40 Best universities for Political Science 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 Political Science. A graph of 12.4M citations received by 355K 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 Political Science

#6 in Europe

#34 in the World

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

2. Utrecht University

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Political Science

#19 in Europe

#74 in the World

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

3. Erasmus University Rotterdam

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Political Science

#25 in Europe

#86 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Founded: 1913

4. University of Groningen

Netherlands | Groningen

For Political Science

#34 in Europe

#115 in the World

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

5. Radboud University

Netherlands | Nijmegen

For Political Science

#35 in Europe

#116 in the World

Founded: 1923

6. Leiden University

Netherlands | Leiden

For Political Science

#36 in Europe

#118 in the World

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

7. Free University Amsterdam

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Political Science

#46 in Europe

#138 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1880

8. Tilburg University

Netherlands | Tilburg

For Political Science

#55 in Europe

#165 in the World

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

9. Maastricht University

Netherlands | Maastricht

For Political Science

#57 in Europe

#168 in the World

Enrollment: 18,000
Founded: 1976

10. Delft University of Technology

Netherlands | Delft

For Political Science

#64 in Europe

#185 in the World

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

11. Wageningen University

Netherlands | Wageningen

For Political Science

#88 in Europe

#239 in the World

Enrollment: 12,819
Founded: 1918

12. University of Twente

Netherlands | Enschede

For Political Science

#101 in Europe

#256 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1961

13. Eindhoven University of Technology

Netherlands | Eindhoven

For Political Science

#159 in Europe

#382 in the World

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

14. Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Professional Education

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Political Science

#566 in Europe

#1540 in the World

Founded: 1619

15. Nyenrode Business University

Netherlands | Breukelen

For Political Science

#567 in Europe

#1544 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1946

16. Fontys University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Venlo

For Political Science

#690 in Europe

#2070 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1996

17. HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Political Science

#721 in Europe

#2198 in the World

Founded: 1993

18. Rotterdam University

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Political Science

#733 in Europe

#2263 in the World

Enrollment: 36,000
Founded: 1988

19. University of Humanistic Studies

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Political Science

#769 in Europe

#2420 in the World

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

20. Hague University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | The Hague

For Political Science

#818 in Europe

#2720 in the World

Enrollment: 2,331
Founded: 1987

21. Breda University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Breda

For Political Science

#846 in Europe

#2861 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 1966

22. HAN University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Arnhem

For Political Science

#861 in Europe

#2945 in the World

Founded: 1996

23. Zuyd University

Netherlands | Heerlen

For Political Science

#871 in Europe

#3004 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Founded: 2001

24. Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen

Netherlands | Groningen

For Political Science

#926 in Europe

#3337 in the World

Founded: 1986

25. Windesheim University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Zwolle

For Political Science

#966 in Europe

#3569 in the World

Founded: 1986

26. INHolland University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Haarlem

For Political Science

#1000 in Europe

#3761 in the World

Founded: 2002

27. Saxion University

Netherlands | Enschede

For Political Science

#1010 in Europe

#3794 in the World

Enrollment: 27,000
Founded: 1989

28. Utrecht School of the Arts

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Political Science

#1031 in Europe

#3912 in the World

Founded: 1987

29. NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Leeuwarden

For Political Science

#1038 in Europe

#3948 in the World

Founded: 2008

30. TIAS School for Business and Society

Netherlands | Eindhoven

For Political Science

#1103 in Europe

#4352 in the World

Founded: 1986

31. AVANS University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Breda

For Political Science

#1142 in Europe

#4540 in the World

Enrollment: 29,000
Founded: 2004

32. Hogeschool Leiden, University of Professional Education

Netherlands | Leiden

For Political Science

#1171 in Europe

#4713 in the World

Founded: 1984

33. Codarts University of the Arts

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Political Science

#1195 in Europe

#4887 in the World

Founded: 1930

34. Ede Christian University

Netherlands | Ede

For Political Science

#1267 in Europe

#5369 in the World

Founded: 1994

35. University of Aruba

Netherlands | Oranjestad

For Political Science

#1282 in Europe

#5446 in the World

Founded: 1970

36. Hotelschool The Hague

Netherlands | The Hague

For Political Science

#1308 in Europe

#5587 in the World

Founded: 1929

37. Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Velp

For Political Science

#1335 in Europe

#5795 in the World

Founded: 2003

38. HZ University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Vlissingen

For Political Science

#1396 in Europe

#6193 in the World

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

39. ArtEZ Institute for the Arts

Netherlands | Arnhem

For Political Science

#1404 in Europe

#6257 in the World

Founded: 2002

40. American University of the Caribbean - School of Medicine

Netherlands | Cupecoy

For Political Science

#1435 in Europe

#6498 in the World

Founded: 1978

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