ‘topopleiding’ quality seal in the Keuzegids 2022 HBO

Today the Keuzegids 2022 HBO was published with a comparison of all Bachelor's and Associate degree (Ad) programmes from all the universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands. This is the quintessential guide that assists prospective students in choosing their study programmes. This year, seven programmes at Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences (HVHL) were awarded the ‘topopleiding’ (top study programme)  quality seal. Unfortunately, this result is not yet reflected in the ranking of medium-sized universities of applied sciences. With the marked improvement in the quality of our education in recent times, we expect this to be properly represented next year. 

The 7 degree programmes that have received the ‘topopleiding’ quality seal include:  

• Management of the Living Environment , location Leeuwarden
• Management of the Living Environment, location Velp
• Food Technology, location Leeuwarden
• Land and Water Management, location Velp
• Ad Land and Water Management, location Velp
• Garden and Landscape Architecture, location Velp
• Ad Garden and Landscape Architecture, location Velp

11 degree programmes received more than 70 points

The Keuzegids considers an average programme to be 60 points. Last year, only 3 programmes scored more than 70 points, while this year, 11 courses earned more than 70 points. Almost all programmes have a better absolute score than in previous years. It is also striking that this year no programme has an absolute score of 50 points or less. This year there are only 2 programmes with a score lower than 60: Ad Dairy Farming  and Horticulture and Arable Farming. 

Jan van Iersel, President of the Executive Board: ‘I am proud of all our teachers who achieved this result. Through the results of the National Student Survey (NSE), we also noticed that students are more satisfied. This gives us great satisfaction as we have been working very hard to improve the quality of our programmes and this is now reflected in these excellent results in the Keuzegids. We are assuming that the upward trend that has started will continue and we will see this reflected in our ranking among medium-sized universities of applied sciences next year.’ 

More about the Keuzegids 2022 

The Keuzegids is based, among other things, on the scores of the National Student Survey (NSE) from 2020 in which the programmes were assessed by their own students in terms of content, lecturers, testing and assessment, career preparation and atmosphere. The Keuzegids weighs the results of the NSE together with the study success figures and the inspection by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). The points in the Keuzegids are relative scores and are awarded in relation to the other universities of applied sciences on the list. This latest Keuzegids now also includes study success figures (are students able to proceed to the second year and do they graduate within five years?), intake figures (displayed per variant full-time, part-time and dual) and labour market data (job opportunities and starting salaries).