International students can adapt better and faster if they enrol in a university with a high level of internationality. As pompous as it may sound, some of the world’s universities and colleges are actually better at making students feel at home in terms of the academic environment, teaching methods and other important factors.
Studying at universities in the Netherlands is very popular for foreign students, especially for the great variety of English-taught Master's degrees offered.
Find Masters in the Netherlands
The following universities are the most international in the Netherlands, according to a list created by Times Higher Education and the Student Satisfaction Awards by Studyportals.
Best universities in the Netherlands according to international rankings
The overall top universities in the Netherlands by Times Higher Education Ranking 2022 and Shanghai Ranking 2021 are more or less the same, which makes it easier for international students to choose their university.
The main factors by which these institutions are listed as most international are based on: number of international students, collaborations with other international universities or organisations and international staff within the university.
Here are the best Dutch universities according to World University Rankings 2022:
- Wageningen University
- University of Amsterdam
- Utrecht University
- Leiden University
- Erasmus University Rotterdam
- Delft University of Technology
- University of Groningen
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- Maastricht University
- Radboud University Nijmegen
Top 9 universities in the Netherlands with the best international student satisfaction
Students’ considerations and experiences are probably the best and most trustful source when it comes to finding out whether a certain university actually meets the standards that international students expect. The Studyportals International Student Satisfaction Awards 2016 were based on 17,018 reviews from students all over the world.
Wageningen University was awarded the Outstanding International Student Satisfaction Award in 2016.
The following nine universities were awarded the title ‘Excellent’ or ‘Very Good’ in terms of student satisfaction in the Netherlands:
- Radboud University - Excellent
- University of Groningen - Excellent
- VU University Amsterdam - Excellent
- Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences - Very good
- Leiden University - Very good
- Maastricht University - Very good
- TU Delft - Very good
- University of Amsterdam - Very good
- Wageningen University - Very good
The level of internationality that a university may have is important to any student who considers a degree abroad. On the other hand, it’s not necessary that you mark this factor in the top of our list when it comes to choosing your most suitable university. Include all important criteria based on your academic qualifications and future career plans as well.
And here's what students think about some of these ranked universities:
- University of Amsterdam
- Delft University of Technology
- Wageningen University
- Leiden University
- Utrecht University
Check out more up-to-date rankings from World University Ranking 2022 and Shanghai Ranking 2021.