The Netherlands remains well represented in the top 200 of the World University Rankings 2026, with eleven universities making the list. However, eight of them have once again slipped down the ranking. As in the previous two years, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) ranks highest among the Dutch institutions, though it, too, dropped one position—from 56th to 57th place.

Last year, eight of the twelve participating Dutch universities lost ground. TU/e then fell sharply, from 168th to 185th place. The year before that, seven universities dropped in the ranking, but Eindhoven was one of the exceptions, climbing from the 201–250 category to 168th place. This year, eight Dutch institutions are once again on the decline. Only Wageningen University, Leiden University, and Maastricht University have improved slightly, while Erasmus University maintained its position.

Utrecht University withdrew from the global ranking two years ago. The institution is critical of such lists and therefore no longer provides data for them.

According to Times Higher Education, the quality of research at Dutch universities is declining: publications are being cited less frequently overall. In 2023, universities’ revenues also decreased. The editors expect this negative trend to continue in the coming years, as government budget cuts in higher education take an increasing toll.

The top of the ranking continues to be dominated by universities from the United Kingdom and the United States. For the tenth consecutive year, the University of Oxford takes first place, followed by the U.S.-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Princeton and Cambridge share third place this year.

However, Times Higher Education notes: “Despite strong representation at the top, the United States as a whole continues to lose ground, and there are warning signs for the United Kingdom as well. Asia, on the other hand, is rising rapidly.”

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.