List of universities in the Netherlands

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A listing of universities in the Kingdom of the Netherlands:

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 Semi-Public Universities and Private Universities in Netherlands. The semi-public status of most Dutch universities arises from the fact that they have both public and private characteristics. In this respect, their public funding is entirely output-based, determined by the number of undergraduate and graduate degrees delivered. Except for this output-based funding, Dutch universities are largely private entities that, since 1998, own and operate their real estate at their own risk;[1] moreover, all employees of Dutch universities have labor contracts based on private sector terms (as of 2020).[2]

More information Name, Established ...
NameEstablishedUniversity statusCityOrganisationTypeNumber of staffNumber of students
Members of the Universities of the Netherlands association
University of Amsterdam[3]16321877[4]AmsterdamSemi-publicResearch university4,06232,739
Academic Medical Center1983Amsterdam
Amsterdam University College2008Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam18801880[4]AmsterdamSpecial: ProtestantResearch university2,20018,000
VU University Medical Center1964Amsterdam
Amsterdam University College2008Amsterdam
University of Groningen16141614GroningenSemi-publicResearch university5,00026,500
University Medical Center Groningen2005Groningen
Leiden University15751575LeidenSemi-publicResearch university3,97319,328
Leiden University Medical Center1996Leiden
Leiden University College The Hague2010The Hague
Maastricht University19761975MaastrichtSemi-publicResearch university3,00011,463
Academic Hospital Maastricht1974Maastricht
University College Maastricht2002Maastricht
Radboud University19231923[4]NijmegenSpecial: CatholicResearch university4,309*17,650*
Radboud University Medical Center1956Nijmegen
Erasmus University Rotterdam19131937[4]RotterdamSemi-publicResearch university3,70026,212[5]
Erasmus MC1950Rotterdam 3,361
Erasmus University College2013Rotterdam 270
Tilburg University19271939TilburgSpecial: CatholicResearch university1,062*11,399*
University College Tilburg2008Tilburg
TIAS School for Business and Society1982Tilburg
Utrecht University16361636UtrechtSemi-publicResearch university8,22426,787
University Medical Center Utrecht1999Utrecht
University College Utrecht1998Utrecht
University College Roosevelt2004Middelburg Semi-public University College
Delft University of Technology18421905DelftSemi-publicTechnical university5,40024,000
Eindhoven University of Technology19561956EindhovenSemi-publicTechnical university3,00012,000
University of Twente19611961EnschedeSemi-publicTechnical university3,0008,500
Wageningen University & Research20001918WageningenSemi-publicTechnical university6,500##12,847
Wageningen University1876Wageningen
Wageningen Research1877throughout the NetherlandsResearch Institutes
Open University in the Netherlands19841984Nationwide; main office in HeerlenSemi-publicOpen university67316,888[6]
Other universities
University of Curaçao19791979CuraçaoPublicNational university
University of Humanistic Studies 1989 1989 Utrecht Semi-public Research university 150 550[7]
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 University19461982BreukelenPrivateBusiness school
Protestant Theological University18541939Originally Kampen, moved to Amsterdan and Groningen (2010) and then to Utrecht (2024)PrivateUniversity for Protestant Theology
Theological University of the Reformed Churches18541939Originally Kampen, moved to Utrecht in 2021PrivateUniversity for Protestant Theology
Theological University of Apeldoorn18941962ApeldoornPrivateUniversity for Protestant Theology
Universities that no longer exist
Catholic University of Utrecht1991–2007UtrechtPrivate: merged into University of TilburgUniversity for Catholic Theology
University of Harderwijk1648–1811Harderwijkdisbanded by Napoleon
University of Franeker1585–1811Franekerdisbanded by Napoleon, since 2017 the Academie van Franeker was developed to revive the academic traditions of Franeker,[8] and Euler-Franeker memorial university[9] honours its heritage with several programmes accredited by the National Accreditation Agency of Curaçao
University of Nijmegen1655–1680Nijmegenclosed in the aftermath of the 1672 rampjaar
University of Theology and Pastorate1966-1999[10]HeerlenPrivate: merged into Radboud University in 1993, Heerlen location closed 1999University for Catholic Theology
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† 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.[11] English variants (MSc BSc MA BA LLB LLM BEng PhD) are not (yet)[12] protected by Dutch law[13] (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.[14] 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 funded by the government are:

Former universities of applied sciences (not exhaustive)

  • Stoas Hogeschool, Dronten, 's-Hertogenbosch, Wageningen => part of: Aeres Hogeschool
  • Christelijke Agrarische Hogeschool Dronten, Dronten => part of: Aeres Hogeschool
  • Christelijke Hogeschool Nederland, Leeuwarden => part of: NHL Stenden Hogeschool
  • Hogeschool De Horst, Driebergen => part of: Hogeschool Utrecht
  • Hogeschool Helicon, Zeist => part of: Hogeschool Leiden
  • Hogeschool Domstad, Utrecht => part of: Hogeschool Utrecht
  • Hogeschool Edith Stein / Onderwijscentrum Twente, Hengelo => part of: Saxion Hogeschool
  • Hogeschool voor Economische Studies (HES), Amsterdam => part of: Hogeschool van Amsterdam
  • Hogeschool voor Economische Studies (HES), Rotterdam => part of: Hogeschool Rotterdam

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 and other universities of applied sciences

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.

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).[17]

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

More information University, QS World (2026) ...
University QS World
(2026)[18]		 THE World
(2026)[19]		 ARWU World
(2025)[20]		 USNWR World
(2025–26)[21]		 CWTS Leiden
(2025)[22]		 CWUR World
(2025)[23]		 #a
University of Amsterdam 53 62= 101-150 33 52 83
6b
Utrecht University 103= 66 c 56 49 66 78
6b
Leiden University 119= 70= 101-150 56 64 88
6b
University of Groningen 147= 82 73 75 126 104
6b
Erasmus University Rotterdam 140= 107 101-150 76 108 111
6b
Wageningen University & Research 153= 66 151-200 115= 81 193
6
VU University Amsterdam 194= 176= 151-200 79= 58 159
6
Delft University of Technology 47= 57 151-200 191 141 269
5
Radboud University 279 154= 101-150 122 97 172
5
Maastricht University 239 131= 301-400 176= 198 264
3
Eindhoven University of Technology 140= 192= 301-400 409= 244 366
2
University of Twente 203= 190= 501-600 427= 281 463
1
Tilburg University 347= 301-350 701-800 653= 278 733
0
Open University Netherlands N.A. N.A. N.A. 1659= 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
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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

External links

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