Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is a public university in Rotterdam with 19,929 bachelor’s and pre-master’s students and 11,312 master’s students in 2025.[1] It is ranked 148th in the QS World University Rankings 2027.[2]
For 2026/27 the statutory fee is €2,694 for students with EEA, Swiss or Surinamese nationality and no equivalent Dutch degree.[3] Everyone else pays an institutional fee that depends on the programme: for non-EEA students it runs from €13,500 to €32,200 for a bachelor’s and from €21,000 to €34,100 for most master’s programmes.[3]
Key facts
| Official name | Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)[4] |
| Location | Rotterdam, Netherlands (Woudestein campus, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA Rotterdam)[5] |
| Type | Public research university[6] |
| Founded | 1913 as the Netherlands School of Commerce; Erasmus University Rotterdam since 1973[4] |
| Students (2025) | 19,929 bachelor’s and pre-master’s, 11,312 master’s; together 31,241 (our sum)[1] |
| Staff (2025) | 3,712 academic and 2,571 support employees[1] |
| Schools and institutes | Ten: six Erasmus schools, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus MC, International Institute of Social Studies and Erasmus University College[7] |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | 148th[2] |
| Tuition 2026/27, statutory fee | €2,694 (Erasmus University College: €5,800)[3] |
| Tuition 2026/27, institutional fee, non-EEA bachelor’s | €13,500–€32,200, depending on the school[3] |
| Tuition 2026/27, institutional fee, non-EEA master’s | €21,000–€34,100 for most programmes, depending on the school[3] |
| Selection | Numerus fixus with weighted lottery, for example International Bachelor Economics and Business Economics (500 places for 2027/28)[8] |
| Official website | eur.nl |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 5 November 2026.
About Erasmus University Rotterdam
The Netherlands School of Commerce (Nederlandsche Handels-Hoogeschool) was founded in 1913 through private initiative backed by Rotterdam’s business community.[4] It became the Netherlands School of Economics, a rename that EUR dates to 1939 and Wikipedia to 1937.[4][6] The government set up the Medical Faculty Rotterdam in 1966, and in 1973 the two merged into Erasmus University Rotterdam, which EUR calls the first university in the Netherlands named after a person, the humanist Desiderius Erasmus.[4]
Its main campus, Woudestein, is at Burgemeester Oudlaan 50 in Rotterdam.[5] The university lists these schools and institutes: Erasmus School of Economics; Health Policy & Management; History, Culture and Communication; Law; Philosophy; Social and Behavioural Sciences; Rotterdam School of Management; Erasmus MC (the medical centre); the International Institute of Social Studies; and Erasmus University College.[7]
How is Erasmus University Rotterdam ranked?
In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, EUR is 148th in the world.[2] IamExpat’s list of 13 Dutch universities places it fifth, behind TU Delft, the University of Amsterdam, Utrecht University and Leiden University.[9]
Wikipedia shows a position of =140 for the previous QS edition (2026), so the 2027 result is 8 places lower.[6] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.
What can you study at Erasmus University Rotterdam?
EUR teaches bachelor’s and master’s programmes in ten schools and institutes:[7]
- Erasmus School of Economics
- Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM): business and management
- Erasmus School of Law
- Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management
- Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication
- Erasmus School of Philosophy
- Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
- Erasmus MC: the medical centre and medical school
- International Institute of Social Studies
- Erasmus University College: the liberal arts and sciences bachelor’s
The key-figures page counts 19,929 bachelor’s and pre-master’s students and 11,312 master’s students for 2025.[1] It does not give an international share or a count of nationalities, so we do not state one.[1] Some bachelor’s programmes are numerus fixus, meaning a limited number of students are admitted.[8]
How much does Erasmus University Rotterdam cost in 2026/27?
The statutory fee for 2026/27 is €2,694 for students with EEA, Swiss or Surinamese nationality who have not obtained an equivalent Dutch degree since 31 August 1991. The bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Sciences at Erasmus University College has an increased statutory rate of €5,800.[3] DUO, the Dutch education agency, also gives €2,694 as the national statutory fee and says that institutions set their institutional fees themselves.[10] A second bachelor’s or master’s generally carries the institutional fee.[3]
Bachelor’s, institutional fee per year
- Economics, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Philosophy, Health Policy & Management, History Culture and Communication, Law
- EEA students
- €8,300
- Non-EEA students
- €13,500
- Rotterdam School of Management
- EEA students
- €8,300
- Non-EEA students
- €14,000
- Erasmus University College
- EEA students
- €16,300
- Non-EEA students
- €16,300
- Erasmus MC
- EEA students
- €28,300
- Non-EEA students
- €32,200
Master’s, institutional fee per year
- Economics, Philosophy, Health Policy & Management, Social and Behavioural Sciences
- EEA students
- €14,800
- Non-EEA students
- €21,000
- History, Culture and Communication
- EEA students
- €14,300
- Non-EEA students
- €21,000
- Law
- EEA students
- €17,300
- Non-EEA students
- €21,000
- Rotterdam School of Management
- EEA students
- €14,800
- Non-EEA students
- €25,800
- Erasmus MC
- EEA students
- €28,300
- Non-EEA students
- €34,100
Part-time, research, joint-degree and some special programmes have other rates, for example €10,300 for non-EEA students in the Research Master Philosophy and €20,500 for the Tinbergen Institute research master’s. The fee page lists them in full.[3] Non-EEA bachelor’s students who were in year 1 or 2 in 2025/26 and re-enrol without a break in the same programme at one of six schools pay €11,700 instead of €13,500 for up to two years.[3]
The fee page states that no rights can be derived from it for the current or future years, and individual programme pages may differ, so check yours.[3] For living costs, see our Netherlands guide and the Study in the Netherlands guide.
