List of universities in the Netherlands

See also: Dutch universities

A listing of universities in the Kingdom of the Netherlands: Leiden University 60-77 Leiden University 31-44 Leiden University 61-88 UA- Virtual HUB

Research universities

Research universities in the Netherlands are institutions of tertiary education that in Dutch are called universiteit. Their focus is towards academic education and scientific research. They are accredited to confer bachelor's, master's and (with the exception of the Netherlands Defence Academy) doctoral degrees. Prior to the Bologna Process, the universities granted drs. (doctorandus), mr. (for law studies) and ir. (for engineering studies) degrees, which are equivalent to current MA, LLM or MSc degrees. The term universiteit is reserved to doctorate granting institutes in the Dutch context, and the additional qualifier "research" is hardly ever used in practice. There are public Universities and Private Universities in Netherlands.

Name Established University status City Organisation Type Number of staff Number of students
Members of the Universities of the Netherlands association
University of Amsterdam[1] 1632 1877[2] Amsterdam Public Research university 4,062 32,739
Academic Medical Center 1983 Amsterdam
Amsterdam University College 2008 Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam 1880 1880[2] Amsterdam Special: Protestant Research university 2,200 18,000
VU University Medical Center 1964 Amsterdam
Amsterdam University College 2008 Amsterdam
University of Groningen 1614 1614 Groningen Public Research university 5,000 26,500
University Medical Center Groningen 1797 Groningen
Leiden University 1575 1575 Leiden Public Research university 3,973 19,328
Leiden University Medical Center 1996 Leiden
Leiden University College The Hague 2010 The Hague
Maastricht University 1976 1975 Maastricht Public Research university 3,000 11,463
Academic Hospital Maastricht 1974 Maastricht
University College Maastricht 2002 Maastricht
Radboud University Nijmegen 1923 1923[2] Nijmegen Special: Catholic Research university 4,309* 17,650*
Radboud University Medical Center 1956 Nijmegen
Erasmus University Rotterdam 1913 1937[2] Rotterdam Public Research university 3,700 26,212[3]
Erasmus MC 1950 Rotterdam 3,361
Erasmus University College 2013 Rotterdam 270
Tilburg University 1927 1939 Tilburg Special: Catholic Research university 1,062* 11,399*
University College Tilburg 2008 Tilburg
TIAS School for Business and Society 1982 Tilburg
Utrecht University 1636 1636 Utrecht Public Research university 8,224 26,787
University Medical Center Utrecht 1999 Utrecht
University College Utrecht 1998 Utrecht
University College Roosevelt 2004 Middelburg Public University College
Delft University of Technology 1842 1905 Delft Public Technical university 5,400 24,000
Eindhoven University of Technology 1956 1956 Eindhoven Public Technical university 3,000 12,000
University of Twente 1961 1961 Enschede Public Technical university 3,000 8,500
Wageningen University and Research Centre 2000 1918 Wageningen Public Technical university 6,500## 12,847
Wageningen University 1876 Wageningen
Agricultural Research Institutes 1877 throughout the Netherlands Research Institute
Open University in the Netherlands 1984 1984 Nationwide; main office in Heerlen Public Open university 673 16,888[4]
Other universities
University of Curaçao 1979 1979 Curaçao Public National university
University of Humanistic Studies 1989 1989 Utrecht Public Research university 150 550[5]
Netherlands Defence Academy [nl] 1823 2005 Breda/Den Helder Special: National Military Academy Military Academy, since 2005 includes Department of Military Sciences ~75 ~200
Privately Funded Universities (accredited as Universiteit by Dutch law) (by type)
Nyenrode Business University 1946 1982 Breukelen Private Business school
Protestant Theological University 1854 1939 Kampen Private University for Protestant Theology
Theological University of Kampen 1854 1939 Kampen Private University for Protestant Theology
Theological University of Apeldoorn 1894 1962 Apeldoorn Private University for Protestant Theology
Universities that no longer exist
Catholic University of Utrecht 1991–2007 Utrecht Private: merged into University of Tilburg University for Catholic Theology
University of Harderwijk 1648–1811 Harderwijk disbanded by Napoleon
University of Franeker 1585–1811 Franeker disbanded by Napoleon
University of Nijmegen 1655–1680 Nijmegen closed in the aftermath of the 1672 rampjaar
University of Theology and Pastorate 1966-1999[6] Heerlen Private: merged into Radboud University Nijmegen in 1993, Heerlen location closed 1999 University for Catholic Theology

† 2003–2004; ‡ 2004–2005; # 2005–2006; * 2006–2007; ##including research staff at the associated institutes. All figures without signs are estimates or from undated sources. According to Dutch law, it is illegal to use protected titles which can only be given by universities that are accredited. Protected titles are ing. bc. mr. ir. drs. and dr.[7] English variants (MSc BSc MA BA LLB LLM BEng PhD) are not (yet)[8] protected by Dutch law[9] (but using the title "dr." based on a PhD degree, without permission from DUO, is a violation of Dutch law as the title "doctor" is protected). One may bear in the Netherlands foreign titles according to the laws of the country wherein they were granted, but without translating them in Dutch.

