Of the more than 190 thousand students in the third year of secondary education, 52 percent attend VMBO. This includes the theoretical (VMBO-T), basic vocational (VMBO-B), middle-management (VMBO-K), and combined learning paths (VMBO-G). Most students follow VMBO-T.
VMBO-T students can choose from four profiles. Over 16 thousand students choose Economics. This is the most popular profile among both boys and girls. Boys choose it more often than girls, 47 percent versus 37 percent. Girls choose the Care and Welfare profile three times as often as boys, 32 percent versus 12 percent. Both boys and girls choose the Green (Agriculture) profile the least.
VMBO students usually choose a profile in the third year. For just under a quarter of VMBO-T students, no profile has yet been registered in the third year.
Services and Products frequently chosen, especially in VMBO-G
Students in VMBO-B, VMBO-K, and VMBO-G can choose from ten profiles. From 2024/25, it is also possible to follow a combination of profiles, mainly combinations of the more technical profiles.Half of all students in VMBO-B/K/G choose the Services and Products or Care and Welfare profiles. Services and Products is especially popular in VMBO-G (43 percent). Care and Welfare is favored by students in VMBO-B and VMBO-K (27 percent and 25 percent). Students there also often choose more technical profiles, such as Construction, Living and Interior or Production, Installation and Energy.
Care remains popular among girls
Boys and girls choose different profiles: girls mainly Care and Welfare and boys more often technical profiles. Profiles chosen equally by girls and boys are Hospitality, Bakery and Recreation and Media, Design and ICT.
More boys than girls attend VMBO
Of all 98 thousand VMBO students, 52 percent are boys. Boys are in the majority in most learning paths, with the largest share in VMBO-B (57 percent). Only in VMBO-G are there more girls than boys.
