The University of Groningen is a public research university in the north of the Netherlands, founded in 1614. It has about 32,500 students, 26 percent of them international, and 11 faculties.[1] It is ranked 157th in the QS World University Rankings 2027.[2]
For 2026/27 the statutory fee is €2,694. Non-EU/EEA students pay a university tuition fee that depends on the faculty: full-time bachelor’s programmes cost €14,000 to €32,000 and master’s programmes €19,900 to €32,000.[3][4] English-taught programmes need IELTS Academic 6.0, 6.5 or 7.0, depending on the programme.[5]
Key facts
| Official name | University of Groningen; Dutch name Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RUG)[6] |
| Location | Groningen, Netherlands (Academy Building, Broerstraat 5, 9712 CP Groningen)[7] |
| Type | Public research university[6] |
| Founded | 23 August 1614, by the council of the province of Groningen and the Ommelanden[8] |
| Students | 32,500, of which 26% international (8,500)[1] |
| Nationalities | More than 120 (the page does not say whether this counts students, staff or both)[1] |
| Staff | 7,350 FTE, including the Faculty of Medical Sciences; 29% international[1] |
| Faculties | 11, one of them in Leeuwarden[1] |
| Study programmes | 45 bachelor’s and 120 master’s programmes, most taught in English[1] |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | 157th[2] |
| Tuition 2026/27, statutory fee | €2,694 full-time; €1,984 part-time or dual[4] |
| Tuition 2026/27, non-EU/EEA bachelor’s (full-time) | €14,000–€32,000, depending on the faculty[3] |
| Tuition 2026/27, non-EU/EEA master’s (full-time) | €19,900–€32,000, depending on the faculty[4] |
| Official website | rug.nl |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 5 November 2026.
About the University of Groningen
The council of the province of Groningen and the Ommelanden founded the university on 23 August 1614. Six professors taught in the faculties of Law, Medicine, Philosophy and Theology, and 82 students enrolled in the first year, 30 of them from abroad.[8] Wikipedia calls it the second oldest university in the Netherlands after Leiden and says it was renamed Rijksuniversiteit Groningen after the Higher Education Act of 1876.[6]
Today the university has 11 faculties, one of them in Leeuwarden, and a figure of 7,350 FTE staff that includes the Faculty of Medical Sciences.[1] The figures above come from the university’s 2025 annual report as shown on its key-figures page, which was last modified on 12 October 2026.[1]
How is the University of Groningen ranked?
In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, the University of Groningen is 157th in the world.[2] In IamExpat’s list of 13 Dutch universities it is eighth.[9]
Wikipedia shows =147 for the previous QS edition (2026), so the 2027 result is 10 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 the University of Groningen?
The university offers 45 bachelor’s and 120 master’s programmes, most of them taught in English.[1] According to Wikipedia, the faculties are:[6]
- Economics and Business
- Arts
- Law
- Religion, Culture and Society
- Philosophy
- Behavioural and Social Sciences
- Medical Sciences
- Science and Engineering
- Spatial Sciences
- University College Groningen, a liberal arts college
- Campus Fryslân in Leeuwarden
The BSc International Business is a numerus fixus programme: for the September 2027 start there are 400 places, selected through an online “Fit & Benchmark” activity made up of a programme preview and a general aptitude quiz. Your CV and previous study results are not considered. The page notes that the quota for 2026/27 was 550.[10]
How much does the University of Groningen cost in 2026/27?
The statutory fee for 2026/27 is €2,694 full-time and €1,984 part-time or dual. It applies if you hold a qualifying nationality (Dutch, EU/EEA, Swiss, Surinamese or certain residence permits) and have not already earned the same degree at a Dutch government-funded institution. The bachelor’s in Liberal Arts & Sciences (University College Groningen) and the bachelor’s Global Politics and Sustainability at Campus Fryslân have a statutory fee of €5,343.[3][4] DUO, the Dutch education agency, also gives €2,694 as the national statutory fee.[11]
Everyone else pays a “university tuition fee II”, the University of Groningen’s term for what other institutions call the institutional fee. It applies to non-EU/EEA students and to EU/EEA students on a second degree.[4]
Non-EU/EEA students, full-time bachelor’s, per year
| Faculty or programme | 2026/27 |
|---|---|
| Economics and Business; Behavioural and Social Sciences; Religion, Culture and Society; Arts; Law; Spatial Sciences; Philosophy; Campus Fryslân (Data Science and Society) | €14,000 |
| Campus Fryslân (Global Politics & Sustainability); University College Groningen | €17,200 |
| Science and Engineering; Medical Sciences (Human Movement Sciences) | €19,800 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | €32,000 |
Non-EU/EEA students, full-time master’s, per year
| Faculty or programme | 2026/27 |
|---|---|
| Religion, Culture and Society; Arts; Philosophy | €19,900 |
| Economics and Business; Behavioural and Social Sciences; Law; Spatial Sciences; Campus Fryslân | €22,200 |
| Science and Engineering; Medical Sciences (Human Movement Sciences, Sport Sciences, Research Master’s) | €24,900 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | €32,000 |
EU/EEA students on a second degree pay a lower university tuition fee II: €12,200 to €27,800 for a bachelor’s and €16,900 to €27,800 for a master’s, again by faculty.[3][4] Part-time fees for non-EU/EEA bachelor’s students are listed only from 2027/28.[3]
The university also lists a “university tuition fee I” for a few groups, such as UAF-recognised student refugees and non-EU/EEA partners of EU citizens living in the Netherlands, who pay the statutory amount.[4] If you enrol after 30 September you pay 1/12 of the fee for each remaining month.[4] For living costs and more, see our Netherlands guide and the Study in the Netherlands guide.
