Where to apply if you want to study in the Netherlands as an international student: six universities, counted down from #6. Each card gives the city, the subjects the university is known for, and its QS 2026 world rank where we could verify one. Over 2,000 degree programmes taught entirely in English — the largest English-taught catalogue in continental Europe.
Checked 7 September 2026 against Study in NL (Nuffic) — Tuition fees.
The cards below count down from #6 — the best come last.
Skip to the top 3📍 Groningen
📍 Eindhoven
📍 Leiden and The Hague
None of our twelve fully funded scholarships is tied to the Netherlands. That does not mean there is no money — it means the money here comes from the universities themselves. Ask each of the six above about entrance scholarships, which are less competed for than the famous international awards.
Four steps, in this order. Pick a course you meet the entry requirements for. Sit the English test the university asks for. Apply to the university and get an offer. Then apply for the funding and the visa — in that order, because almost every scholarship wants proof of a place first.
The six best universities in Netherlands for international students are listed on this page. People also search for the top universities in Holland; it is the same list.
The six on this page. TU Delft, UvA and Utrecht lead the list, and we counted them down from #6 so the strongest come last. Each card names the subjects the university is known for, its city, and its QS 2026 rank where we verified one.
Where we could verify a QS World University Rankings 2026 position we show it. Where we could not, we leave the number off instead of guessing.
Non-EU students pay the institutional fee, set independently by each university. Humanities bachelors start near €9,000–€11,000; TU Delft engineering is about €21,280; masters commonly run €12,000–€20,000.
Living costs: €10,800–€14,400 a year. Housing in Amsterdam and Utrecht is the binding constraint, not tuition.
No award in our list of twelve is dedicated to the Netherlands, but several are open worldwide and can be used here.
There are three separate things people mean by scholarships to study in Netherlands: a Netherlands government scholarship, a Netherlands university scholarship awarded by the institution itself, and international awards that happen to fund study here. University entrance scholarships are usually the easiest to win and the least competed for, so ask each of the six above directly.
Both. A masters in Netherlands is the more common route for international students, partly because more funding exists at postgraduate level and partly because it is shorter. Bachelors in Netherlands take longer and attract less scholarship money, so plan the budget carefully.
All six universities above run both. If you are looking specifically at Netherlands universities for masters, check whether the course is taught in English before anything else.
The three at the top of the list above — TU Delft, UvA and Utrecht. That is the Netherlands top universities list as far as reputation goes, and it is the order employers outside the country will recognise.
Prestige and cost do not track each other neatly. Check what each course costs before letting a ranking decide for you.
No — six. Past that, the differences stop mattering for most applicants, and a longer list mostly makes the decision harder. What separates places 7 to 10 is usually research output, which affects your supervisor rather than your degree.
Public universities in Netherlands for international students are generally the better value, because their fees are regulated. Private ones charge what they like.
Sometimes — ask before you pay for a test. Most universities will waive an English test if your previous degree was taught in English, and many accept TOEFL, PTE or their own internal test instead of IELTS.
It is decided university by university, never nationally — so check the admissions page of each of the six above. A blog listing "universities in Netherlands without IELTS" will be out of date. Your visa may still require a test even when the university does not.
Cheapest by tuition is rarely cheapest overall. Non-EU students pay the institutional fee, set independently by each university. Humanities bachelors start near €9,000–€11,000; TU Delft engineering is about €21,280; masters commonly run €12,000–€20,000.
Rent usually moves your total bill more than the fee does, so a lower-ranked university in a smaller city often costs far less than a famous one in the capital. The city is named on every card above for exactly that reason.
16 hrs/week during term with a work permit, or full-time in June–August. One-year orientation visa after graduating.
This is worth checking before you choose a country, not after. Post-study work rights change with the government of the day.