Three Dutch cities have made the top 50 in a new ranking of the best student cities in the world published by The Campus Advisor.
Choosing a university to study at is more than just the university itself. It’s also about the experiences you’ll have in the new city you’ll call home.
After all, if you want to get more out of student life, you need a city with a thriving cultural scene, awesome people from all over the world — and affordable housing is just the cherry on top.
So drumroll please: is it Leiden? Amsterdam? The Hague? Place your bets, readers.
Utrecht (#40)
Coming in at 40th place on the list is…Utrecht! Firstly, I am biased because this is the charming student city where I studied, but luckily I didn’t write the study (or Utrecht would be at #1).
READ MORE | 12 ‘gezellige’ places to work or study in Utrecht
Utrecht snagged itself an overall score of 3.94 out of 5, ranking especially high for student friendliness (it’s all those beers, we swear) and safety.
Highlights of Utrecht by voters included the ease of speaking English, the biking culture, and the green environment.
“One of my favourites from the Netherlands. Especially for students. Many places to eat and have fun, but also many places to visit. Great parks with a lot of green, too,” remarked one respondent.
Amsterdam (#28)
Naturally, the Dutch capital made the list, with thousands of international students flocking there every year.
Amsterdam ended with a score of 4.14 out of 5, making it #28 on the list.
The nightlife was its winning factor (nothing better than a bit of the Red Light District after studying), but also for student friendliness, safety, and public transport.
As one of the respondents said, “Perfect city for international students, always something to do whether you are up for a cultural activity, going out for dinner or drinks, just walking around the canals”.
Groningen (#23)
And finally, the top-ranked Dutch city was none other than our friends in the north: Groningen!
READ MORE | 11 cosy places to work or study in Groningen
Beating out the other Dutch cities with a score of 4.22 out of 5, the city came in at 23rd worldwide.
Students particularly loved the northerner friendliness, the nightlife, the safety, and the amenities.
“The city is small, but it feels like home to every student living there,” wrote one respondent.
Best student cities in the world 2023
With the best Dutch student city coming in at #23, we’re sure the next question on your lips is: How could anything beat the Netherlands?
(We kid, we kid, we would really need to fix the housing crisis, the cost of living, and the Dutch cuisine to rank higher, we know).
The cities that made the top 10 on the list include:
10. Singapore (Singapore)
9. Montreal (Canada)
8. Warsaw (Poland)
7. Galway (Ireland)
6. Vienna (Austria)
5. Seoul (South Korea)
4. Brno (Czechia)
3. Newcastle (United Kingdom)
2. Berlin (Germany)
1. Melbourne (Australia)
Was the list what you expected? Got a city to add? Make a case for it in the comments below!
