Netherlands · Public research university
University of Amsterdam
Amsterdam · Founded 1632
QS World #60
THE #80
Official site
Acceptance rate
~50%
Total students
41,000
International
~25% (~10,000 of 41,000 students)
Annual tuition
EUR 11,000–17,500 / year (2025-26, BSc, non-EU, varies by faculty)
The University of Amsterdam is the Netherlands' largest research university and consistently in the global top-100. Its central Amsterdam campus is integrated into the city itself — most buildings are former 17th-century merchant houses around the Singel and Roeterseiland. UvA leads the Netherlands in economics (the Tinbergen Institute is a joint VU-UvA-Erasmus venture and the top economics PhD pipeline in continental Europe).
Admissions requirements
- Language
- TOEFL iBT 92 (100 recommended); IELTS 6.5–7.0 depending on programme
- Tests
- No SAT/ACT required. Selective programmes (PPLE, Economics & Business Economics) require motivation letter, CV and possibly an on-campus selection day.
- Deadlines
-
- Bachelor Non Eu: April 1 (most BSc); January 15 (numerus fixus and selective programmes like PPLE)
- Master Non Eu: April 1 (most MSc); earlier for selective master's (January–February)
- Financial aid
- Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship — full tuition + EUR 25,000 stipend for top non-EU master's students. Amsterdam Merit Scholarship — partial tuition for selected BSc/MSc applicants. Holland Scholarship: EUR 5,000 one-off.
Famous for
Economics (Tinbergen Institute)
Computer Science
Communication Science
Law
Liberal Arts (Amsterdam University College)
Notable alumni
- Jan Tinbergen (first Nobel in Economics)
- Frans Timmermans (EU Commissioner)
- Wim Duisenberg (first ECB President)
Cost estimate
$33,500 / year
Tuition $14,500 + living $19,000
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