Leiden University

With 30% acceptance rate, Leiden University can be considered one of toughest universities in Netherlands to enter. Low percentage shows that the university follows positive approach where it considers several factors such as a strong academic profile, motivation letter, LOR and English language requirements. Students must perform exceptionally well in academics and submit all the mandatory documents to improve their chances.

The University of Amsterdam ranks better than Leiden University. Amsterdam University QS ranking is #55 and that of Leiden University is #141 in 2025. In the QS rankings, the University of Amsterdam ranks among the Top 100 Universities in the world, whereas, Leiden University ranks among the Top 200 Worldwide Universities in 2025. A comparison of both of these universities are given as follows:

As per THE 2025, Amsterdam ranks above Leiden. The University of Amsterdam ranks at #58, whereas Leiden ranks at #73. You can get a better idea of their reputations based on their historical rankings. Given below is a comparison of these two based on their rankings.

Leiden University is a well known university for undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Students from all across the globe visit the place for their higher studies. Leiden University offers many majors to students to choose from.

Leiden University specialises in majors like Culture, history, and society, International justice, World Politics, Global Public Health, Cyber Security. 

To know more about the institute, candidates can refer to the official website of the institute or shiksha.

Leiden University is a top ranked and the oldest university in the Netherlands. Leiden University acceptance rate is around 63%, which means admission are slightly difficult for international students. To get admission to the university, students must have a qualifying GPA and a good academic profile. They also need to complete the admission application before the deadline.

Leiden University offers its students countless options to develop socially and personally outside the classroom. Students can join the campus-wide organizations such as the International Student Network. Students can also utilize University Sports Centre (USC) to remain fit. There are also various student associations covering different culture area. Many students and student associations can run their own drama groups, join an independent drama group, sing in a choir, etc.

Members of Dutch Royal family such as Queen Juliana, Beatrix of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands are alumni of Leiden University. Around 10 Prime Ministers of the Netherlands including Mark Rutte is also an alumni of this university. Also, U.S. President John Quincy Adams also studied at this university.

The application fee at Leiden University is EUR 100 (INR 11.1 K) for international students. The students can apply through 'studielink'. Some documents are given below:

• Transcripts
• English language score
• LOR
• Other program documents

Some of the reasons to choose Leiden University are:

• The oldest university in the Netherlands, thus, enjoys a great reputation
• Leiden University is a top-ranked university. It ranks among Top 200 Universities in the World in 2025 in the two international prominent rankings
• A wide range of English-taught courses at the Bachelor's and Master's courses
• A truly international university with 4,000 international students
• With small class sizes at Leiden University, students can enjoy personal contact with the professors

Yes, students with a residence permit at Leiden University can work part-time. Students can work a maximum of 16 hours per week or full-time during the summer months. A few of the part-time job for international students at the Netherlands include:

• Cashier at supermarket
• Tutoring
• Hotel receptionist