The University of Groningen was founded in 1614 and has a long tradition of education, innovation, and research. We are consistently ranked among the top 100 universities in the world and have one of the largest international student communities in the Netherlands. In fact, of our 30,000 students, 6,000 are international students from over 120 different nationalities.

Why Groningen?

Highly-regarded degree programmes: the University of Groningen offers over 120 highly regarded, English-taught degree programmes. As a student here, you will receive high-quality supervision, a well-rounded education, and have many options to choose from, including electives, minor programmes, and exchange possibilities. In 2017, the University of Groningen was awarded the 'Best Traditional University in the Netherlands' quality label from ‘Keuzegids Universiteiten’ (Guide to Dutch Universities).

High-quality research: the University of Groningen is one of the best research universities in Europe. The University carries out ground-breaking research, and in 2016, our very own professor Ben Feringa won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

International environment: Almost 6,000 international students study in Groningen, from over 120 different countries. You will share your classroom with people from all around the world, and have the opportunity to go abroad yourself with the exchange partnerships the University has internationally. Several Master programmes at the University of Groningen are in cooperation with other European universities, meaning it is possible to study part of your degree abroad. In addition, the Dutch are among the best non-native English speakers in the world, so the language barrier is not a problem here. However, if you do want to pick up some Dutch while studying here, you can take free Dutch classes provided by the university.

Distinguished reputation for 400 years: During the 400 years that the university has existed, the University of Groningen has built an excellent reputation around the world. The people who have studied or worked at the university include the first president of the European Bank, the first female University student and the first female lecturer in the Netherlands, the first Dutch astronaut, and four Nobel Prize winners.

Lively student life: With the youngest population in the Netherlands and a quarter of the inhabitants being students, Groningen is a fantastic student city. Walking through the city, you can see students everywhere - whether they are enjoying the nightlife, studying in a café or in the library, hanging out with friends in the park, or working a part-time job. Groningen is also a very safe and eco-friendly city to live in, and has been chosen as one of the happiest cities in the whole of Europe.