Study.EU
Your gateway to universities in Europe

Rankings: The 13 best universities in the Netherlands for 2021/2022

Photo, Public domain
  1. Study.eu
  2. Netherlands
  3. University rankings

Rankings: The 13 best universities in the Netherlands for 2021/2022

The Netherlands (Holland) is one of Europe’s leading countries for international education. Holland offers a good mix of traditional and modern institutions, and many universities in the Netherlands enjoy an immaculate reputation around the world, such as Wageningen, Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), UvA University of Amsterdam or TU Delft. Thanks to the remarkable quality of research and higher education in the Netherlands, the country has repeatedly scored high in the Study.EU Country Ranking.

The impressive standing of the Netherlands in global university rankings is one effect of how the Dutch internationalised their university system. After the Bologna Process was initiated, during which Bachelors and Masters programmes became the norm throughout Europe, 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 many more English-language Bachelors and Masters degree programmes.

Top ranked universities in the Netherlands

University QS Ranking 2020 THE Ranking 2020 ARWU Ranking 2019
Delft University of Technology 50 67 151
UvA University of Amsterdam 64 62 101
Eindhoven University of Technology 102 186 301
University of Groningen 114 73 65
Leiden University 118 67 82
Utrecht University 120 75 49
Wageningen University & Research 125 59 151
Erasmus University Rotterdam 183 69 68
University of Twente 186 201 401
Radboud University 217 128 101
VU University Amsterdam 219 138 101
Maastricht University 239 127 201
Tilburg University 412 201 501

Explained: How do the university rankings work?

The QS World University Rankings are among the most important, most-referenced rankings. The QS ranking relies heavily on its academic survey, asking thousands of academics worldwide about the reputation of universities.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings (or the THE Rankings for short) compile a wide range of statistics. Equal weight is put on teaching quality, research excellence, and research impact through citations (meaning how often a university’s research is referenced elsewhere).

The Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (often just Shanghai Ranking, or ARWU) focuses on research output and quality, for example measured by the number of published and cited scientific papers and the number of staff or alumni winning the Nobel Prize or Fields Medal.

Study in the Netherlands Netherlands - Flag

The Netherlands, also known as Holland, has long been a popular country for students seeking top-quality education. Universities in Holland offer more Bachelors and Masters in English than those in any other continental European country - so whatever subject you want to study, you will find it in the Netherlands! Tuition fees are modest for students from the EU/EEA, and on par with the UK for students from outside Europe.

Read more about studying in the Netherlands

Find the right study programme for yourself:

Bachelors degrees in the Netherlands
Masters degrees in the Netherlands
PhD programmes in the Netherlands

Relevant links

  • Studying abroad in the Netherlands: Basic information for international students
  • Study programmes in the Netherlands
  • Visit the website of the QS World University Rankings
  • Visit the website of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings
  • Visit the website of the Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities

You might be interested in this:

Here are the 7 books you can’t miss before studying in Holland
Here are the 7 books you can’t miss before studying in Holland
Europe's top study programmes in Medieval History
Europe's top study programmes in Medieval History
The Netherlands: University cities and their breweries
The Netherlands: University cities and their breweries

Copyright © 2021 Study.EU



Imprint · About Study.eu · Privacy Policy · Jobs
Press

Advertise on Study.eu
Study in Europe:
Austria
Belgium
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Faroe Islands
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Recent articles:

FAFSA: Eligible universities & colleges in Europe

Study International Relations? Everything you need to know

Study Materials Science: All you need to know

Study Innovation Management: All you need to know

Impact of COVID-19 on studying abroad in Europe: Overview

Study.EU has been mentioned in numerous news publications worldwide, such as:
L'Étudiant (France)
Frankfurter Allgemeine (Germany)
The Standard (Hong Kong)
The Independent (UK)
Al-Masry Al-Youm (Egypt)
Le Monde (France)
The Local (Europe)
Forbes (USA)
Cookies & analytics help us deliver our services. Privacy policy