University of Groningen

Top 100 University

Study at one of the world’s leading universities; learn from the best and take advantage of exciting research opportunities. It has over 45 world-class bachelor’s programmes and 160 highly-ranked master’s programmes. If they are exceptionally motivated and talented students could also be eligible to join its Honours College and get even more from their time in Groningen.

Groundbreaking research

Students will be actively involved in research at one of Europe’s top research institutions from the get-go. The University of Groningen carries out ground-breaking and socially-relevant research that builds bridges between disciplines and closes the gap between science and society. With research focused on Energy, Healthy Ageing and a Sustainable Society, recent topics have included finding ‘greener’ plastics, ways to exercise more consciously and the effects of climate change on birds.

400 years of reputation

The University of Groningen is the second oldest university in the Netherlands and has built a reputation for excellence. Many talented people have passed through the university during its rich 400-year history, including Nobel Prize winners like Ben Feringa (Chemistry, 2016) and Frits Zernike (Physics, 1953). Some have been pioneers in their respective fields, such as the first female University student and the first female lecturer in the Netherlands, the first Dutch astronaut and the first president of the European Bank.

Vibrant city

Groningen is a vibrant student city with the youngest population in the Netherlands – one in four people is a student! That means there’s always something to do, with various art and music festivals, theatres, cinemas and performance venues catering to all tastes, whether they prefer to watch or want to join in.

Dutch daily life

With beautiful architecture, day markets, shopping streets and hotspots, the quality of life in Groningen is hard to beat. Students can get their fresh produce, meat and cheese at the "Vismarkt" market in the middle of town or indulge in lunch with fellow students.

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The following are the various rankings of the university:

• Academic Ranking of World Universities (#66): The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ShanghaiRanking) is a global top 500, published annually by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy. In this ranking, the University of Groningen can be found in the 66th place (2018). In addition to this overall score, the university falls within the global top 100 for several specific fields and subjects.
• THE World University Rankings (#79): In this ranking, the University of Groningen is at position 79.
• QS World University Rankings (#120): In the 2018-2019 edition, the University of Groningen holds the 120th position on this list of over 900 universities worldwide.
• U.S. News ‘Best Global Universities Ranking’ (#101): In addition to the university’s reputation among academics (25%), the research performance derived from the citation database Web of Science is also taken into account (75%). The University of Groningen takes an overall 101st place in this ranking.

The university offers more than 180 highly-ranked bachelor’s, master's and PhD degree programmes provided across 11 faculties as below:

Faculty of Economics and Business

The Faculty of Economics and Business offers a variety of programmes in the fields of economics and business.

Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences

The faculty studies issues relating to human behaviour, the relationships between people, and society as a whole. This includes the study of how people function under normal circumstances, but also of the problems encountered by individuals or groups, and how these can be resolved or prevented. 

Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies

The Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Groningen is ranked as the best teaching and research centre for religion in the Netherlands.

Faculty of Arts

The Faculty of Arts has more than 5000 students and 700 staff members, who are working at the frontiers of knowledge every day. The faculty offers a wide range of degree programmes: 16 bachelor's programmes and over 40 master's tracks.

Faculty of Medical Sciences

The Faculty of Medical Sciences of the University of Groningen is the second oldest medical faculty in The Netherlands. Like the university, it was established in 1614. Ever since the foundation of the Groningen University Hospital in 1797, hospital and faculty are cooperating closely.

Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law at the University of Groningen measures itself amongst the best law faculties in Europe, advanced systems of quality control have been implemented to continuously improve the faculty’s research and education.

Faculty of Spatial Sciences

The Faculty of Spatial Sciences provides education and research within cultural geography, demography, economic geography and planning. With two bachelor’s and eight master’s programmes, it offers a wide range of courses.

Faculty of Science and Engineering

The faculty’s programmes in research and education range from nanomaterials and biomachinery to astronomy, from mathematics to pharmacy, from neurosciences to computer science, and from molecular and evolutionary biology to marine biology.

Faculty of Philosophy

Widely regarded as one of the best places to study philosophy in Europe, the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Groningen offers two bachelor’s programmes and five master’s programmes.

University College Groningen

University College Groningen’s liberal arts and sciences programme is designed to empower students to forge their own paths, develop their own identity, and find their position in a constantly changing world.

Campus Fryslân

Campus Fryslân is a unique faculty based in Leeuwarden. Unique because multiple disciplines are represented within the faculty. This enables international students, PhDs and world-class researchers to approach scientific questions from different perspectives.

Visit the website to find out about the entry requirements…

The University of Groningen is among the top institutions in Europe in the field of academic research. It applies fundamental academic research in an innovative way when dealing with social and individual problems. Groningen-based researchers collaborate with colleagues from all over the world on a daily basis and University of Groningen lecturers actively involve their students in research.

Each faculty draws on its own expertise to contribute to the research themes within the University of Groningen. Visit the website to find out more about the specific research areas and institutions, organized by faculty.

Study facilities

The University of Groningen offers students world-class facilities. Students will have access to a wide range of facilities to aid them in their academic progress. Its Language Centre offers a multitude of language courses, including basic Dutch courses to help the international students feel more at home in the Netherlands. The library is a peaceful place to study, with coffee areas ideal for group break-out sessions or taking a breather. And, it has various other online and offline (research) systems in place to support students in their study process.

Library Study Spaces

The UG has three libraries – the University Library (UB) in the city centre, the Zernike library, and the central medical library – offering access to more than three million printed books, one million ebooks, 80,000 e-journals, and 5,000 magazines. Or, for digital access to all the books, e-books, magazines, journals, and DVDs, students can use Smartcat, the university’s online library catalogue.

Chosen as one of the happiest cities in Europe, Groningen enjoys a bustling reputation. The city is known for its cultural events, yet it will never lose that homely disposition which attracts so many people.

What will probably strike students most when entering Groningen is its youthful population. Roughly a quarter of the city’s 200.000 inhabitants consists of students.

Welcoming atmosphere

The city scores high on greening, trust in fellow inhabitants, health care, public spacing and of course, education. Besides that, Groningers are very satisfied with air quality, sport facilities, cultural facilities, safety and the city council. 97 percent of the people in Groningen are happy to live in Groningen.

The university itself has a very visible presence: the historic buildings in the city centre show the rich academic tradition, while the Infoversum is an example of contemporary architecture.

A happening city

With the city’s many bars, restaurants, theatres, museums and sports facilities, students will never get bored. If they do feel like leaving the vibrant city life, the countryside is never far away.