Groningen was the third-largest destination municipality for students leaving their parents’ homes in 2024, after Amsterdam and Utrecht, according to figures published by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) on Monday, 28 September.
The Groningen figures include 3,395 students, with the largest group attending universities of applied sciences. The breakdown is:
| Education category | Students |
|---|---|
| Universities of applied sciences — HBO | 1,565 |
| Research universities — WO | 1,290 |
| Vocational education — MBO | 540 |
| Total | 3,395 |
The analysis concerns young adults who were registered as living with their parents at the beginning of 2024 and had left by year-end, excluding those entering institutions. Student status was measured at year-end. People who moved to the Netherlands from abroad during 2024 were excluded. New international arrivals therefore fall outside this count.
CBS adds a further qualification in its methodological explanation: the group can include people who previously lived independently, returned to their parents and subsequently moved out again. Leaving the family home in this dataset therefore does not always mean doing so for the first time.
The research draws on Woonbase, which connects administrative information about people, households and housing. Such records help describe where people live and how their circumstances change. For someone currently searching, different evidence is needed: which rooms are available, who can apply, what they cost and when a tenancy can begin.
A destination ranking cannot answer those questions. Nor does the count establish how many unsuccessful applicants were still searching, how long anyone waited or whether the accommodation they found was affordable. Those gaps matter when using the figures to discuss student housing policy.
The University of Groningen’s current accommodation guidance makes the practical position clear: students generally need to arrange their own accommodation. The university describes SSH short-stay rooms for new international students as limited and warns that temporary stays in hotels or hostels can become expensive.
Its guidance directs students to At Home in Groningen, a platform developed with the municipality and local educational institutions. It provides housing information, explanations of Dutch rental terminology and advice on recognising scams. Students considering somewhere outside the city are advised to check travel times and transport costs before committing.
For a reader still searching at the end of September, the next step is to assess specific offers. Ask for the complete recurring cost, the tenancy dates and written terms. If you are moving between temporary rooms, compare the cost of that whole period, including transport and moving expenses, with a longer tenancy you can verify.
Help is also available when the difficulty is understanding an offer or resolving a dispute. The municipality’s housing information directs residents to the Rent Support Center Groningen, which provides free legal advice, mediation and information to tenants and landlords. Have the advertisement, contract and relevant messages available when explaining your question.
For housing providers and institutions, the useful follow-up to today’s figures is a clear account of what applicants can access now: accommodation types, eligibility, total prices and delivery dates. Publishing those details would help students turn a search into a realistic decision about where they can live during their studies.
