- School Profile
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Abraham Kuyper, Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1901 to 1905, founded Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in 1880. At first the university was only open to Reformed Christians and was entirely financed by their fund-raising efforts and donations. Since the 1960s, however, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has been open to everyone and funded in the same way as the other Dutch universities, although it still retains its tradition of Christian standards and values. This finds expression in the emphasis placed upon social involvement in the universityÂ’s teaching and research programmes.
Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, has been a renowned cultural, scientific and commercial centre for many centuries. It was here, in 1880, that Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam first opened its doors to students. 'Vrije Universiteit' means 'Free University'. Here, 'free' refers to freedom of state and church interference. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam was established in 1880 by orthodox protestants. Nowadays it aims to be inspiring, innovative and involved.
Throughout the past century, the university has continued to expand. It now comprises twelve faculties and has teaching facilities for 18,000 students.
The university campus and university hospital are situated in the south-western part of Amsterdam, one of the most dynamic and fast-growing business districts in the Netherlands. The international airport of Schiphol-Amsterdam is 10 kilometres away, just 8 minutes by train. With more than fifty undergraduate (or bachelorÂ’s) programmes and almost a hundred postgraduate (or masterÂ’s) programmes, the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers a wide choice of study options. The programmes are of a high quality, the atmosphere is very conducive to study, and the teaching staff is easily accessible.
The Netherlands does not have a ranking system for universities, unlike many other countries. However, a range of studies have shown Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam to be one of the best universities in the country.
At VU Amsterdam, education and research are closely intertwined. High-quality teaching and cutting edge research have given the university a great deal of recognition, enabling it to attract prominent lecturers from within the Netherlands and abroad.
Since making his space flight, astronaut André Kuipers has taken up a position as Professor of Space Travel and Medicine and lectures on the physics of life. Researchers at VU Amsterdam such as biopsychologist Dorret Boomsma, cancer expert Bob Pinedo and economist Peter Nijkamp have obtained prestigious prizes and subsidy incentives for their groundbreaking work. The world famous clap skate, developed by VU Amsterdam’s human movement scientists, has turned the world of speed skating upside down. And of course we should not forget the appointments of Andrew Tanenbaum (Computer Science) and Gün Semin (Social Psychology) as Academy Professors, an honour that shows these researchers to be among the very best that the Netherlands has to offer.
Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, has been a renowned cultural, scientific and commercial centre for many centuries. It was here, in 1880, that Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam first opened its doors to students. 'Vrije Universiteit' means 'Free University'. Here, 'free' refers to freedom of state and church interference. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam was established in 1880 by orthodox protestants. Nowadays it aims to be inspiring, innovative and involved.
Throughout the past century, the university has continued to expand. It now comprises twelve faculties and has teaching facilities for 18,000 students.
The university campus and university hospital are situated in the south-western part of Amsterdam, one of the most dynamic and fast-growing business districts in the Netherlands. The international airport of Schiphol-Amsterdam is 10 kilometres away, just 8 minutes by train. With more than fifty undergraduate (or bachelorÂ’s) programmes and almost a hundred postgraduate (or masterÂ’s) programmes, the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers a wide choice of study options. The programmes are of a high quality, the atmosphere is very conducive to study, and the teaching staff is easily accessible.
The Netherlands does not have a ranking system for universities, unlike many other countries. However, a range of studies have shown Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam to be one of the best universities in the country.
At VU Amsterdam, education and research are closely intertwined. High-quality teaching and cutting edge research have given the university a great deal of recognition, enabling it to attract prominent lecturers from within the Netherlands and abroad.
Since making his space flight, astronaut André Kuipers has taken up a position as Professor of Space Travel and Medicine and lectures on the physics of life. Researchers at VU Amsterdam such as biopsychologist Dorret Boomsma, cancer expert Bob Pinedo and economist Peter Nijkamp have obtained prestigious prizes and subsidy incentives for their groundbreaking work. The world famous clap skate, developed by VU Amsterdam’s human movement scientists, has turned the world of speed skating upside down. And of course we should not forget the appointments of Andrew Tanenbaum (Computer Science) and Gün Semin (Social Psychology) as Academy Professors, an honour that shows these researchers to be among the very best that the Netherlands has to offer.
