University of Amsterdam Ranking
Numerous honors have been bestowed upon the University of Amsterdam, including some of the top positions on prestigious published lists of international and regional rankings.
The most prestigious of these publications, the US News & World Report, ranks UvA #40 among “Best Global Universities, #9 among “Best Global University in Europe,” and #1 in the Netherlands.
The same source claims that UvA offers a diverse selection of top programs, ranging from the arts to engineering.
Other prestigious publications confirm that the University of Amsterdam is among the best universities in the world.
Times Higher Education places the school at #65 worldwide and among the top #20 in Europe, for its research and international outlook. The university’s remarkable research output has also been noted by QS Top Universities, which ranks the school at #55 worldwide on its most recent list.
Despite the differences in these rankings, UvA is without a doubt a top-tier international institution.
Notable Alumni
Because of the influence that its faculty and alumni have, an established and prestigious institution like UvA is able to maintain its position at the top. Nobel Prize winners, famous artists, and prominent politicians are among the university’s alumni. Alumni of the University of Virginia continue to have an impact on the world today, ensuring the school’s status as a premier international institution.
One alum Nobel laureate is Christiaan Eijkman, who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1929 for his groundbreaking research on the vitamin thiamine. Other UvA alumni who have made waves in science are Alec Jeffrey, inventor of DNA fingerprinting, and nutrition education pioneer, Sarah Bavly.
Astrophysicist Antonie Pannekoek was quite the polymath, taught philosophy at UvA, and was actively involved in politics as a Marxist theorist.
UvA alumni have flourished and made significant contributions in the arts, social sciences, politics, and humanities. One notable is Emmy winner Michael W. King, a producer who wrote and directed the award-winning PBS documentary feature, Bangin’, which explores youth violence in America.
The school has produced its share of high-profile politicians, including a handful of prime ministers, such as Pieter Cort van der Linden, Joop den Uyl, and former Belgian Prime Minister and now President of the European Council, Charles Michel.
This is only a small selection of the esteemed UvA alumni.
Tuition
International students typically pay more tuition and fees than domestic students at global universities, which typically have a two-tiered tuition and fee structure. Statutory fees and institutional fees make up the tuition and fees at Dutch universities.
Dutch nationals and students from European Union/European Economic Area countries normally pay the statutory fee while international students pay an institutional fee. The only relevant difference between these two fees is that the institutional fees are higher, which ties back to our point about the two-tiered fee structure of most global universities.
Each academic year, a few factors influence the tuition and fees. Additionally, tuition and fees differ from one division or program to another.
For example, the cost of attendance for students in the Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics (PPLE) program is 3,252 euros (roughly $3,860) for Dutch students, as this is the statutory fee.
Another critical factor in the calculation of tuition and fees is the student’s nationality; according to I am Expat, the Dutch government covers most of the costs of attending university for domestic students, students from other European Union/European Economic Area countries, and Swiss and Surinamese nationals.
This translates to students who do not fit into any of the aforementioned categories paying a higher total cost of attendance. We advise these students to learn more about these costs by getting in touch with the schools directly so they can figure out the total cost of attendance over the course of a year and see if they are eligible for scholarships.
University of Amsterdam Acceptance Rate for International Students & How to Get In
International students comprise roughly 25% of the student body in any given year, and roughly 75% of students in the PPLE program, for example, are non-Dutch. This is quite promising for prospective international students, who are sought after by the admissions committee. But exactly how many international students are accepted each year?
The exact number and percentage of international students offered admission each year is hard to pin down. However, looking at different sources, the acceptance rate can be anywhere between 20 and 30%!
According to CollegeDunia, the overall acceptance rate for international students is 47%, but the rate for students who applied to UvA’s top-ranking programs is around 10%, based on data from the most recent five years.
For some programs, fewer than 4% of applicants are admitted. The main takeaway here is that it is more helpful to look at the admissions stats for individual programs of choice, specifically their admission requirements.
Prospective international students are required to submit recommendation letters, a statement of purpose, a resume, academic transcripts, student visa and passport, and English-language proficiency exam results, such as TOEFL iBT, Cambridge: C1, or the IELTS.
Students from English-speaking countries, whose first language is English, are not required to take any of these exams; graduating from an English-speaking high school is a sufficient demonstration of English proficiency. These are the requirements outlined for students applying to English-taught programs. Students applying to Dutch-taught programs need to submit proof of Dutch-language proficiency by submitting scores for the NT2 Dutch exam.
The selection process for UvA, specifically the PPLE program, is highly selective. While there is no data on the number of applications the students receive each year, we do know that only 200 students are admitted. Applicants must not only have a solid academic record and scores, but they must also demonstrate that they will be able to contribute robustly to UvA’s cosmopolitan culture and values.
Is the University of Amsterdam Right For You?
If there is a low acceptance rate, many talented and motivated students may decide not to apply. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the best admissions committees holistically evaluate applicants; nobody is reduced to grades and numbers.
They consider a student’s likelihood of being a good fit for the school as one of their considerations. Consideration of a school’s suitability for a prospective student is equally, if not more, crucial.
UvA’s international student body represents over 100 nationalities. As we have mentioned earlier, UvA prides itself in being a global university that embraces cosmopolitan values. The core of the AUC mission is to prepare students to thrive and impact an increasingly diverse and increasingly global world in the 21st century.
The school strives to strengthen inclusivity and diversity. These ideas reverberate throughout its curriculum. Likewise, PPLE students are passionately curious about the world around them, embrace diversity in all forms, and have a collaborative mindset keen on solving the most pressing problems of the day.
Finally, UvA boasts world-class faculty who are at the top of their fields.
Location can make or break the undergraduate experience. UvA is located in Amsterdam, one of the best cities in the world, famed for its beautiful canals, sustainable tourism, and culture. It is not solely popular among globe-trotting tourists; Amsterdam ranks as one of the best cities for quality of life.
Any student who is enthusiastic about the prospect of attending a top-tier, globally diverse institution in such a dynamic city would feel at home there.