Amsterdam Business School (ABS) is one of the two schools of the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Amsterdam (UvA); the other is the Amsterdam School of Economics.[1] ABS holds the AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS accreditations.[2] The University of Amsterdam as a whole is 60th in the QS World University Rankings 2027.[3]
UvA’s statutory tuition fee for 2026/27 is €2,694. UvA now publishes institutional fees only for 2027/28: €24,500 for an ABS master’s and €25,300 for the master’s in Finance for non-EEA students, €15,730 for a bachelor’s in Economics and Business.[4] The one-year MSc Business Administration is taught in English and needs IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 92, among other tests.[5][6]
Key facts
| Official name | Amsterdam Business School (ABS), University of Amsterdam |
| Type | One of two schools of the UvA Faculty of Economics and Business, together with the Amsterdam School of Economics[1] |
| Location | Roeterseiland Campus, Amsterdam; the faculty’s visiting address is Roetersstraat 11, 1018 WB Amsterdam (ABS has no separate address on the page)[7] |
| Faculty founded | 1922, as the Faculty of Commerce, the sixth faculty of the university; the page gives no founding date for ABS itself[8] |
| Programmes | Bachelor’s, master’s and programmes for professionals (MBAs, master’s, long-term and short-term programmes)[9] |
| Accreditations | AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS (“Triple Crown”); EQUIS since 2007, AACSB and AMBA since 2016[2] |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | University of Amsterdam: 60th worldwide, 16th in Europe (ABS is not ranked separately)[3] |
| QS Business Master’s (UvA programme page) | MSc Business Administration: 55th worldwide; the page does not state the edition year[5] |
| MSc Business Administration | 12 months, 60 ECTS, full-time, in English; 9 specialisations; September or February start; students from more than 100 nationalities[5] |
| Tuition 2026/27, statutory fee | €2,694[4] |
| Tuition 2027/28, non-EEA institutional fee | €24,500 master’s (ABS) · €25,300 master’s in Finance (ABS) · €15,730 bachelor’s (Economics and Business)[4] |
| English tests, MSc Business Administration | IELTS Academic 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 92 (22 per part) · PTE Academic 71[6] |
| Official website | abs.uva.nl |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 5 November 2026.
About Amsterdam Business School
The ABS website says: “The Amsterdam Business School (ABS) is part of the University of Amsterdam, Economics and Business.”[9] The faculty page names two schools within the faculty, the Amsterdam Business School and the Amsterdam School of Economics.[1] The faculty itself goes back to 1922, when the Faculty of Commerce was established as the sixth faculty of the university.[8]
The pages we read give no founding year, legal form or student count for ABS alone. The faculty’s pages give no student figures either.[1] The faculty’s campus is Roeterseiland in Amsterdam.[7]
How is Amsterdam Business School ranked?
The QS World University Rankings rank universities, not the schools inside them. The University of Amsterdam is 60th worldwide and 16th in Europe in the 2027 edition published on 18 June 2026.[3] Wikipedia’s article on the university also gives 60 for the 2027 edition.[10] A table published by Utrecht University’s DUB lists UvA at 53 under 2027 and 60 under 2026; it conflicts with the other two sources, so we use 60.[11]
On its own pages the university gives two business-school results: the MSc Business Administration is “ranked #55 in QS Business Master’s worldwide” (no edition year on the page),[5] and the Management of International Business and Trade track is ranked joint 9th worldwide in the QS International Trade Rankings 2027.[9] These rank single programmes, not the whole school. Rankings differ by publisher and year. How we compile rankings.
What can you study at Amsterdam Business School?
ABS offers bachelor’s and master’s programmes and programmes for professionals, including MBAs.[9] Examples from the university’s pages:
- MSc Business Administration: a full-time, English-taught programme of 60 ECTS in 12 months at the Roeterseiland campus, with nine specialisations: Consumer Marketing, Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Management in the Creative Industries, International Business, Leadership and Management, Management of International Business and Trade, Strategy, and Strategy and AI Transformation. Start in September or February (February offers three tracks). A four-month pre-master’s exists for applicants who do not yet meet the requirements.[5]
- Master’s in Finance and Entrepreneurship: listed with their own fee rates.[4]
- Doctoral studies: about 15 new PhD candidates a year.[9]
How much does Amsterdam Business School cost?