Universities of Applied Sciences

Universities of applied sciences (Dutch: hogeschool) in the Netherlands are focused on professional education rather than scientific research. While the literal translation of hogeschool is "high school", these are second-tier institutes of higher education, and can be compared with colleges or polytechnics or similar in other countries. They are accredited to confer bachelor's and master's degrees. Prior to the Bologna Process, they also conferred professional engineer's (abbreviated ing.) degrees. Dutch universities of applied sciences are not accredited to confer doctoral (PhD) degrees; PhD studies can sometimes be conducted in the context of a university of applied sciences, however, the title will be granted by one of the research universities, and a full professor of that university will be appointed as principal supervisor (promotor). In international contexts, the phrase University of Applied Sciences is used for the majority of these schools, as suggested by the Dutch Minister of Education.[10] Some specific exceptions have been made. For example, tertiary art schools and schools of education use an internationally recognisable name of choice. The Dutch Universities of Applied Sciences include the following:

Private For-Profit Medical Schools

Although there are none of these schools in the mainland, many exist in the Dutch Caribbean either in the special municipalities of the Netherlands or constituents countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Only one (Saba University) has direct accreditation from Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders, which accredits universities in the Netherlands and Flanders.

Private For-Profit Business Schools

A number of private universities of applied sciences (hogescholen) are active in the Netherlands. Some of these are exclusively distance learning (online) medium learning providers.

  • EuroPort Business College (defunct)[11]
  • HBO Nederland (defunct)[12]
  • Leidse Onderwijs Instellingen (LOI)
  • Markus Verbeek Praehep
  • NCOI
  • Nederlandse Talen Instituut (NTI)
  • Schoevers
  • Hogeschool Tio

Webster University: The American University in the Netherlands

Webster University Leiden is a university outside the Dutch system, offering Bachelor and Master programs in the Netherlands. Webster University is a private, non-profit American university, accredited in the United States by the Higher Learning Commission's North Central Association. The International Business and Management program, as well as the Applied Behavioral and Social Sciences program are accredited in the Netherlands by the NVAO at the hbo (professional master) level.

International rankings

In relation to their population size, Switzerland (first), Sweden (second) and the Netherlands (third) are the three countries with the highest number of universities among the 100 best of the Academic Ranking of World Universities (2014-2015).[13]

Below are shown the international rankings of the government supported research universities of the Netherlands, and the number of times they rank in the top 200 of one of the six prominent global rankings:

University QS World
(2025)[14] 		THE World
(2025)[15] 		ARWU World
(2024)[16] 		USNWR World
(2024–25)[17] 		CWTS Leiden
(2024)[18] 		CWUR World
(2024)[19] 		#a
University of Amsterdam 55 58= 101-150 33= 54 82
6b
Utrecht University 105= 66c 55 46 71 73
6b
Leiden University 141= 73= 101-150 56= 72 80
6b
University of Groningen 159= 80= 69 76= 97 102
6
Erasmus University Rotterdam 158 107= 101-150 70= 104 101
6
Wageningen University and Research 155= 67= 151-200 113= 75 191
6
Delft University of Technology 49 56= 151-200 187= 117 270
5
VU University Amsterdam 221 136= 151-200 78 60 150
5
Radboud University 272 143= 101-150 117= 80 166
5
Maastricht University 230= 132= 201-300 179= 169 256
3
Eindhoven University of Technology 136 185= 401-500 374= 177 355
3
University of Twente 233 180= 401-500 412= 274 459
1
Tilburg University 347= 251-300 701-800 631= 197 696
1
Open University N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A.
0
University of Curaçao N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A.
0
University of Humanistic Studies N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A.
0

Notes:
N.A.: Not Applicable
a Number of times the university is ranked within the top 200 of one of the six global rankings.
b The university is ranked within the top 150 of all six global rankings.
c THE World University Rankings 2023 (rankings thereafter are not available).

See also

References

  1. ^ "Facts and figures". University of Amsterdam. Archived from the original on 24 June 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d Rüegg, Walter (ed.): A History of the University in Europe. Vol. III: Universities in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries (1800–1945), Cambridge University Press ISBN 978-0-521-36107-1, pp. 39
  3. ^ "Annual Report 2015" (PDF). Erasmus University Rotterdam. Retrieved 4 January 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 August 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "Introduction - University of Humanistic Studies". www.uvh.nl. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Centrum Theologie en Pastoraat - Publicaties". Archived from the original on 12 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-11.
  7. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ "Uitvoering motie bescherming naam universiteit | Kamerstuk". Rijksoverheid.nl. Archived from the original on 28 May 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Briskmagazine.nl: Zet gerust MBA achter uw naam". Archived from the original on 17 June 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-19.
  10. ^ "Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap | Organisatie | Rijksoverheid.nl" (PDF). Minocw.nl. Retrieved 1 August 2016.[permanent dead link‍]
  11. ^ https://www.ad.nl/rotterdam/europort-business-school-is-accreditatie-definitief-kwijt~a97f3ec0/ [bare URL]
  12. ^ "Waarom Hogeschool HBO Nederland - Hogeschool HBO Nederland". Archived from the original on 4 April 2018.
  13. ^ "Top of the class". The Economist. 28 March 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  14. ^ "QS World University Rankings 2025". Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  15. ^ "World University Rankings 2025". Times Higher Education (THE). Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  16. ^ "2024 Academic Ranking of World Universities". Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  17. ^ "2024-2025 Best Global Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  18. ^ "CWTS Leiden Ranking 2024 - PP top 10%". Centrum voor Wetenschap en Technologische Studies (CWTS), Leiden University. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  19. ^ "Global 2000 List by the Center for World University Rankings; 2024 Edition". Center for World University Rankings (CWUR). Retrieved 18 May 2024.