The UvA moved up three places in the Times Higher Education magazine’s rankings, taking second place among all Dutch universities. However, the makers of the ranking do wonder to what extent the Netherlands will still be international leading in the future, given the plans of the new government.
The UvA went from place 61 to 58, just below TU Delft, which is the highest ranked of all Dutch universities. With that, no Dutch university is currently in the top 50.
The makers of Times Higher Education, that ranks universities each year based on the quality of education and research, say the new cabinet’s announced budget cuts and restrictions on international students and researchers are causing the sector in the Netherlands to be put under further pressure amid growing international competition.
“The Netherlands has long been a leader in attracting students from around the world,” the magazine said. “For the foreseeable future, this has probably been the highest achievable, given plans to reduce the number of international students.”
The best university in the world is the University of Oxford, for the ninth time in a row. Masschusetts Institute of Technology is second, followed by Harvard University.
The Times Higher Education ranking is one of the most influential and prominent rankings in the world. But such rankings are also often criticised because the differences between universities are often small.