Faculty
| Number of International Faculty Staff | Headcount: 297 FTE: 255 |  |
| Number of academic faculty staff who are of foreign nationality. The term ‘international’ is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even if from another EU state. In Hong Kong, this includes professors from Mainland China. Inclusion and exclusion mirrors those for academic faculty staff. | ||
| Number of Faculty Staff | Headcount: 3,021 FTE: 2,707 | |
| Total number of academic faculty staff who are responsible for planning, directing and undertaking teaching only, research only or both teaching and research. Please include: vice-chancellors, deputy vice-chancellors, principals, professors, heads of school, associate professors, principal lecturers and tutors. Please exclude research assistants*, PhD students who contribute to teaching, and exchange scholars or visiting professors who are members of another university. *FAQ: How is research assistant defined? | ||
Undergraduate Information
| Number of Undergraduate Students | Headcount: 13,306 FTE: 13,150 | |
| Number of students pursuing a Bachelor’s level or equivalent degree. This excludes certificates/diplomas and associate’s degrees. | ||
| Number of International Undergraduate Students | Headcount: 330 FTE: 330 | |
| Number of undergraduate students who are foreign nationals. The term ‘international’ is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even nationals of other EU states. In Hong Kong, this includes students from Mainland China. Please exclude all exchange students. | ||
| Number of Inbound Exchange Undergraduate Students | Headcount: 299 FTE: 299 | |
| Number of undergraduate students attending your university on international exchange programs for at least 1 semester in the last 12 months. | ||
| Number of Outbound Exchange Undergraduate Students | Headcount: 481 FTE: 481 | |
| Number of undergraduate students registered at your institution who have attended another institution abroad for at least 1 semester on an exchange program in the last 12 months. | ||
| Average International Undergraduate Fees | € EUR 5,500 | |
| Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that an international student would be expected to pay for an undergraduate program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees? | ||
| Average Domestic Undergraduate Fees | € EUR 1,565 | |
| Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that a domestic student would be expected to pay for an undergraduate program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees? | ||
Graduate / Postgraduate Information
| Number of Graduate / Postgraduate Students | Headcount: 7,341 FTE: 6,826 | |
| Students pursuing a higher-level degree (Master and Doctorate), including both taught and research postgraduates (e.g. PhD students) | ||
| Number of International Graduate Students | Headcount: 874 FTE: 874 | |
| Number of graduate / postgraduate students who are foreign nationals. The term ‘international’ is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even nationals of other EU states. In Hong Kong, this includes students from Mainland China. | ||
| Average International Graduate / Postgraduate Fees | € EUR 9,000 | |
| Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that an international student would be expected to pay for a graduate / postgraduate program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees? | ||
| Average Domestic Graduate / Postgraduate Fees | € EUR 1,565 | |
| Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that a domestic student would be expected to pay for a graduate / postgraduate program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees? | ||
Students
| Total Students | Headcount: 20,647 FTE: 19,976 | |
| Total number of students. | ||
| Total International Students | Headcount: 1,391 FTE: 1,391 | |
| Number of students who are foreign nationals. The term ‘international’ is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even nationals of other EU states. In Hong Kong, this includes students from Mainland China. | ||
| Total Outbound Exchange Students | Headcount: 212 FTE: 212 | |
| Total number of students registered at your institution who have attended another institution on an exchange program for at least 1 semester in the last 12 months. | ||
| Total Inbound Exchange Students | Headcount: 296 FTE: 296 | |
| Total number of students attending your university on international exchange programs for at least 1 semester in the last 12 months. | ||
| Average International Student Fees | € EUR 9,000 | |
| Average tuition fees per year that an international student would be expected to pay for any course | ||
| Average Domestic Student Fees | € EUR 1,565 | |
| Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that a domestic student would be expected to pay for any program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees? | ||
Graduate Output
| Proportion of Graduates Pursuing Further Study | 85% | |
| Proportion of graduates from undergraduate programs pursuing further study at your own institution or any other. | ||
| Proportion of Graduates Employed | 91% | |
| Proportion of graduates (excluding those opting to pursue further study) in permanent employment within 6 months of graduation | ||
| Number of PhDs Awarded | 272 | |
| Total number of PhDs awarded in the last 12 months | ||
Research Productivity & Quality
| Number of Papers | 5,753 | |
| Total number of papers published in ESI indexed journals in the past 5 years | ||
Finance and Scholarships
VU Fellowship Programme
- Administration
- International Business Administration - Full Time
- Business/Management
- International Business Administration - Full Time