Radboud University Nijmegen was established on 17 October 1923 under the name Catholic University Nijmegen. With their own university, Dutch Catholics sought to promote the emancipation of Roman Catholics in the Netherlands, who at that time were strongly underrepresented in public administration, the legal profession, medicine and other sectors.
Radboud University challenges its students to actively participate in the academic community and trains them to be critical and committed academics, with their own views regarding scholarship and society, who will take up responsible positions in a society which is becoming increasingly internationalised.
The university’s academic staff come from all over the world, and a large proportion of our student population has spent at least some months studying at a university abroad.
For its core activities of research and teaching, Radboud University draws its inspiration from academic curiosity and the demands placed upon the university by society.
The research profile of Radboud University has two main components: an academic and a societal profile. The academic profile covers the academic disciplines in which the University is engaged and the sub-disciplines in which it excels. The societal profile covers the societal themes with which the University is connected through its academic research.
Our top people are not buried away in their research groups – they derive their strength from a continuous exchange of ideas and results with others working in related areas. We have several major research institutes, each offering outstanding potential to students and researchers alike.
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
By U.S. News & World Report
Dropped 20 places compared to 2026
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 117 | 122 | 142 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Dropped 50 places compared to 2025
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | 101 | 151 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By TopUniversities
Dropped 4 places compared to 2026
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 272 | 279 | 283 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By Times Higher Education
This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2027 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 143 | 154 | - |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Most students in Nijmegen live in student complexes and student houses, share an apartment or rent a room in a house with a landlady or landlord. All rooms are private rooms (without roommates), but usually the kitchen and bathroom facilities are shared.
The large majority of the accommodation offered is mixed accommodation, which means men and women live in the same corridor and (if applicable) share the facilities. A few women-only corridors are offered as well. The rent for these rooms can run up to €500 per month or more. However, rental prices of most rooms are between €370 and €450 per month.
In partnership with researchers, university teachers, students and administrators of Radboud University the library delivers services and products that best meet teaching and research needs. The library ensures:
ICT services provides IT services to the academic community. Radboud’s digital library can also be used off campus. You can download SPSS (Apple, Linux, Windows), EndNote (Windows) and Atlas.ti (Windows) on SURFspot (click the British flag).
Radboud University staff members and students can download F-secure for free on SURFspot.
Radboud University offers a wide range of facilities. All the university’s facilities are concentrated together on the one square kilometre of the former Heyendael estate: the lecture rooms and research labs, the University Hospital, the libraries, offices, the accommodation for student organisations, the sports centre, the cafes and cafeterias, the guesthouse, a supermarket and a book shop.
Radboud University is building a lush, lively Heyendaal campus. It is a campus in which a landscape of grass, paths, and trees form a cohesive whole together with the buildings. With the recently acquired Berchmanianum property, the campus consists of roughly 100 hectares.
Clear your mind after a long day, be active with friends, improve your health, push your boundaries or just feel good about yourself. Whatever motivates you to get up and moving, Radboud Sports Centre is the perfect place! With more than 80 different sports, long opening hours and professional coaching we offer a wide range of possibilities for everyone. Change perspective, be active!
Nijmegen will have a new student organisation called ISN Nijmegen.
At the beginning of each semester there is an Orientation week. Depending on the semester, this Orientation includes fun activities such as: tours of the university and the city, sporting events, parties, etc. By participating in this programme you will quickly get to know both Nijmegen and Radboud University, and make new friends from around the world!
If you are going to study at Radboud University and want to be kept updated on new activities and get in contact with other students, please join the Radboud International Students.
All Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes at Radboud University are accredited by the NVAO, the independent body that guarantees the quality of higher education in the Netherlands and Flanders. This ensures your degree is officially recognised, valued internationally, and gives you excellent prospects for further study or a career.
Based on 92 reviews
In my opinion this is the best choice I made in terms of my career. Ive met a lot of great people and made so many new friends, the facilities at this school are also really great, the classes are most of the time really great.
Radboud is an amazing uni, with plenty of beautiful building and great and approachable teachers. I am currently in the second year of my bachelor, and I've learned so much already and made so many new friends! Some buildings are a bit old (like Spinoza, Linnaeus and Erasmus), but the newer buildings like MM and Grotius are very pretty. The food everywhere is also great.
What stood out to me were the wide range of courses you could choose from, and the range of experiences that professors brought with them. The course is highly customisable, and can be tailored to interests or future career paths. Additionally, the programme simulates to study abroad, which underlines the international mindset you are taught
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2025. Universities with a score above 4.0 (out of 5) in any of the 7 award categories, receive Badges of Excellence. Congratulations!
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