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

Updated: March 02, 2025

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 24.5M citations received by 696K 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

#36 in the World

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

2. Utrecht University

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#16 in Europe

#73 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1636

3. Radboud University

Netherlands | Nijmegen

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#31 in Europe

#108 in the World

Founded: 1923

4. University of Groningen

Netherlands | Groningen

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#35 in Europe

#115 in the World

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

5. Erasmus University Rotterdam

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#44 in Europe

#133 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Founded: 1913

6. Leiden University

Netherlands | Leiden

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#46 in Europe

#136 in the World

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

7. Free University Amsterdam

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#48 in Europe

#142 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1880

8. Delft University of Technology

Netherlands | Delft

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#66 in Europe

#182 in the World

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

9. Wageningen University

Netherlands | Wageningen

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#75 in Europe

#201 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

#105 in Europe

#268 in the World

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

12. University of Twente

Netherlands | Enschede

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#133 in Europe

#328 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1961

13. Eindhoven University of Technology

Netherlands | Eindhoven

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#172 in Europe

#414 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 13,069
Founded: 1956

14. Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Professional Education

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#638 in Europe

#1938 in the World

Founded: 1619

15. Rotterdam University

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#651 in Europe

#1986 in the World

Enrollment: 36,000
Founded: 1988

16. Fontys University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Venlo

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#740 in Europe

#2438 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1996

17. Nyenrode Business University

Netherlands | Breukelen

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#742 in Europe

#2443 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1946

18. University of Humanistic Studies

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#757 in Europe

#2527 in the World

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

19. HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#783 in Europe

#2683 in the World

Founded: 1993

20. Hague University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | The Hague

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#896 in Europe

#3280 in the World

Founded: 1987

21. Zuyd University

Netherlands | Heerlen

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#926 in Europe

#3424 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Founded: 2001

22. HAN University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Arnhem

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#928 in Europe

#3431 in the World

Founded: 1996

23. Breda University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Breda

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#945 in Europe

#3506 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 1966

24. Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen

Netherlands | Groningen

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#962 in Europe

#3576 in the World

Founded: 1986

25. Windesheim University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Zwolle

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1047 in Europe

#4106 in the World

Founded: 1986

26. NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Leeuwarden

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1064 in Europe

#4233 in the World

Founded: 2008

27. Saxion University

Netherlands | Enschede

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1090 in Europe

#4359 in the World

Enrollment: 27,000
Founded: 1989

28. INHolland University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Haarlem

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1091 in Europe

#4361 in the World

Founded: 2002

29. Utrecht School of the Arts

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1122 in Europe

#4512 in the World

Founded: 1987

30. AVANS University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Breda

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1168 in Europe

#4761 in the World

Founded: 2004

31. TIAS School for Business and Society

Netherlands | Eindhoven

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1210 in Europe

#4999 in the World

Founded: 1986

32. Hogeschool Leiden, University of Professional Education

Netherlands | Leiden

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1223 in Europe

#5059 in the World

Founded: 1984

33. Codarts University of the Arts

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1266 in Europe

#5302 in the World

Founded: 1930

34. University of Aruba

Netherlands | Oranjestad

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1331 in Europe

#5657 in the World

Founded: 1970

35. Ede Christian University

Netherlands | Ede

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1355 in Europe

#5833 in the World

Founded: 1994

36. Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Velp

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1361 in Europe

#5877 in the World

Founded: 2003

37. Hotelschool The Hague

Netherlands | The Hague

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1422 in Europe

#6330 in the World

Founded: 1929

38. American University of the Caribbean - School of Medicine

Netherlands | Cupecoy

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1423 in Europe

#6336 in the World

Founded: 1978

39. HZ University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Vlissingen

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1432 in Europe

#6412 in the World

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

40. ArtEZ Institute for the Arts

Netherlands | Arnhem

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1445 in Europe

#6496 in the World

Founded: 2002

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