39 Best universities for Philosophy in the Netherlands

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in the Netherlands ranked based on their research performance in Philosophy. A graph of 11.5M citations received by 346K academic papers made by 39 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 Philosophy

#10 in Europe

#41 in the World

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

2. Utrecht University

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Philosophy

#18 in Europe

#73 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Enrollment: 40,000
Founded: 1636

3. Radboud University

Netherlands | Nijmegen

For Philosophy

#28 in Europe

#100 in the World

Founded: 1923

4. University of Groningen

Netherlands | Groningen

For Philosophy

#44 in Europe

#131 in the World

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

5. Free University Amsterdam

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Philosophy

#59 in Europe

#162 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1880

6. Leiden University

Netherlands | Leiden

For Philosophy

#72 in Europe

#182 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Enrollment: 33,474
Founded: 1575

7. Delft University of Technology

Netherlands | Delft

For Philosophy

#75 in Europe

#189 in the World

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

8. Erasmus University Rotterdam

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Philosophy

#90 in Europe

#212 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Founded: 1913

9. Maastricht University

Netherlands | Maastricht

For Philosophy

#118 in Europe

#273 in the World

Enrollment: 18,000
Founded: 1976

10. Tilburg University

Netherlands | Tilburg

For Philosophy

#144 in Europe

#331 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Enrollment: 19,178
Founded: 1927

11. Wageningen University

Netherlands | Wageningen

For Philosophy

#147 in Europe

#342 in the World

Enrollment: 12,819
Founded: 1918

12. University of Twente

Netherlands | Enschede

For Philosophy

#164 in Europe

#378 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1961

13. Eindhoven University of Technology

Netherlands | Eindhoven

For Philosophy

#169 in Europe

#387 in the World

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

14. Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Professional Education

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Philosophy

#662 in Europe

#2067 in the World

Founded: 1619

15. Rotterdam University

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Philosophy

#725 in Europe

#2271 in the World

Enrollment: 36,000
Founded: 1988

16. University of Humanistic Studies

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Philosophy

#785 in Europe

#2596 in the World

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

17. HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Philosophy

#836 in Europe

#2876 in the World

Founded: 1993

18. Fontys University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Venlo

For Philosophy

#877 in Europe

#3090 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1996

19. Zuyd University

Netherlands | Heerlen

For Philosophy

#909 in Europe

#3262 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Founded: 2001

20. Hague University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | The Hague

For Philosophy

#937 in Europe

#3398 in the World

Enrollment: 2,331
Founded: 1987

21. Nyenrode Business University

Netherlands | Breukelen

For Philosophy

#941 in Europe

#3417 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1946

22. Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen

Netherlands | Groningen

For Philosophy

#967 in Europe

#3549 in the World

Founded: 1986

23. HAN University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Arnhem

For Philosophy

#973 in Europe

#3578 in the World

Founded: 1996

24. Breda University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Breda

For Philosophy

#976 in Europe

#3589 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 1966

25. Windesheim University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Zwolle

For Philosophy

#1011 in Europe

#3831 in the World

Founded: 1986

26. Saxion University

Netherlands | Enschede

For Philosophy

#1083 in Europe

#4223 in the World

Enrollment: 27,000
Founded: 1989

27. Utrecht School of the Arts

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Philosophy

#1088 in Europe

#4248 in the World

Founded: 1987

28. NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Leeuwarden

For Philosophy

#1089 in Europe

#4250 in the World

Founded: 2008

29. AVANS University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Breda

For Philosophy

#1118 in Europe

#4383 in the World

Enrollment: 29,000
Founded: 2004

30. INHolland University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Haarlem

For Philosophy

#1136 in Europe

#4513 in the World

Founded: 2002

31. Hogeschool Leiden, University of Professional Education

Netherlands | Leiden

For Philosophy

#1170 in Europe

#4689 in the World

Founded: 1984

32. Codarts University of the Arts

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Philosophy

#1236 in Europe

#5064 in the World

Founded: 1930

33. TIAS School for Business and Society

Netherlands | Eindhoven

For Philosophy

#1250 in Europe

#5144 in the World

Founded: 1986

34. University of Aruba

Netherlands | Oranjestad

For Philosophy

#1264 in Europe

#5260 in the World

Founded: 1970

35. Ede Christian University

Netherlands | Ede

For Philosophy

#1334 in Europe

#5672 in the World

Founded: 1994

36. ArtEZ Institute for the Arts

Netherlands | Arnhem

For Philosophy

#1355 in Europe

#5819 in the World

Founded: 2002

37. Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Velp

For Philosophy

#1363 in Europe

#5863 in the World

Founded: 2003

38. HZ University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Vlissingen

For Philosophy

#1382 in Europe

#6022 in the World

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

39. American University of the Caribbean - School of Medicine

Netherlands | Cupecoy

For Philosophy

#1451 in Europe

#6675 in the World

Founded: 1978

The best cities to study Philosophy in the Netherlands based on the number of universities and their ranks are Amsterdam, Utrecht, Nijmegen, and Groningen.