The Netherlands (Holland) is one of Europe's leading countries for international education. The small country is home to many modern universities. Thanks to the remarkable quality of research and higher education in the Netherlands, the country secured the bronze rank in our own 2017 Country Ranking, behind Germany and the United Kingdom.
In the table below, we have compiled the top 10 best universities in the Netherlands. The list shows their positions in the most popular university rankings: the Times Higher Education ranking (THE), the QS World University Rankings, the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU, often called “Shanghai Ranking”) and the US News Best Global Universities Ranking.
The impressive standing of Netherlands in global university rankings is positively impacted by the Dutch approach of internationalising their university system. After the Bologna Process was initiated, Holland was one of the first countries to make serious efforts at offering study programmes in English. Although much smaller than its neighbours Germany or France, the Netherlands offers the most English-taught programmes anywhere in continental Europe.
The best universities in the Netherlands - world rankings
University | THE | QS | ARWU | US News |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wageningen University and Research Center | 47 | 119 | 101-150 | 102 |
University of Amsterdam | 58 | 57 | 101-150 | 63 |
Utrecht University | 62 | 104 | 65 | 59 |
Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) | 65 | 62 | 151-200 | 177 |
Leiden University | 67 | 102 | 93 | 77 |
Erasmus University Rotterdam | 71 | 144 | 101-150 | 75 |
University of Groningen | 74 | 113 | 72 | 86 |
Maastricht University | 88 | 173 | 201-300 | 160 |
Radboud University Nijmegen | 125 | 190 | 101-150 | 97 |
VU University Amsterdam | 154 | 199 | 101-150 | 86 |
Other highly regarded universities in Holland which barely missed this top list are the University of Twente, Eindhoven University of Technology (TU Eindhoven) and Tilburg University.
You want to study in Holland and learn more about their top ranked universities? Check out the rankings here:
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