The Netherlands was the first non-English-speaking country to teach entire degrees in English, and it shows — with a highly international, famously easygoing society where 95% of people speak fluent English. Bike-friendly cities, a hands-on “Problem-Based Learning” style, and nearly every public university ranked in the global top 200 make it one of Europe’s smartest choices for ambitious students. (One-year Orientation Year/Zoekjaar visa grants open labor-market access post-graduation.)