For 2026/27 the University of Amsterdam states one amount that we could read: the statutory fee of €2,694. Its fee page now shows the institutional fees for 2027/28 only, so we give those with their year.[4]
| Programme (Economics and Business) | Non-EEA students, 2027/28 |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s | €15,730 |
| Master’s (Amsterdam Business School) | €24,500 |
| Master’s in Finance (Amsterdam Business School) | €25,300 |
| Master’s in Entrepreneurship (joint degree with VU) | €25,370 |
| Master’s Business Data Science | €21,200 |
The same page lists a separate institutional fee for students who start a second Dutch degree: €14,300 for a bachelor’s and €20,300 for a one-year master’s, both 2027/28.[4] The institutional rates apply to students who are not nationals of an EU or EEA state, Switzerland or Suriname, or who start a second Dutch degree.[4] Confirm the rate for your intake before you apply.
Programme pages add books, excursions and a laptop as costs besides tuition.[5] For living costs in Amsterdam, see our Netherlands guide and the Study in the Netherlands guide.
How do you apply to Amsterdam Business School?
For the MSc Business Administration, applicants with an international degree need an academic bachelor’s or master’s in business administration, economics or a business-related field, including 15 ECTS in academic research (at least 10 of them quantitative, not counting a thesis) and at least 15 ECTS of intermediate or advanced business courses in at least two listed fields. A GPA of 7.0 or higher is required for selection, which does not guarantee admission.[6]
The application includes a motivation letter of at most one A4 page, a GPA calculation from all bachelor’s years, and a GMAT or GRE score report; applicants from certain partner universities may be exempt from the GMAT or GRE. You are notified by email about acceptance and your track, and admission is competitive.[6] The page we read does not describe the application platform or the steps, so use the programme’s application page. We give no deadlines because they change every year.
Which English level do you need?
For the MSc Business Administration, international applicants must show one of these results, taken no more than two years before the programme start:[6]
- IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall, with Reading 6.0, Listening 6.0, Speaking 6.5 and Writing 6.5 (the IELTS Indicator is not allowed).
- TOEFL iBT: 92 overall with at least 22 per part (0-120 scale), or 4.5 on the 1-6 scale with Reading 4.5, Listening 5.0, Speaking 4.0 and Writing 4.5.
- Cambridge C1 Advanced: 180 overall and per skill; C2 Proficiency: 200.
- Pearson PTE Academic: 71 overall, 65 per part. LanguageCert Academic: 70 overall, 65 per part.
Applicants whose previous education was in the Netherlands, Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States are exempt, as are applicants with an older English test plus an English-taught degree or an exchange of at least six months in one of those countries.[6] Requirements can differ by programme, so check the page of the programme you want.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Amsterdam Business School a separate university?
How much does Amsterdam Business School cost for non-EEA students?
How is Amsterdam Business School ranked?
Which English test scores does the MSc Business Administration require?
For example IELTS Academic 6.5 overall (no part below 6.0) or TOEFL iBT 92 with at least 22 per part.[6]
Is Amsterdam Business School accredited?
Yes. The University of Amsterdam says its Amsterdam Business School is triple accredited by AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS; EQUIS has been held since 2007 and AACSB and AMBA since 2016.[2]
More about studying in Netherlands
- Netherlands: best universities
- Study in Netherlands: complete guide
- Cost of Studying Abroad
- International Student Scholarships
- University Ranking Methodology
More university profiles in Netherlands
- Amsterdam University College
- Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)
- Eindhoven University of Technology
- Erasmus University Rotterdam
- Leiden University College The Hague
- Leiden University
- Maastricht University
- Nyenrode Business University
- Open Universiteit (Open University of the Netherlands)
- Radboud University
- Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM)
- Tilburg University
- University College Utrecht
- University of Amsterdam (UvA)
- University of Groningen
- University of Twente
- Utrecht University
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- Wageningen University & Research
Sources
[1] University of Amsterdam: Faculty of Economics and Business (page without a date; footer copyright UvA 2026)
[2] University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics and Business: Accreditations (page without a date; attributes the accreditations to “UvA Economics and Business”)
[3] NL Times: TU Delft continues as the Netherlands’ top university in QS rankings (QS publishes the ranking at topuniversities.com, which blocks automated access) (article of 18 Jun 2026; QS edition 2027)
[4] University of Amsterdam: Tuition fees (page without a date; tables labelled 2027-2028, statutory fee also stated for 2026-2027)
[5] University of Amsterdam: Business Administration (MSc) (page without a date; footer copyright UvA 2026)
[6] University of Amsterdam: Business Administration (MSc), applicants with an international degree (page without a date; refers to the September 2027 intake)
[7] University of Amsterdam, Economics and Business: Contact and location (page without a date)
[8] University of Amsterdam, Economics and Business: Honouring the past, delivering the future (page without a date)
[9] Amsterdam Business School: Home (page without a date; footer copyright UvA 2026)
[10] Wikipedia: University of Amsterdam (secondary source, QS position for the 2027 edition)
[11] DUB (Utrecht University): Dutch universities fall in global QS rankings (article of 19 Jun 2026; its table conflicts with the other sources)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.