Avans University of Applied Sciences was established in 2004 as the result of the merger between Hogeschool Brabant and Hogeschool ’s-Hertogenbosch. Avans is now located in four cities: Breda, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Roosendaal and Tilburg.

Avans is home to 30,000 students who can choose from 40 different international courses in 8 fields: Economics and Management, Healthcare, ICT, Education, Law, Science and Technology, Social Studies, Art and Design. Avans offers full-time and part-time bachelor programs, master programs and associate degree programs, as well as exchange programs in partnership with universities around the world.

Avans is one of the top-ranked Universities of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands (Keuzegids, 2026).

International focus

Avans has a strong international focus. We collaborate with more than 250 highly-ranked partner universities and organizations from all over the world. Students can go abroad during their minor and their internship. In some Avans programs, more than half of the teaching staff and students come from abroad.

Personal approach and flexible education

The strength of education at Avans lies in the university’s personal approach to students. All students are paired with a mentor who provides personalized study and career guidance and helps the students develop professional and generic competencies. Classes are small and students work a lot in small project groups.

Moreover, students get the freedom to customize their study path based on their own ambitions and goals. It is possible to compose 25% of the curriculum after 1.5 years into the study.

Practice-based education

At Avans, we offer practice-based education, preparing students for the work field. Lecturers bring their work experience to the classroom by using practical and up-to-date cases from their field of expertise. Additionally, students will gain work experience during their studies via a work placement and graduation internship. Because of this practical approach, the employment rate of Avans graduates is high (about 93% of Avans alumni found their first job within 3 months after graduation).

Applied research

As a knowledge-based institution, Avans develops new knowledge for education and society as a whole. As part of this, lecturers, researchers and students conduct practice-based research for businesses, government agencies and civil society organisations. The results of this research are implemented into the curriculum. The Avans Centers of Expertise focus on the following societal themes:

1. Healthcare and wellbeing
2. Safe and resilient society
3. Wellbeing economy and new entrepreneurships
4. Material- and energy transition

Collaboration

Avans encourages students to work, study and explore in an international business environment through collaborations such as internships, (online) projects, exchange programs and research.

Avans lecturers and researchers carry out research together with professionals from other universities and businesses.

For more information about education in English at Avans, have a look at their official website.