Simulating tertiary educational decision dynamics: an agent-based model for the Netherlands

This paper employs agent-based modelling to explore the factors driving the high rate of tertiary education completion in the Netherlands. We examine the interplay of economic motivations, such as expected wages and financial constraints, alongside sociological and psychological influences, including peer effects, student disposition, personality and geographic accessibility. Through simulations, we analyse the sustainability of these trends and evaluate the impact of educational policies, such as student grants and loans, on enrolment and borrowing behaviour among students from different socio-economic backgrounds, further considering implications for the Dutch labour market.