Students at the academies of the Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK) are positive about their study programmes. On many key points, they report higher satisfaction scores than the national average for universities of applied sciences. These results come from the 2025 National Student Survey (NSE), in which AHK students once again shared their feedback in large numbers.
Positive Outcomes
The results of the 2025 National Student Survey (NSE) reflect a positive development for the Amsterdam University of the Arts. Overall student satisfaction with their programmes has increased compared to last year. A growing number of students also indicated that they would choose the same programme again.
Students are particularly positive about the atmosphere within their programmes, the subject-matter expertise of their lecturers, and their lecturers' knowledge of professional practice. In addition, students report feeling safe and free to be themselves within their academies.
Satisfaction has increased across several themes, including the professionalism of the teaching staff, their engagement, and communication with the programme. Topics such as ‘Content and Structure of Education’ and ‘Assessment and Evaluation’ also received high scores. As in previous years, ‘Study Load’ remains the lowest scoring theme, emphasising the ongoing need to monitor and improve workload balance within the programmes.
Response from Annet Lekkerkerker (President of the Executive Board):
“A big thank-you to all students who participated in this year’s National Student Survey. Nearly half of our students completed the questionnaire — that’s an impressive 10% above the national average! We deeply appreciate this high level of engagement. Your feedback is incredibly valuable and enables our academies to continue improving our education. It’s encouraging to see that students are generally satisfied, and we are especially pleased that so many feel safe to be themselves within their programmes. That is of fundamental importance to us at the AHK.”
Student Satisfaction Rising Across Multiple AHK Academies
On 27 May, all academies received their individual NSE results. These results show a consistently positive picture: no academy reported a decline in satisfaction across the measured themes. In several cases, there was even a clear improvement.
The Reinwardt Academy has recovered from a dip in 2024 and now shows a renewed upward trend in student satisfaction. Students at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam rated their programme even more positively in 2025 than in previous years.
Curious about the university-wide results? See the factsheet with the average theme scores.
NSE Insights Made Possible by High Student Response
Each year, all students at the AHK academies are invited to take part in the NSE, a large-scale national survey in which higher education students share their opinions about their studies. This year, nearly 47% of AHK students completed the survey.
In the coming period, all academies of the Amsterdam University of the Arts will carefully analyse the NSE results and work purposefully on the areas identified for improvement.