How do you apply to the University of Groningen?
For a master’s with a non-Dutch qualification the steps are:[12]
- Studielink: submit your enrolment request in Studielink, the national application site. You can have at most four active applications, and you should reuse an existing Studielink account.
- Application fee: pay a non-refundable €100 if you hold a non-Dutch diploma. You pay it once even if you apply to several programmes in one study year, and the Admissions Office does not start assessing your file until it arrives.
- Progress Portal: upload the documents that verify your previous education, in English, and submit the application.
- Assessment: the Admissions Board checks that your diploma is at the level of a Dutch research-university (WO) bachelor’s and fits the programme. You then receive a decision that is conditional, provisional or unconditional.
Selective master’s programmes add selection criteria on top of the entry requirements.[12]
The pages we read give no general step list for bachelor’s applicants, so check the page of your programme; for International Business see the selection method above.[10] Master’s deadlines exist, vary by programme, and non-EU applicants may face earlier ones because of the visa process.[12] We give no dates here because they change every year. Check the page of your programme.
Which language level do you need?
The university groups its programmes into three admissions levels for English. The figures below are for 2027/28 entry.[5]
| Level | IELTS Academic (overall / each part) | TOEFL iBT before 2026 | TOEFL iBT from 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 (CEFR B2) | 6.0 / 6.0 | 80 | 4.0 |
| Level 2 (CEFR B2–C1) | 6.5 / 6.0 to 6.5 | 90 | 4.5 |
| Level 3 (CEFR C1) | 7.0 / 6.5 | 100 | 5.0 |
CEFR is the European scale from A1 to C2. Level 1 covers most science, economics and spatial sciences bachelor’s programmes and Campus Fryslân. Level 2 covers most Arts, Behavioural and Social Sciences, Philosophy and University College Groningen bachelor’s programmes and many master’s programmes. Level 3 covers the LLB International and European Law and many master’s programmes in Law, Arts, Philosophy, Spatial Sciences, Religion and Linguistics.[5] Law requires Level 3 at all levels; the page lists a few programmes with lower Listening and Reading minimums.[5]
IELTS, TOEFL, LanguageCert and Pearson results are valid for two years. Cambridge and Linguaskill certificates have no limited validity.[5] You may be exempt with a diploma from a majority English-speaking country on the university’s list, or with a secondary diploma such as the International Baccalaureate with English as the language of instruction, three GCE A-levels at grades A to C, or a European Baccalaureate with English as L1 or L2.[5] The Dutch-taught programmes have their own Dutch requirements, which we did not check.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the University of Groningen cost for non-EU students?
What is the statutory tuition fee in Groningen?
€2,694 for full-time students in 2026/27, for those with a qualifying nationality and no earlier degree of the same level at a Dutch government-funded institution.[4]
How is the University of Groningen ranked?
157th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026.[2]
What English level do I need for the University of Groningen?
It depends on the programme: Level 1 (IELTS 6.0), Level 2 (IELTS 6.5) or Level 3 (IELTS 7.0). Results must be less than two years old unless they are Cambridge or Linguaskill certificates.[5]
Is there an entry quota for International Business in Groningen?
Yes. BSc International Business has 400 places for the September 2027 start, allocated through a Fit & Benchmark activity.[10]
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
- 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 Twente
- Utrecht University
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- Wageningen University & Research
Sources
[1] University of Groningen: Key figures (page last modified 12 Oct 2026; figures from the 2025 annual report)
[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] University of Groningen: Tuition fees for bachelor’s programmes (page last modified 22 Oct 2026)
[4] University of Groningen: Tuition fees for master’s programmes (page last modified 22 Oct 2026)
[5] University of Groningen: English language requirements (2027/28) (page last modified 14 Oct 2026)
[6] Wikipedia: University of Groningen (history, status, faculties and the previous QS position; no edit date seen)
[7] University of Groningen: Academy Building (location) (page without a date)
[8] University of Groningen: Provincial College 1614-1815 (page last modified 22 Jun 2026)
[9] IamExpat: TU Delft retains title of best Dutch university in QS rankings (article of 19 Jun 2026)
[10] University of Groningen: BSc International Business, numerus fixus (page last modified 5 Nov 2026)
[11] DUO: Tuition fees (page without a date; Dutch government education agency)
[12] University of Groningen: Registration for a master’s programme (non-Dutch qualification) (page last modified 20 Oct 2026)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.