Top Universities and Colleges in Netherlands - Courses, Fees, Scholarships, Admission Requirements & Grades

Known for its quality education system, keen emphasis on research & a welcoming, multicultural environment, The Netherlands is emerging as a reliable study abroad destination for international students. Around 3,200 Indian students are currently present in the counry as per the latest data shared by MEA.

The Orange Country is home to more than 30 universities and colleges, out of which the majority of are located in Amsterdam, Delft, Rotterdam, and Groningen. These institutes consider test scores such as TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE for admitting international students. AAccording to QS, the University of Amsterdam, Delft University of Technology, Leiden University, and Utrecht University are some of the best institutions for higher studies in the country. Some of the popular courses in the Netherlands are MBA/PGDM, MSc, BBA, MS & BE/BTech.

Universities in Netherlands: Highlights

Generally, the duration of courses in universities and colleges in Germany has a duration of 12 months to 3 years. The universities and colleges in the Netherlands offer admissions during the February and September intakes every year.

Parameter	Statistics
No. of universities in the Netherlands	35
Tuition fees of universities in the Netherlands	Up to INR 10 L: 22 Up to INR 40 L: 35
Top Streams in the Netherlands	MBA/PGDM, MSc, BBA, MS & BE/BTech
Entrance exams required	GRE or GMAT
English Language exams required	IELTS,TOEFL, PTE & Duolingo

Why Study in the Netherlands?

Studying in the Netherlands is the preferred choice among International students. Every year, the country hosts international students from over 150 countries worldwide and offers them quality education with many job opportunities. Let us look at all the aspects of studying in the Netherlands from the perspective of international students.

Post Work Permit in the Netherlands

International students get a Post-Study Work Permit in the Netherlands after completing the degree from the Universities in the Netherlands. International Graduates require post-study work permissions – called the Search/ Orientation Year or ‘zoekjaar’ in Dutch. As per new regulations in effect from March 1, 2016, students must apply for this permit three years after completing their degree program.

Part-Time Options

Part-time work option in the Netherlands is available for international students and they can only work either no more than 10 hours a week throughout the year or full-time in June, July, and August – but not both. Part-time work will help students manage the cost of studying and living in the Netherlands. As soon as you have a (part-time) job, you are required to have Dutch public health insurance. Some of the part-time work options for students in Netherlands are given as follows:

• Cashier at Supermarket
• Hotel Receptionist 
• Tutoring 

Student Visa Fee in the Netherlands: Visa application option and cost

International students require a visa and work permit to enter the Netherlands for study or research purposes. The Netherlands student visa process is a two-step process that requires

• The MVV or an Entry Visa to enter the Netherlands
• The VRV – or the Residence Permit – is granted to students within a month of their reaching the country

The cost of a student visa in the Netherlands is EUR 210. 

Top job sectors & Economy

The Netherlands has become an attractive place for international students. As of 2023, the three sectors that had the largest number of employees were health and social work, wholesale and retail trade, and other business support services. Some of the other in-demand job sectors in The Netherlands in the same year were Manufacturing, Education, Information and Communication, Agriculture, etc. There were over 1.4 million jobs in the health and social work sector in The Netherlands. In May 2022, the employed labour force in The Netherlands amounted to around 9.56 million individuals. Some of the popular job sectors in the Netherlands are given as follows:

• Engineering 
• IT Specialists
• Healthcare Specialists
• Finance
• Energy Sector

Top Universities in Netherlands

University Name	Quacquarelli Symonds (QS)  World Rankings 2026	Shiksha Popularity Rankings
Delft University of Technology	#47	#57
University of Amsterdam	#53	#39
Utrecht University	#103	#49
Leiden University	#119	#61
Eindhoven University of Technology	#140	#157
Erasmus Univeristy Rotterdam	#140	#77
University of Groningen	#147	#63
Wageningen University and Research Center	#153	#83
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam	#194	#110
University of Twente	#203	#183

Best Engineering Universities in the Netherlands

As per QS, some of the best places for Engineering in Netherlands are: 

University Name	QS World Engineering & Technology
Delft University of Technology	#14
Eindhoven University of Technology	#95
University of Amsterdam	#173
Wageningen University & Research	#184
University of Twente	#201
Utrecht University	#252
University of Groningen	#314
Leiden University	#376
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam	#401-450

