More American students enrolled at the UvA this year
Significantly more American students applied at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) this academic year. The political situation in America is making the country less attractive to students. “Tuition fees are also cheaper here.”
Trump’s attack on science is also affecting American students. This is reflected in the number of pre-registrations from the US at the UvA. For the 2025-2026 academic year, the number of applications from American students rose by 20 per cent compared to last year. And by as much as 50 per cent for Master’s programmes. This is stated in the minutes of the Executive Board.
What are the reasons for Claire, Tessza and Parker to study at the UvA? And how do they view the political situation in America?
In the academic year 2024-2025, there were 251 American Bachelor’s students and 180 American Master's students studying at the UvA. Out of a total student population of 44,000, Americans make up less than 1 per cent of the UvA student body.
In recent years, the number of American students has grown slightly faster than the total growth of the university, from 272 in 2019-2020 to 431 in 2024-2025.
Claire (25)
Master’s in International Development Studies
“The political unrest was certainly not the only reason for going to Europe for my master’s degree. I already wanted to go abroad during my bachelor’s degree in International Relations, but that didn’t happen because of the coronavirus pandemic. Money also played a role. I’m from New York, and a master’s programme is incredibly expensive there.”
“So I had already applied to the UvA in September 2024 and was quite optimistic that Kamala Harris would win. But when Trump was elected, I knew for sure that I didn’t want to stay. When I heard that I had been accepted, everyone said: you’re leaving at the right time, I wish I could go with you to Europe.”
“At the beginning of 2025, I was still working for the ngo Save the Children, which is committed to helping children in emergency situations worldwide. The Trump administration’s measures hit us hard. A third of the employees were laid off and we had to stop our work in 89 countries. And that was only day twenty of Trump’s presidency.”
“On the one hand, these developments strengthened my decision to leave. On the other hand, it also felt like very bad timing to study International Development Studies, because the future for development work looked so hopelessly bleak at that moment.”
“Being here in Amsterdam helps me to see that all is not lost. Here, I see other people filling the gaps that Trump has left in global healthcare. The US is really xenophobic and stuck in its own bubble. I already knew that, but moving to Amsterdam has given me many more different perspectives. It’s really refreshing to be able to talk to people here who share the same view on Trump. Then you don’t have to beat around the bush. I like that directness here.”
“I hear from many people in America that they want to come to Europe. I don’t know how many of them are joking but several people have already contacted me with that question. And my father brings it up every time he calls me. There is so much uncertainty there now, every day feels like a new challenge. I think there is hope for the future, as long as we can get through the next three years – in a few months’ time.”
Tessza (22)
Master’s in Film Studies
“When Trump was elected, I knew I no longer wanted to stay in the US. With the changes to abortion laws and developments surrounding ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a US government police service, ed.), it no longer felt like a country where I wanted to settle down.”
“I wanted to go to Europe – family of me is living there – and the University of Amsterdam is highly regarded in the field of media studies. What’s more, the tuition fees here are much lower than in Great Britain, and certainly compared to America. I really enjoy studying here. I feel safer in Amsterdam than in the US. There are no guns here.”
“Many of my American friends say they want to go abroad. Some of them have already left. For some, the visa is the stumbling block. I have European citizenship, so it was easier for me. The housing market is also a deterrent – finding a house in Amsterdam from the US is not easy.”
Parker (22)
Third-year student, Bachelor’s in English Language & Culture
“Above all, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and be far away from Idaho, the state where I grew up. Idaho is a beautiful state, but it’s also a red state: full of racists and xenophobes. I wanted to surround myself with like-minded people, and the UvA is known as a good university with lots of international students. Above all, I wanted to get away from the American mindset. By that I mean: a boundless ego and individualistic way of thinking. It’s my way or the highway is an American saying that I think fits very well.”
“Now, with the political situation in America, I am constantly worried about my family and friends back home. In Idaho, there is no right to abortion. That’s why women now go to other states for abortions, but there are rumours that they want to make that illegal too.”
“Sometimes I feel guilty that I left. And I’m glad I’m not there now. But ultimately, I haven’t completely escaped it here either, because Idaho will always be my home.”
“Here in the Netherlands, people are also concerned that politics is moving in the same direction as in America. I recognise the rhetoric in the news. But one difference is that politics works differently here: there is more cooperation between the different parties. In America, it can shift completely from left to right in a single election. Again, America is much more ‘my way or the highway’.”
Response UvA
Whether more American students have actually enrolled at the UvA this year remains to be seen. “We never release figures on pre-registrations because that can give a highly distorted picture,” said a spokesperson for the UvA when asked. “There are all kinds of reasons why people do not complete their enrolment. Some students apply for multiple programmes and/or universities, do not meet the admission requirements, or decide to take a gap year or not to study at all.”
Official enrolment of students at the UvA is expected in the first half of November. The UvA is expected to reach 45,000 students for the first time.
*For privacy reasons, only the first names of the students are mentioned in the article. The full names of the students are known to the editors.
