Is NHL Stenden Worth It? Alumni Reflect on the ROI of Their Degrees

NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences is among the best applied sciences universities in the Netherlands. The Dutch website Keuzegids ranks NHL Stenden as the second-best large university of applied sciences in the Netherlands, while its Hospitality & Leisure Management programmes rank third in the country. But while these rankings can give you an idea of NHL Stenden’s strengths, the big question when it comes to applying is: is NHL Stenden worth it?

Ultimately, whether a school is ‘worth it’ is a highly personal question, but for international students, it’s critical. Moving to a new country for a degree is a huge expense – in both time and money – so knowing you’ll get some return on your investment is important.

With that in mind, we spoke to five international alumni about their journeys through Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes at NHL Stenden – and what they got out of it.

From the unique Design-Based Education (DBE) at NHL Stenden to international trips and valuable internships, these students tell us the highlights of their studies – and why their time at NHL Stenden was worth the investment.

Gaining Global Experience: Bachelor’s in Hotel Management

NHL Stenden may have a top-ranked hospitality management programme, but it wasn’t necessarily that prestige that made Kornél Tóth choose the school. Instead, it was the focus on international projects and the school’s unique Design-Based Education (DBE) that made Kornél choose the Hotel Management programme.

“During one Design-Based Education project, our team travelled to Portugal to meet our client in person,” Kornél explains. “Being able to visit the company, interact directly with stakeholders, and immerse ourselves in the project environment gave us a much deeper understanding of the business challenge and made the learning experience incredibly valuable.”

“This taught me how to be proactive, self-sufficient, and accountable, which are qualities I still rely on today in my professional career,” he adds.

Additionally, NHL Stenden’s unique Grand Tour experience allows students to study a minor elective in Thailand, South Africa, Indonesia, Italy or Aruba; Kornél spent ten weeks in Bangkok studying Mindful Leadership.

After another international move to Dubai for an internship at the world-renowned Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab hotel, Kornél capped his degree by accepting a full-time role as a Senior Talent Acquisition Executive at the same company – and he says that without NHL Stenden, this wouldn’t have been possible.

“I can directly trace many of the skills that enabled this career path back to my time at NHL Stenden, especially the independence, problem-solving, and international mindset developed through DBE,” he attests.

Growing as a Marketing Professional: Bachelor’s in Creative Business

Lithuanian student Karolina Uleckaite was looking to broaden her horizons with a Bachelor’s degree, whether that was exploring different creative fields or different cultures – which is why she chose the Bachelor’s in Creative Business programme. The degree is intentionally broad, covering leadership, marketing, and production, but it also offers specialisations in the music business, social change, and sustainability.

“My studies constantly pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me to think outside the box,” Karolina says. “Every project was different, so I had to learn how to adapt quickly to new challenges, new situations, and new ways of working.”

Today, Karolina works as a Junior Marketing Manager at sleep product company Emma in Portugal – which wouldn’t have happened without NHL Stenden’s RUN-EU study abroad programme.

“[RUN-EU] brought me to Portugal for a week to work on an environmental challenge with students from different universities. That experience introduced me to the country and ultimately played a role in me looking for an internship there later on,” Karolina explains.

As for whether her degree was worth it overall, Karolina is adamant.

“For me, it was absolutely worth it. I learned a lot, met amazing people, and grew in ways I didn’t expect when I first arrived in Leeuwarden,” she explains. “You meet people from all over the world, build a strong network, and learn how to work in an international environment.”

The Importance of Soft Skills: Bachelor’s in Information Technology

IT professionals need solid theoretical knowledge, but for Arian Atapour, the soft skills he developed during his Bachelor’s in Information Technology have had just as much impact on his career.

“Through the many diverse and challenging projects we had to do in teams, we had to listen to everyone and weigh their ideas,” Arian explains. “In the first year, everyone wanted to lead, and this would create discrepancies in the team since good ideas would get shoved down. But teachers always taught us to listen to everyone, no matter what.”

With help from NHL Stenden’s university management team, Arian secured an internship role with international logistics company Convoi in The Hague. There, Arian worked on a project designing a warehouse management system, where he learned first-hand the importance of marrying technical and personal skills.

“During my internship, I realised that it takes more communication with less technical people to get an IT project done. However, the communication skills that I learned during my university years prepared me for this, and I had an easier time adapting,” he says.

Arian’s internship led directly to a full-time job as a DevSecOps Engineer at Convoi, a career move he says was undoubtedly worth the effort of moving from Romania to the Netherlands.

