TU Delft exceeds 20,000 students as population grows

The Dutch native recently completed her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences at the University of Oxford in the UK and is currently undertaking a pre-master’s programme at TU Delft in preparation for her course next year. TU Delft Vice President for Education and Operations Anka Mulder presented Schuijt with a special cake in recognition of this momentous occasion.

“It is a milestone because it means that students value what TU Delft has to offer,” Mulder said. “Ten years ago, TU Delft had around 13,500 students and in some programmes, we were struggling to bring in enough students. Engineering was not very popular among secondary school students in the Netherlands in those days. That has changed in the last ten years. Student numbers have gone up and we have seen an increase both in Dutch as well as international students.”

Indeed, TU Delft has experienced a 34% surge in the total student population in the last ten years from an estimated 13,253 students in 2005 to 20,025 students in November 2014. This academic year alone saw a 21% increase in the number of new master’s students, bringing the total to roughly 8,580. In terms of internationals, approximately 3,268 students are currently enrolled at TU Delft, nearly 80% of which are pursuing their master’s degrees. According to Mulder, attracting more international students and staff is a logical part of being a top university.

“Ultimately, the programme in Delft is better, which is why I came here,” Schuijt said in a statement published on the TU Delft website. Prior to her enrollment, the former Oxford student was contemplating whether to pursue her master’s degree in France or Delft. In the end, it was the university’s mechanical engineering programme that persuaded her to return to the Netherlands. As the 20,000th student, Schuijt also joins the growing TU Delft female population, which has increased from 20% in 2006 to an estimated 25% this year.