40 Best universities for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in the Netherlands

Updated: February 29, 2024

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in the Netherlands ranked based on their research performance in Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. A graph of 17.2M citations received by 609K academic papers made by 40 universities in the Netherlands was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of Amsterdam

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#7 in Europe

#40 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Enrollment: 41,000
Founded: 1632

2. Utrecht University

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#14 in Europe

#70 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1636

3. University of Groningen

Netherlands | Groningen

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#30 in Europe

#106 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 34,000
Founded: 1614

4. Radboud University

Netherlands | Nijmegen

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#32 in Europe

#110 in the World

Founded: 1923

5. Erasmus University Rotterdam

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#44 in Europe

#131 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Founded: 1913

6. Leiden University

Netherlands | Leiden

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#48 in Europe

#143 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Enrollment: 27,713
Founded: 1575

7. Free University Amsterdam

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#53 in Europe

#162 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1880

8. Delft University of Technology

Netherlands | Delft

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#59 in Europe

#173 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 24,703
Founded: 1842

9. Wageningen University

Netherlands | Wageningen

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#74 in Europe

#204 in the World

Enrollment: 12,819
Founded: 1918

10. Maastricht University

Netherlands | Maastricht

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#79 in Europe

#214 in the World

Enrollment: 18,000
Founded: 1976

11. Tilburg University

Netherlands | Tilburg

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#109 in Europe

#282 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Enrollment: 17,378
Founded: 1927

12. University of Twente

Netherlands | Enschede

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#128 in Europe

#319 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1961

13. Eindhoven University of Technology

Netherlands | Eindhoven

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#155 in Europe

#378 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Founded: 1956

14. Rotterdam University

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#621 in Europe

#1836 in the World

Enrollment: 36,000
Founded: 1988

15. Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Professional Education

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#633 in Europe

#1875 in the World

Founded: 1619

16. Fontys University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Venlo

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#699 in Europe

#2241 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1996

17. University of Humanistic Studies

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#732 in Europe

#2373 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Enrollment: 550
Male:Female: 30:70
Founded: 1989

18. HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#750 in Europe

#2477 in the World

Founded: 1993

19. Nyenrode Business University

Netherlands | Breukelen

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#804 in Europe

#2793 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1946

20. Hague University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | The Hague

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#870 in Europe

#3184 in the World

Founded: 1987

21. Zuyd University

Netherlands | Heerlen

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#899 in Europe

#3301 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Founded: 2001

22. HAN University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Arnhem

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#910 in Europe

#3352 in the World

Founded: 1996

23. Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen

Netherlands | Groningen

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#917 in Europe

#3399 in the World

Founded: 1986

24. Breda University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Breda

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#921 in Europe

#3426 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 1966

25. Windesheim University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Zwolle

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1013 in Europe

#3981 in the World

Founded: 1986

26. Saxion University

Netherlands | Enschede

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1050 in Europe

#4202 in the World

Enrollment: 27,000
Founded: 1989

27. INHolland University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Haarlem

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1060 in Europe

#4233 in the World

Founded: 2002

28. NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Leeuwarden

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1077 in Europe

#4313 in the World

Founded: 2008

29. Utrecht School of the Arts

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1113 in Europe

#4526 in the World

Founded: 1987

30. AVANS University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Breda

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1116 in Europe

#4539 in the World

Founded: 2004

31. Hogeschool Leiden, University of Professional Education

Netherlands | Leiden

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1158 in Europe

#4704 in the World

Founded: 1984

32. TIAS School for Business and Society

Netherlands | Eindhoven

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1160 in Europe

#4732 in the World

Founded: 1986

33. Ede Christian University

Netherlands | Ede

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1304 in Europe

#5585 in the World

Founded: 1994

34. Codarts University of the Arts

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1311 in Europe

#5627 in the World

Founded: 1930

35. University of Aruba

Netherlands | Oranjestad

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1325 in Europe

#5687 in the World

Founded: 1970

36. Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Velp

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1366 in Europe

#5902 in the World

Founded: 2003

37. Hotelschool The Hague

Netherlands | The Hague

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1408 in Europe

#6218 in the World

Founded: 1929

38. American University of the Caribbean - School of Medicine

Netherlands | Cupecoy

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1431 in Europe

#6386 in the World

Founded: 1978

39. ArtEZ Institute for the Arts

Netherlands | Arnhem

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1441 in Europe

#6447 in the World

Founded: 2002

Netherlands | Vlissingen

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1446 in Europe

#6476 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Enrollment: 1,100
Founded: 1987

The best cities to study Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in the Netherlands based on the number of universities and their ranks are Amsterdam, Utrecht, Groningen, and Nijmegen.