How do you apply to Erasmus University Rotterdam?
The route depends on the school and programme.
- Bachelor’s: the International Bachelor Economics and Business Economics is numerus fixus. For the 2027/28 intake it has 500 places, admission uses a decentralised selection procedure and a weighted lottery, and applications go through the EUR Admission Portal. The page we read does not mention Studielink.[8]
- Rotterdam School of Management (master’s): you register in Studielink first, which creates your student account but does not count as the application. You then submit the RSM Online Application Form (OLAF) for one programme and upload documents there. Required documents include a CV, diplomas, transcripts, proof of English at C1 level and, for applicants with non-Dutch diplomas, GMAT results.[11]
- Erasmus School of Economics (master’s): the admission page points to an application procedure page for the steps and sets out English test and diploma requirements by type of previous education.[12]
Deadlines exist, are described as strict and differ by programme and by EU/EEA or non-EU/EEA status.[11][12] We give no dates here because they change every year. Check the page of your programme.
Which language level do you need?
English requirements are set per programme. These two are examples from EUR’s admission pages, both for the 2027/28 intake:
| Programme | IELTS Academic | TOEFL iBT |
|---|---|---|
| International Bachelor Economics and Business Economics | 6.0 overall | 4.5 overall |
| Master’s at Erasmus School of Economics (Economics and Business) | 6.5 overall and 6.5 in each part | 5.0 overall and 4.5 per part (scores from 2026); 91 and 22 (scores before 2026) |
The bachelor’s page lists these as minimum overall scores and the master’s page as totals plus part scores.[8][12] The bachelor’s TOEFL minimum looks low next to the master’s one, so check it on the official page before you test.[8]
Certificates cannot be older than two years at the time of application, and the minimum must be met before the application deadline.[8][12] Non-EEA students who need a visa or residence permit must test at an official centre, as online tests are not accepted for that purpose.[12] For Economics master’s applicants a bachelor’s taught in English does not qualify on its own as an exemption.[12] The Rotterdam School of Management asks for English proof at C1 level for its master’s programmes.[11] Other programmes set their own levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Erasmus University Rotterdam cost for international students?
For 2026/27 non-EEA students pay an institutional fee that depends on the school: €13,500 to €32,200 for a bachelor’s and €21,000 to €34,100 for most master’s programmes. The Rotterdam School of Management charges €14,000 for a bachelor’s and €25,800 for a master’s.[3]
What is the statutory fee at EUR?
€2,694 in 2026/27 for students with EEA, Swiss or Surinamese nationality and no equivalent Dutch degree.[3]
How is Erasmus University Rotterdam ranked?
148th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026.[2]
Are there entry quotas at Erasmus University Rotterdam?
Yes, for some programmes. The International Bachelor Economics and Business Economics has 500 places for 2027/28, filled by selection and a weighted lottery.[8]
What English score do I need for the Erasmus School of Economics master’s?
IELTS Academic 6.5 overall and 6.5 in each part, or an equivalent TOEFL iBT score. Results must be less than two years old.[12]
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 Business School (University of Amsterdam)
- Amsterdam University College
- Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)
- Eindhoven University of Technology
- 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] EUR: Key figures (page without a date; reference year 2025)
[2] NL Times: TU Delft continues as the Netherlands’ top university in the QS World Rankings (QS publishes the ranking at topuniversities.com, which blocks automated access) (article of 18 Jun 2026; QS edition released 18 Jun 2026)
[3] EUR: Tuition fee 2026-2027 (page without a date; the page states that no rights can be derived from it)
[4] EUR: History (page without a date)
[5] EUR: Campus Woudestein (page without a date)
[6] Wikipedia: Erasmus University Rotterdam (founding date, status and the previous QS position; no edit date seen)
[7] EUR: Organisation (faculties and institutes) (page without a date)
[8] EUR: Admission requirements for International Bachelor Economics and Business Economics (page without a date; applies to 2027/28)
[9] IamExpat: TU Delft retains title of best Dutch university in QS rankings (article of 19 Jun 2026)
[10] DUO: Tuition fees (page without a date; Dutch government education agency)
[11] Rotterdam School of Management: How to apply for an MSc programme (page without a date; footer 2026)
[12] EUR, Erasmus School of Economics: Master admission requirements (international diploma) (page without a date; applies to 2027/28)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.