40 Best universities for Sociology 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 Sociology. A graph of 11.2M citations received by 292K 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 Sociology

#7 in Europe

#40 in the World

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

2. Utrecht University

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Sociology

#19 in Europe

#70 in the World

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

3. University of Groningen

Netherlands | Groningen

For Sociology

#27 in Europe

#90 in the World

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

4. Erasmus University Rotterdam

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Sociology

#30 in Europe

#97 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Founded: 1913

5. Radboud University

Netherlands | Nijmegen

For Sociology

#31 in Europe

#99 in the World

Founded: 1923

6. Free University Amsterdam

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Sociology

#41 in Europe

#138 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1880

7. Leiden University

Netherlands | Leiden

For Sociology

#44 in Europe

#143 in the World

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

8. Maastricht University

Netherlands | Maastricht

For Sociology

#45 in Europe

#148 in the World

Enrollment: 18,000
Founded: 1976

9. Wageningen University

Netherlands | Wageningen

For Sociology

#61 in Europe

#194 in the World

Enrollment: 12,819
Founded: 1918

10. Tilburg University

Netherlands | Tilburg

For Sociology

#75 in Europe

#234 in the World

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

11. Delft University of Technology

Netherlands | Delft

For Sociology

#84 in Europe

#262 in the World

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

12. University of Twente

Netherlands | Enschede

For Sociology

#102 in Europe

#302 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1961

13. Eindhoven University of Technology

Netherlands | Eindhoven

For Sociology

#158 in Europe

#438 in the World

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

14. Rotterdam University

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Sociology

#520 in Europe

#1569 in the World

Enrollment: 36,000
Founded: 1988

15. Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Professional Education

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Sociology

#524 in Europe

#1579 in the World

Founded: 1619

16. Fontys University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Venlo

For Sociology

#576 in Europe

#1829 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1996

17. University of Humanistic Studies

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Sociology

#651 in Europe

#2183 in the World

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

18. HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Sociology

#666 in Europe

#2263 in the World

Founded: 1993

19. Zuyd University

Netherlands | Heerlen

For Sociology

#731 in Europe

#2599 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Founded: 2001

20. Hague University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | The Hague

For Sociology

#737 in Europe

#2630 in the World

Enrollment: 2,331
Founded: 1987

21. HAN University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Arnhem

For Sociology

#791 in Europe

#2931 in the World

Founded: 1996

22. Breda University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Breda

For Sociology

#805 in Europe

#3008 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 1966

23. Nyenrode Business University

Netherlands | Breukelen

For Sociology

#812 in Europe

#3033 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1946

24. Windesheim University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Zwolle

For Sociology

#846 in Europe

#3195 in the World

Founded: 1986

25. Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen

Netherlands | Groningen

For Sociology

#861 in Europe

#3277 in the World

Founded: 1986

26. Saxion University

Netherlands | Enschede

For Sociology

#940 in Europe

#3805 in the World

Enrollment: 27,000
Founded: 1989

27. INHolland University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Haarlem

For Sociology

#945 in Europe

#3843 in the World

Founded: 2002

28. Utrecht School of the Arts

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Sociology

#965 in Europe

#3975 in the World

Founded: 1987

29. NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Leeuwarden

For Sociology

#1051 in Europe

#4462 in the World

Founded: 2008

30. AVANS University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Breda

For Sociology

#1067 in Europe

#4537 in the World

Enrollment: 29,000
Founded: 2004

31. TIAS School for Business and Society

Netherlands | Eindhoven

For Sociology

#1083 in Europe

#4640 in the World

Founded: 1986

32. Hogeschool Leiden, University of Professional Education

Netherlands | Leiden

For Sociology

#1213 in Europe

#5272 in the World

Founded: 1984

33. University of Aruba

Netherlands | Oranjestad

For Sociology

#1255 in Europe

#5508 in the World

Founded: 1970

34. ArtEZ Institute for the Arts

Netherlands | Arnhem

For Sociology

#1262 in Europe

#5543 in the World

Founded: 2002

35. Codarts University of the Arts

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Sociology

#1279 in Europe

#5634 in the World

Founded: 1930

36. Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Velp

For Sociology

#1323 in Europe

#5897 in the World

Founded: 2003

37. Ede Christian University

Netherlands | Ede

For Sociology

#1356 in Europe

#6112 in the World

Founded: 1994

38. HZ University of Applied Sciences

Netherlands | Vlissingen

For Sociology

#1368 in Europe

#6202 in the World

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

39. American University of the Caribbean - School of Medicine

Netherlands | Cupecoy

For Sociology

#1392 in Europe

#6338 in the World

Founded: 1978

40. Hotelschool The Hague

Netherlands | The Hague

For Sociology

#1397 in Europe

#6364 in the World

Founded: 1929

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