Best Arts Universities in the Netherlands

When it comes to pursuing an Arts program, the following institutes stand out:

University Name	Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Art and Design
Design Academy Eindhoven	#10
Delft University of Technology	#11
Eindhoven University of Technology	#46
Royal Academy of Art, The Hague	#51-100
Amsterdam School of the Arts	#101-150
Utrecht School of the Arts	#151-200
Utrecht University	#201-260

Best Medicine and Health Sciences Universities in the Netherlands

The best institutes for Medicine and Health include:

University Name	Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Medicine Rankings
University of Amsterdam	#36
Erasmus University Rotterdam	#42
Utrecht University	#64
Leiden University	#65
Maastricht University	#69
University of Groningen	#89
Radboud University	#103
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam	#107
Delft University of Technology	#301-350
University of Twente	#401-450

Top Courses in the Netherlands

Some of the top courses in the Netherlands for international students are given as follows:

Course Name	Count of Universities
MBA/PGDM	28
MSc	23
BBA	23
MS	20
BE/BTech	19
BSc	18
MA	13
BA	11
LLM	9
MIM	8

Admissions Requirements in the Netherlands

The admission requirements for MIM courses in the Netherlands are given as follows:

• Minimum 75% during graduation 
• 2 LORs
• A essay in English
• Resume/CV 
• Proof of English Language Proficiency
• Official Transcripts
• Proof of Identity

Entrance Exams Accepted by Universities in the Netherlands

Some of the entrance exams accepted for courses in the Netherlands are given as follows:

Entrance Exam	Count of Universities
GMAT	8
GRE	8

English Language Requirements by Universities in the Netherlands

Some of the English Language Proficiency exams accepted for courses in the Netherlands are given as follows:

English Language Exams	Count of Universities
IELTS	35
TOEFL	34
PTE	12
Duolingo	2

Cost of studying in the Netherlands

The tuition fees for courses in private universities in the Netherlands range from INR 10 L to INR 40 L.

Tuition Fees

The first-year tuition fees in the Netherlands are given as follows:

1st Year Tuition Fees	Count of Universities
Max INR 10 L	22
Max INR 20 L	33
Max INR 30 L	35
Max INR 40 L	35

Cost of Living in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is a great choice for international students who wish to study abroad universities. The Cost of Living in the Netherlands is low compared to other countries like the UK and the US. International students need to be well prepared when preparing to study in the Netherlands and the most important preparation is to consider your living expenses. This includes food, transportation, books, clothes, and accommodation. A student should prepare to spend around INR 70K to INR 96.2K per month in the Netherlands.

Scholarships in the Netherlands

The Netherlands offers several scholarship opportunities and education loan options for international students, including non-EEA students. Best universities in Netherlands offer merit-based scholarships to international students to manage their tuition fees. International students can also apply for Education Loans in the Netherlands as it has become highly convenient with major financial institutions providing a loan at a lucrative interest rate. Here are some scholarships that are available for international students:

•       Holland Scholarships
•       Orange Tulip Scholarships
•       Radboud Scholarship Programme

Did you know, you can now study for next to no cost in Europe?

Check out the video below to know more:

Jobs in the Netherlands

Full-time & Part-time workers are in very high demand to employers in Netherlands, & as a result, individuals are paid very well for their contribuions to respective industries, be it full-time roles in the Sales, Engineering or Business sectors or part-time roles as a waiter or nanny, everyone is compensated well. 

Check out the table below, where you can find the average annual salary made by international students across some popular roles : 

Role	Average Salary (in EUR)	Average Salary (in INR)
Brewer	EUR 28,643	INR 28.8 L
Head Chef	EUR 35,138	INR 35.3 L
Retail Store Manager	EUR 36,077	INR 36.3 L
Paralegal	EUR 37,711	INR 37.9 L
Mechanical Engineer	EUR 44,867	INR 45.1 L
Data Scientist	EUR 47,969	INR 48.28 L
Software Developer	EUR 48,925	INR 49.24 L
Project Manager	EUR 58,486	INR 58.86 L
Senior Software Engineer	EUR 70,577	INR 71 L

Source: Payscale

Akash Gaur10-06-2025 12:47