Open Universiteit (Open University of the Netherlands)

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 5 November 2026.

About the Open Universiteit

The OU’s history page dates its founding to September 1984, when Queen Beatrix officially opened the university and the first students enrolled. The Open University Act came into force on 1 January 1985, and the head office in Heerlen was established in 1981.^[1] The OU calls itself a non-traditional, public university with a special mission: to develop, innovate and provide open higher education, with a focus on academic distance education.^[2]

Study centres exist across the Netherlands and Belgium; the head office is at Valkenburgerweg 177 in Heerlen.^[8][1]

How is the Open Universiteit ranked?

The OU is not ranked in the QS World University Rankings 2027: a report on the Dutch results says that “only the Open University did not make the list”.^[7]

In Dutch student-satisfaction guides it comes first. The OU’s rankings page reports the National Student Survey (NSE) 2026, in which it is first of 14 universities with a score of 4.18 out of 5, and the Keuzegids Universiteiten 2027, published on 5 November 2026, where it is first with 71 points ahead of Wageningen University (67.5) and Utrecht University (63).^[4] These guides measure student satisfaction and programme quality, not research output, so they are not comparable with QS. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at the Open Universiteit?

The OU offers bachelor’s, master’s, pre-master’s, single courses, professional programmes and short studies. Subjects include psychology, management, culture, sustainability, education, computer science, information science, law and health.^[9]

• Bachelor’s: for example the BSc Informatica, 180 credits (60 in the first year and 120 after it), taught in Dutch.^[5]
• Master’s: for example the MA Kunst- en cultuurwetenschappen, 60 credits in three tracks, taught in Dutch. Graduates of the OU’s own bachelor’s can enter directly; holders of another research-university degree can be admitted through a 15-credit pre-master’s.^[6]

We could not confirm from the pages we read whether any programme is taught in English.

How much does the Open Universiteit cost in 2026/27?

The OU charges tuition per study credit, not per academic year, and only for the courses you actually take. The 2026/27 programme pages state a price of from €82 per credit; the amount depends on your prior education and nationality, and the pages point to a cost calculator.^[5][6] Study materials, support and exams are included. Requesting an exemption costs €161.^[5]

As an illustration of our own arithmetic, 60 credits at the lowest listed price of €82 come to €4,920 for a full-time-equivalent year; the real amount depends on the credits you take and on your fee category.

Statutory and institutional fees

The Dutch system has a statutory fee (wettelijk collegegeld) and a higher institutional fee (instellingscollegegeld) for students who do not qualify for the statutory one. The 2026/27 programme pages we read do not break these down. The OU’s page for Flemish students lists per-credit rates from September 2024: €82 statutory, €135 institutional for bachelor’s programmes and €180 institutional for master’s programmes.^[10] Those rates are older than the 2026/27 pages, and we could not read the 2026/27 institutional rate, so confirm it with the OU’s cost calculator before you register.

You can apply for the lifelong learning credit (LLLK) from DUO until age 57; where that does not fit, the OU’s tuition discount scheme (KCOU) may apply.^[5] For living costs elsewhere in the country, see our Netherlands guide.

How do you apply to the Open Universiteit?

The OU describes separate registration routes for a bachelor’s, a master’s and a single course.^[11] For bachelor’s programmes there are no admission requirements; you can start from age 18, and general knowledge at havo or vwo level is desirable.^[5] For master’s programmes the entry route depends on your previous degree, for example direct entry for the OU’s own bachelor’s graduates or a pre-master’s for other research-university graduates.^[6]

The OU’s page for Flemish students says you first request admission to your programme, which takes four to eight weeks, and then register for courses before the programme’s fixed start date.^[10] We give no dates because they change every year; check your programme’s page.

Which language level do you need?

The programmes we read are taught in Dutch. The BSc Informatica page says it is important to have a good command of both Dutch and English, but names no language test or minimum level.^[5] The MA Kunst- en cultuurwetenschappen is also taught in Dutch.^[6] We found no certificate list on the pages we read, so ask the OU before you enrol if you are not a native Dutch speaker.

More about studying in Netherlands

• Netherlands: best universities
• Study in Netherlands: complete guide
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

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