Utrecht University Summary
Utrecht University is a public university that’s been around since 1636. It’s based in the city of Utrecht, which is less than 30 miles south of Amsterdam. The university operates across four campuses, with the main one located at the Utrecht Science Park – De Uithof, just east of the city center. About 30,000 students are enrolled here. For students coming from outside the European Union and European Economic Area, tuition fees are higher—except for those from Switzerland and Suriname. Students can also apply for dorm housing, which is managed by an external organization.
There are seven main academic faculties at Utrecht University: Geosciences, Humanities, Law, Economics and Governance, Medicine, Science, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine. The university also has two liberal arts colleges—University College Roosevelt and University College Utrecht—as well as a dedicated center for teaching and learning. In total, students can choose from about 45 bachelor’s programs and over 130 master’s programs. Most classes are taught in Dutch, though a few undergraduate programs and more than 80 master’s programs are offered in English. Some examples of English-taught master’s degrees include Banking and Finance, Cultural History of Modern Europe, and Religious Studies.
Utrecht University organizes much of its research around four key themes: Youth and Development, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences, and Sustainability. The Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development and the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research are two of its well-known research centers.
Utrecht University Rankings
Utrecht University is currently ranked #49 among the Best Global Universities. These rankings are based on a variety of widely accepted indicators that measure academic excellence. Learn more about the methodology behind these rankings.
Global Rankings:
- #49 in Best Global Universities
- #12 in Best Global Universities in Europe
- #2 in Best Global Universities in the Netherlands
Subject-Specific Rankings for Utrecht University:
- #153 in Agricultural Sciences (tie)
- #35 in Arts and Humanities
- #58 in Biology and Biochemistry
- #47 in Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology
- #45 in Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems
- #57 in Cell Biology
- #190 in Chemistry (tie)
- #76 in Clinical Medicine (tie)
- #209 in Computer Science (tie)
- #38 in Ecology
- #197 in Economics and Business
- #22 in Education and Educational Research (tie)
- #109 in Endocrinology and Metabolism
- #178 in Energy and Fuels
- #281 in Engineering
- #153 in Environmental Engineering
- #37 in Environment/Ecology (tie)
- #104 in Gastroenterology and Hepatology
- #17 in Geosciences
- #52 in Green and Sustainable Science and Technology
- #68 in Immunology
- #34 in Infectious Diseases
- #38 in Marine and Freshwater Biology (tie)
- #399 in Materials Science (tie)
- #275 in Mathematics (tie)
- #16 in Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences
- #6 in Microbiology
- #55 in Molecular Biology and Genetics
- #262 in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (tie)
- #81 in Neuroscience and Behavior
- #90 in Oncology (tie)
- #40 in Pharmacology and Toxicology (tie)
- #246 in Physical Chemistry
- #220 in Physics (tie)
- #28 in Plant and Animal Science
- #24 in Psychiatry/Psychology
- #22 in Public, Environmental and Occupational Health
- #34 in Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging
- #22 in Social Sciences and Public Health
- #21 in Surgery (tie)
- #46 in Water Resources (tie)
2025–2026 Indicator Rankings
Utrecht University’s position in the Best Global Universities ranking is based on 13 different indicators. Here’s how it performed across those indicators compared to other institutions:
- Global rank: #49 in Best Global Universities
- Global score: 76.1
- Global research reputation: #90
- Regional research reputation: #45
- Publications: #68
- Books: #57
- Conferences: #325
- Normalized citation impact: #122
- Total citations: #51
- Top 10% most cited publications (number): #55
- Top 10% most cited publications (percentage): #103
- International collaboration – relative to country: #1210
- International collaboration (overall): #413
- Highly cited papers in the top 1% (number): #51
- Highly cited papers in the top 1% (percentage): #127