“My advice is to take the risk,” Arian asserts. “I had never been to the Netherlands prior to NHL Stenden, but the university and its employees provided me and my peers with a lot of reinforcement to get through hard times. From a curriculum standpoint, it’s a really strong candidate as well, with plenty of international experience opportunities both within and outside the EU.”

Hands-on Problem-Solving: Bachelor’s in International Business

Mohammed entered his Bachelor’s in International Business programme determined to make the most of the international exposure. Thanks to opportunities like NHL Stenden’s Grand Tour, during which Mohammed studied minors in Thailand and Indonesia, plus two international internships, he more than achieved this goal.

“By the time I graduated, my studies had taken me across six different countries, where I lived, collaborated with, and learned alongside peers representing more than 90 nationalities,” he asserts.

Beyond this global experience, the Design-Based Education (DBE) methodology proved another transformative part of his studies. Over the course of his degree, Mohammed worked on projects with 12 different companies and organisations, during which he and his classmates influenced real company policies.

“The defining moment came when I realised that our university coursework wasn’t staying inside the classroom – it was actively shaping real-world business operations,” Mohammed says.

“Collaborating daily with classmates from every corner of the globe fundamentally reprogrammed how I communicate, negotiate, and build relationships. It provided me with a deep, lived understanding of cultural history, values, business practices, and social structures,” he adds.

Mohammed’s experience with diverse teams and cultures drove him to apply for an internship with the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, in Geneva. Now, Mohammed works as a Communications Analyst for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where he directs awareness campaigns for the organisation.

“I trace the execution of my daily work directly back to my training at NHL Stenden: every global campaign or strategic partnership I create relies on the iterative, human-centred DBE framework I mastered at university,” Mohammed reiterates.

Managing International Projects: Master’s in Content and Media Strategy

Master’s graduate Leonie Ballner can trace her connection with NHL Stenden back to her Bachelor’s degree in Tourism. Though she started her degree in her home country of Austria, she completed it at NHL Stenden as part of a Bachelor Short Track Program.

“Immediately when I arrived at NHL Stenden, I regretted not completing my whole Bachelor there,” she says. “I loved the campus, I loved the people, I loved the way NHL Stenden teaches with real-life projects. It became clear to me that my time at NHL Stenden would not end after this Short Track Program.”

She enrolled on a Master’s in Content and Media Strategy, where she developed the practical skills necessary to develop and implement content strategies. Like other NHL Stenden graduates, practical projects were the highlight of her studies; she says that these successfully prepared her for the competitive media job landscape.

“I feel like most people struggle a bit with getting a job right after your studies. But NHL Stenden perfectly prepares you for the industry, and because of that, you can already impress recruiters with incredible projects.”

One of these projects entailed creating a campaign to deter young people from vaping. In collaboration with a creative agency in Amsterdam, Leonie and her classmates launched a real campaign called #ArtsenSlaanAlarm (Doctors Sound the Alarm), which won a national award. “It was an incredible experience, and definitely shaped my career,” Leonie reflects.

Now, Leonie works as a content strategist in Austria. She credits NHL Stenden with giving her the professional experience and the self-belief needed to work in the industry.

“Before starting my Master’s, I was still a bit unsure what I want to do with my future – I pretty much tried out everything from business economics to tourism. But the Master’s felt different,” she explains.

“For me, NHL Stenden is clearly an important foundation that helped me to get to where I am now. Through the practical experience and international perspectives, it gave me the confidence to explore different opportunities and build my career around the things I enjoy.”

Conclusion: Is NHL Stenden worth it?

While these NHL Stenden graduates may have studied completely different degrees, they all agree that their time at the university was formative – and was worth the investment of time and effort.

In fact, with so many opportunities to add value to your studies at NHL Stenden, some alumni said they regretted not saying yes to more.

“If I could do anything differently, I would probably be even more outgoing from the start. In the beginning, I sometimes held myself back from certain opportunities because I wasn’t sure if I would be good at them or if they were the right fit for me,” Karolina says.

Similarly, both Arian and Leonie say they regret missing the opportunity to participate in the RUN-EU programme during their studies.

Regardless, for all five graduates, their move to the Netherlands to study at NHL Stenden was the turning point in their careers – and undoubtedly gave them the ROI they were looking for in a degree.

“Where else can you study across multiple continents, solve real-world problems for real companies, master new languages, build a global network, and graduate with years of actual consultancy experience on your resume?” Mohammed says.

Cover photo credit: NHL Stenden