Healthcare is the fastest growing course at HBO colleges, according to figures released on Tuesday by the HBO council.

The number of applications for the course rose by 6.5% in 2010 to 10,000. The main reason is an increase in interest in nursing training where applications jumped 9.5%.
Most students still opt for economics although this course has dropped 2.7% in popularity. Second most popular are the technical courses which grew by 0.6%.