Top Universities in the Netherlands for 2026 - Postgraduate

You’d be mistaken to think that the Netherlands is all windmills, tulips and canals (although there are plenty of those to enjoy!). Holland is an increasingly popular destination for international students, boasting a historic higher education system, great quality of life and affordable tuition fees.

What’s more, the Netherlands punches well above its weight in international rankings for a country of only 17 million people, with a clutch of world-class universities featuring in the three major league tables.

On this page we’ve summarised the results for Dutch universities in 2026.

The following table lists the best 12 universities in Holland in 2026, according to global rankings.

This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education, QS and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

Each ranking system uses its own methodology, with different factors having more or less influence on a university's result.

For more information, see our guide to using international rankings as a postgraduate..

There are six Dutch universities in the top 100 of the Times Higher Education rankings, placing Holland on a par with nations outside the traditional academic powerhouses of the USA and the UK.

In fact, along with Germany, the Netherlands is the country with the joint third most institutions in the top 100 of this ranking (after America and the UK), an extremely impressive achievement for a comparatively small place.

Of course, rankings aren’t everything, but the fact that the Netherlands performs so well by these methodologies is evidence of the strength of its universities and their ability to go toe-to-toe with institutions across the world.

If you've already decided that you want to study in the Netherlands, it could be worth looking at a domestic ranking system such as the Keuzegids.

By only comparing universities from the Netherlands, these rankings offer a more consistent view of the differences between a nation's academic institutions than an international league table might do. Most significantly, the Keuzegids features postgraduate leagues for specific Masters subjects.

However, be aware that you'll probably need to brush up on your Nederlands if you opt for the Keuzegids, as it's not written in English (you'll also have to pay for access to the rankings).