TU Delft still Netherlands' top university, according to QS ranking

The Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is the top Dutch university in the QS Top University Rankings for 2026. It is also the only Dutch university to make it into the top 50, achieving 47th place. The University of Amsterdam is next on the list in 53rd place. No other Dutch university made it into the top 100.

The researchers scored each university in five categories. Research & Discovery measured institutions’ research quality and volume, as well as their reputation in the academic community. Learning Experience looked at the student-faculty ratio. Employability looked at how well the university prepares graduates for employment. Global Engagement measured the institution’s internationalization, and Sustainability measured the institution’s commitment to a more sustainable future.

TU Delft achieved an overall score of 84.3 out of 100. The university scored well in most categories, but scored the best in the Global Engagements category. Here, TU Delft achieved scores above 90 on each sub-indicator and even full marks for its international faculty ratio. According to the QS, TU Delft has a very diverse student body, including many international students, and a strong international research network. Its worst score was for learning experience, scoring only 49.1 on its student-faculty ratio.

The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is the next Dutch university in the ranking in 53rd place with a score of 81.5. The Amsterdam university also suffered from having many more students than lecturers could handle, scoring only 27.5 on the student-faculty ratio indicator under learning experience. The UvA also scored well for Global Engagement and academic reputation in the Research and Discovery category.

Dutch universities on QS ranking (with global ranking and score in brackets)

1. Delft University of Technology (47th, 84.3)
2. University of Amsterdam (53rd, 81.5)
3. Utrecht University (103d, 67.7)
4. Leiden University (119th, 65.7)
5. Eindhoven University of Technology (140th, 63.2)
6. Erasmus University Rotterdam (140th, 63.2)
7. University of Groningen (147th, 62.5)
8. Wageningen University & Research (153rd, 61.6)
9. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (194th, 56.2)
10. University of Twente (203rd, 55.2)

The top 5 universities in the world, according to QS

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (100)
2. Imperial College London (99.4)
3. Stanford University (98.9)
4. University of Oxford (97.9)
5. Harvard University (97.7)