List of prime ministers of the Netherlands by education
# List of prime ministers of the Netherlands by education

This is a list of prime ministers of the Netherlands by higher education since 20th century. Of the twenty-three prime ministers since 1901 eight had doctorates and five served as university professors and the other five served as visiting professors. Four Cort van der Linden, Gerbrandy, Beel and Van Agt were legal scholars.

* Willem Schermerhorn (Doctor of Engineering in Civil Engineering)
* Louis Beel (Doctor of Law in Administrative Law)
* Jan de Quay (Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Psychology)
* Jelle Zijlstra (Doctor of Philosophy in Public Economics)
* Jan Peter Balkenende (Doctor of Philosophy in Governmental Studies)

## Prime ministers by higher education

| Prime Minister | Professional Background | civil service / Military service | civil service / Military service | Alma mater | Bachelor's degree | Master's degree | Doctoral degree | professor | Honorary doctorate degree | Honorary doctorate degree |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| The Reverend Dr. Abraham Kuyper | Minister Theologian Journalist Author professor | | | Leiden University | Bachelor of Letters Bachelor of Philosophy Bachelor of Theology | Master of Theology | Doctor of Theology | Y | Princeton University Delft University of Technology Hope College Catholic University of Leuven | Political science Political science Theology Theology |
| Theo de Meester | Economist | civil servant | Ministry of Finance | Leiden University | Bachelor of Laws | Master of Laws | | | | |
| Theo Heemskerk | Lawyer Judge | | | Leiden University | Bachelor of Laws | Master of Laws | | | | |
| Dr. Pieter Cort van der Linden | Lawyer Professor | Civil servant | House of Representatives | Leiden University | Bachelor of Laws | Master of Laws | Doctor of Law | Y | University of Groningen University of Amsterdam | Law Economics |
| Jonkheer Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck | Lawyer Judge | Civil servant | Public Prosecution Service | Utrecht University | Bachelor of Laws | Master of Laws | | | | |
| Hendrikus Colijn | Businessman Publisher | Military officer (Major) | Royal Netherlands East Indies Army | Koninklijke Militaire Academie | | | | | Free University Amsterdam University of Debrecen | Law Political science |
| Jonkheer Dirk Jan de Geer | Journalist | | | Utrecht University | Bachelor of Laws | Master of Laws | | | | |
| Dr. Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy | Lawyer Judge Professor | | | Free University Amsterdam | Bachelor of Laws | Master of Laws | Doctor of Law (in Civil Law) | Y | University of Edinburgh | Law |
| Dr. Willem Schermerhorn | Civil engineer Cartographer Surveyor Researcher Professor | | | Delft University of Technology | Bachelor of Science (in Civil engineering) | Master of Science (in Civil engineering) | Doctor of Engineering (in Civil engineering) | Y | Ghent University ETH Zurich Polytechnic University of Milan University of Glasgow Leibniz University Hannover | Civil engineering Civil engineering Civil engineering Political science Civil engineering |
| Dr. Louis Beel | Lawyer Researcher Professor | Civil servant | Overijssel Government | Radboud University Nijmegen | Bachelor of Laws | Master of Laws | Doctor of Law (in Administrative Law) | Y | Tilburg University | Political science |
| Willem Drees | Accountant Historian Author | Civil servant | House of Representatives | Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences | Bachelor of Accountancy | | | | Erasmus University Rotterdam University of Maryland, College Park | Economics Law |
| Dr. Jan de Quay | Psychologist Researcher Professor | | | Utrecht University | Bachelor of Philosophy (in Psychology) | Master of Philosophy (in Psychology) | Doctor of Philosophy (in Applied Psychology) | Y | Tilburg University | Political science |
| Victor Marijnen | Lawyer Economist Trade association executive | Civil servant | Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries | Radboud University Nijmegen | Bachelor of Laws | Master of Laws | | | | |
| Victor Marijnen | Lawyer Economist Trade association executive | Civil servant | Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Shipping | Erasmus University Rotterdam | Bachelor of Economics | Master of Laws | | | | |
| Jo Cals | Lawyer Researcher Teacher | | | Radboud University Nijmegen | Bachelor of Laws | Master of Laws | | | | |
| Dr. Jelle Zijlstra | Economist Researcher Professor | | | Erasmus University Rotterdam | Bachelor of Economics | Master of Economics | Doctor of Philosophy (in Public Economics) | Y | VU University Amsterdam | Political science |
| Piet de Jong | | Naval officer (Captain) | Royal Netherlands Navy | Royal Naval College | | | | | | |
| Barend Biesheuvel | Lawyer | Civil servant | | Free University Amsterdam | Bachelor of Laws | Master of Laws | | | | |
| Barend Biesheuvel | Trade association executive | Civil servant | | Free University Amsterdam | Bachelor of Laws | Master of Laws | | | | |
| Joop den Uyl | Economist Accountant Journalist | Civil servant | Ministry of Commerce and Industry | University of Amsterdam | Bachelor of Economics | Master of Economics | | | University of Amsterdam | Economics |
| Dries van Agt | Lawyer Judge Researcher Professor | Civil servant | Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries | Radboud University Nijmegen | Bachelor of Laws | Master of Laws | | Y | Radboud University Nijmegen Ritsumeikan University Kwansei Gakuin University | Law Political science Political science |
| Dries van Agt | Lawyer Judge Researcher Professor | Civil servant | Ministry of Justice | Radboud University Nijmegen | Bachelor of Laws | Master of Laws | | Y | Radboud University Nijmegen Ritsumeikan University Kwansei Gakuin University | Law Political science Political science |
| Ruud Lubbers | Businessman Economist | | | Erasmus University Rotterdam | Bachelor of Economics | Master of Economics | | Y | University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro Georgetown University Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Grand Valley State University Radboud University Nijmegen | Political science and Economics Law Political science Economics Economics |
| Wim Kok | Trade union leader | | | Nyenrode Business University | Bachelor of Public Administration | | | | Nyenrode Business University University of Münster | Public administration Philosophy |
| Dr. Jan Peter Balkenende | Lawyer Researcher Professor | | | Free University Amsterdam | Bachelor of Arts (in History) | Master of Arts (in History) | Doctor of Philosophy (in Governmental Studies) | Y | Károli Gáspár University Keio University Yonsei University Hofstra University Hope College | Theology Political science Economics Law Theology |
| Dr. Jan Peter Balkenende | Lawyer Researcher Professor | | | Free University Amsterdam | Bachelor of Laws | Master of Laws | Doctor of Philosophy (in Governmental Studies) | Y | Károli Gáspár University Keio University Yonsei University Hofstra University Hope College | Theology Political science Economics Law Theology |
| Mark Rutte | Businessman | | | Leiden University | Bachelor of Arts (in History) | Master of Arts (in History) | | | | |
| Mark Rutte | Teacher | | | Leiden University | Bachelor of Arts (in History) | Master of Arts (in History) | | | | |
