NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (Dutch: NHL Stenden Hogeschool) is a state-funded university of applied sciences based in the northern Netherlands. It was established in 2018 through the merger of two regional institutions, NHL Hogeschool and Stenden Hogeschool, bringing their programmes and campuses together under a single organisation. Its principal base is the Frisian capital of Leeuwarden, and as a vocational university it emphasises practice-oriented, professionally focused higher education rather than the research-university model.

The institution serves a large and diverse student community, reporting more than 22,000 students drawn from over 100 nationalities. Teaching is distributed across four main campuses in the Netherlands, located in Leeuwarden, Emmen, Meppel and Terschelling, giving the university a substantial presence throughout the northern provinces. Its international footprint extends further through so-called Grand Tour partner locations, where selected studies are also delivered in Indonesia, Thailand and South Africa, reflecting an emphasis on global mobility and cross-border learning.

NHL Stenden offers a broad portfolio of qualifications, reported as 21 associate degrees, around 70 bachelor's programmes and 21 master's programmes. Courses are taught in both Dutch and English, which widens access for international applicants alongside the domestic student intake. Consistent with the applied focus of the Dutch hogeschool sector, its programmes are oriented toward professional practice and preparation for the labour market rather than purely academic research. Positioned as one of the larger universities of applied sciences in the north of the Netherlands, the institution combines regional roots with an internationally oriented teaching mission, supporting students across its multi-campus network and overseas partner locations.