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50 Best Public Universities in the Netherlands

Delft University of Technology leads the 50 Public universities in the Netherlands at #47 in the QS World University Rankings 2026. University of Amsterdam (QS World #55) and Utrecht University (QS World #103) complete the top three. Across the whole list there are 321 courses to choose from.

50 universities · ranked best first

how we rank
1Best overall
TD Delft University of Technology logo
QS World #47 #1 in Netherlands Delft, South Holland, Netherlands

Delft University of Technology

Public University · 16 courses

All 16 courses →
EUR 16,500 – EUR 22,000/yrTuition (indicative)
1842Founded
27,000Students
8,000International
Admissions open
#47 QS World University Rankings 2026
#1 in Netherlands
2Top pick
UV University of Amsterdam logo
QS World #55 #2 in Netherlands Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

University of Amsterdam

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

EUR 12,500 – EUR 17,000/yrTuition (indicative)
1632Founded
41,000Students
12,000International
Admissions open
#55 QS World University Rankings 2026
#2 in Netherlands
3Top pick
UT Utrecht University logo
QS World #103 #3 in Netherlands Utrecht, Netherlands

Utrecht University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

EUR 13,500 – EUR 18,000/yrTuition (indicative)
1636Founded
39,000Students
6,000International
Admissions open
#103 QS World University Rankings 2026
#3 in Netherlands
5Ranked
UL Universiteit Leiden logo
QS World #119 #5 in Netherlands Netherlands

Universiteit Leiden

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
1575Founded
33,494Students
—International
Admissions open
#119 QS World University Rankings 2026
#5 in Netherlands
7Ranked
TU Eindhoven University of Technology logo
QS World #140 #7 in Netherlands Eindhoven, North Brabant, Netherlands
#140 QS World University Rankings 2026
#7 in Netherlands
8Ranked
UG University of Groningen logo
QS World #147 #8 in Netherlands Netherlands

University of Groningen

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#147 QS World University Rankings 2026
#8 in Netherlands
9Ranked
VU Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam logo
QS World #194 #9 in Netherlands Netherlands

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#194 QS World University Rankings 2026
#9 in Netherlands
11Ranked
RU Radboud University logo
QS World #279 #11 in Netherlands Netherlands

Radboud University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#279 QS World University Rankings 2026
#11 in Netherlands
12Ranked
MU Maastricht University logo
#12 in Netherlands Netherlands

Maastricht University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#12 in Netherlands · by research impact
11,735,487 citations · h-index 867
13Ranked
TU Tilburg University logo
#13 in Netherlands Netherlands

Tilburg University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#13 in Netherlands · by research impact
2,148,496 citations · h-index 470
14Ranked
HR Hogeschool Rotterdam logo
#14 in Netherlands Netherlands

Hogeschool Rotterdam

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)
—Founded
—Students
—International
Admissions open
#14 in Netherlands · by research impact
1,562,648 citations · h-index 385
18Ranked
OU Open University of the Netherlands logo
#18 in Netherlands Netherlands
#18 in Netherlands · by research impact
466,506 citations · h-index 265
20Ranked
FU Fontys University of Applied Sciences logo
#20 in Netherlands Netherlands
#20 in Netherlands · by research impact
218,925 citations · h-index 124
21Ranked
HU HAN University of Applied Sciences logo
#21 in Netherlands Netherlands
#21 in Netherlands · by research impact
178,042 citations · h-index 156

How these universities are ranked

11 of these universities hold a QS World position, from #47 (Delft University of Technology) to #279 (Radboud University); they are listed first, in that order. The rest are ordered by research impact. University of Amsterdam has the largest research record in this group, with 26,182,921 citations and an h-index of 1,160. 18 universities have neither a QS position nor a research record yet and appear at the end, marked "Not yet ranked".

Public, private and where they are

The split is 50 public to 0 private institutions. By location, South Holland (2), North Holland (1) and Utrecht (1) account for the most of those we can place. The oldest is Leiden University, founded in 1575. University of Amsterdam is the largest, with 41,000 students.

Inside the course list

By level: 214 bachelor's, 70 master's, 11 professional and 8 foundation. The most common subjects are Business & Management (72), Arts, Design & Architecture (33), Engineering (32) and Education (31). The usual length is 4 years and 2 years. 91% are full-time and 2 can be studied online. Start dates lean to Fall (93% of courses with a stated intake) and Spring (73% of courses with a stated intake). Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht (HKU) offers the widest choice, with 43 of these courses.

What it costs

We hold indicative fees for 5 of these universities. University of Amsterdam is the least expensive at USD 16,000 a year and Delft University of Technology the most at USD 21,000; the middle of the range is about USD 17,000. Check each university's own fee page before you budget — figures change every year.

Frequently asked questions

What are the top universities for Public in the Netherlands?

Delft University of Technology (QS World #47), University of Amsterdam (QS World #55) and Utrecht University (QS World #103) lead this list. QS World positions come first; the rest are ranked by research impact.

Which is the cheapest university for Public in the Netherlands?

Of those with published fees, University of Amsterdam is the least expensive at about USD 16,000 a year. Fees are indicative — confirm on the university's site.

How many public universities offer Public in the Netherlands?

50 public and 0 private universities are on this list.

How long does a Public course take in the Netherlands?

Most listed courses run 4 years, with 2 years the next most common.

When do Public courses start in the Netherlands?

Fall is the main intake — 93% of courses with a stated start date begin then, and Spring is the second.

Can I study Public online with a university in the Netherlands?

2 of these courses are listed as online.

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