University of Groningen
Established in 1614, the University of Groningen is the second oldest university in the Netherlands and a prestigious, leading European university ranked amongst the top global universities.
The university embodies a rich tradition of academic excellence and commitment to contributing to societal advancement. It offers a diverse range of research-driven programmes, covering a broad range of subjects, all taught in English, from sciences and engineering to humanities and social sciences. Quality of education has been a top priority for over 400 years, and with success: the University is currently in or around the Top 100 in several influential world university rankings.
Groningen is a beautiful historic city with a young international population and a vibrant cultural scene. A 2023 European Commission study ranked the city of Groningen as the third happiest in the European Union and third for general quality of life.*
*2023 Report on the Quality of Life in European Cities, European Commission
Fast Facts
Location
- Groningen, The Netherlands
Number of Students
- 34,000 of which 8,250 are international students, representing 120 nationalities
Faculties
- Faculty of Economics and Business
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Faculty of Medical Sciences
- Faculty of Spatial Sciences
- Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Philosophy
- University College Groningen
- Campus Fryslân
Key strengths in teaching and research
The University of Groningen offers a broad range of programmes across many different subject areas. Some of the highest world-ranked* ones are:
- Arts and Humanities (Top 50)
- Social Sciences (Top 50)
- Law (Top 60)
- Psychology (Top 60)
- Clinical, Pre-clinical & Health (Top 75)
- Business and Economics (Top 75)
- Physical Sciences (Top 100)
- Education (Top 100)
* THE World Rankings, 2024
THE World University Rankings 2024
THE World University Rankings 2024
Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU 2023)
Location
This vibrant, youthful city is among the country’s most progressive urban metropolises, with a 50,000-strong student population injecting bags of creative guts and zest into its buzzing cafe life, hedonistic nightlife and rampant cultural scene. Dozens of Dutch cities subsequently followed suit, but it is pioneering Groningen that remains one of the country’s most brilliant cycling cities. (Lonely Planet, 2019)
Groningen, capital of the eponymous province in the northern part of Holland, is a lively city that has much to offer in terms of culture and events, beautiful historic monuments like the Martini Tower, great shopping districts for a wonderful shopping spree, and excellent restaurants. (www.holland.com)
A 2023 European Commission study ranked the city of Groningen as the third happiest in the European Union and third for general quality of life.
(2023 Report on the Quality of Life in European Cities, European Commission)
Did you know?
- The University of Groningen has been very international since its inception. When the university started in 1614 it had 82 students of which already 30 were from abroad.
- One Scottish international student, back in 1730, later became Prime Minister of Great Britain (John Stuart)
- In 1812, during Napoleon’s occupation of the Netherlands the university temporarily became a ‘branch campus’ of the Imperial University of Paris.
- The university produced four Nobel Prize winners, was home to the first female university student in the Netherlands, the first female lecturer, the first Dutch astronaut, the first president of the European Central Bank, various members of the Dutch Royal Family, politicians and CEOs of some well known companies such as Lloyds Bank, Marks & Spencer, Heineken and Unilever, amongst others.
Scholarships and Funding
The University of Groningen has various funding and scholarship arrangements in place for international students. Scholarships may be offered by the university itself, some by the Dutch Government, whilst others are country-specific scholarships or study loans, part of an agreement with funding bodies across Latin America. Below is an overview of opportunities available to Latin American students interested in studying at the University of Groningen.
For further information please do some research directly with these funding bodies, or contact the Inova Education team and we can assist you identifying opportunities available in your country. Note that in most cases you cannot apply for scholarships or study loans until after you have secured a university offer.
