Founded in 1614, the University of Groningen is one of the oldest and largest universities in the Netherlands, offering a wide array of programs, including strong science and engineering departments.
The University of Groningen, RUG, was founded in 1614 and is the second oldest university in the Netherlands, after Leiden, and one of the largest. It has about 37,000 students and 6,000 staff, and around one student in five comes from abroad. The historic Academy building stands in the Broerstraat in the old town, and one resident of the city in four is a student, which gives Groningen its youthful character.
The university is organised in faculties of arts, behavioural and social sciences, economics and business, law, medical sciences, philosophy, religion and theology, science and engineering, and spatial sciences. The Zernike campus in the north holds science and engineering, and the university medical centre UMCG is one of the biggest in the country. A satellite, Campus Fryslan in Leeuwarden, specialises in global responsibility and sustainable development.
Two Nobel laureates are tied to Groningen. Frits Zernike received the 1953 Nobel Prize in Physics for the phase-contrast microscope, and Ben Feringa received the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the design of molecular machines. Aletta Jacobs, the first woman to enrol at a Dutch university, studied medicine in Groningen in the 1870s. The university is known for astronomy, with its Kapteyn Institute, and for energy research, materials science and healthy ageing.
EU students pay the statutory Dutch tuition fee, which is around two and a half thousand euros a year, while students from outside the EU pay a higher institutional fee set by each programme. Check the current tariff. Applications go through Studielink, and several programmes use selection or limited places. Many bachelor’s programmes are taught in English, and most master’s degrees are in English.
Groningen is far from the Randstad, in the north of the country, and rents are lower than in Amsterdam or Utrecht. Bicycles are the main means of transport, and the Wadden Sea is close.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Industrial Design, Manufacturing, Marine Science, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Physics, Process Control, Robotics, Software Engineering, Statistics, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Coimbra Group, The Guild. Numerous international partnerships.
Research:
Healthy ageing, Energy transition and climate, Digital society and AI, Sustainable society.
Famous Alumnis:
Aletta Jacobs, Ben Feringa, Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, Wim Duisenberg
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
6000
Current students***:
37000
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
180000
Pros
Historic university with a strong international outlook, vibrant student city, broad range of disciplines.
Cons
Located in the north, further from Schiphol airport, weather can be a factor for some.
Best For
Broad scientific research and education in a historic northern city.
Hanzehogeschool Groningen takes a similar route through marine science, bioinformatics and industrial design, and it is slightly smaller, at about 29,000 students against roughly 37,000 here, and is also a public institution.
For students who like the marine science, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies focus of this university but want another option nearby, Technische Universiteit Delft fits well: it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers aerospace and geotechnics as well.
Also strong in astroscience, marine science and bioinformatics, Universiteit Utrecht makes a sensible second look at home; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers geotechnics as well.
Universiteit Leiden shares the core fields of this institution, namely astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and has almost the same size, at about 34,000 students.
Among national alternatives, Universiteit van Amsterdam stands out for its focus on astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and is slightly larger, at about 42,000 students against roughly 37,000 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
On content, Universität Hamburg in Germany and this institution are close, as both teach astroscience, marine science and bioinformatics; it covers sound engineering and aerospace as well, and is slightly larger, at about 43,000 students against roughly 37,000 here.
Looking internationally, Université Grenoble Alpes in France is where astroscience, marine science and bioinformatics get a comparable treatment; it covers sound engineering and aerospace as well, and is larger, enrolling about 59,000 students against roughly 37,000 here.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on marine science, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies is Universiteit Gent in Belgium, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers aerospace and agriculture as well.
Beyond national borders, Università degli Studi di Bologna stands out as a comparable school for astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies; it covers aerospace and agriculture as well, and is larger, enrolling about 90,000 students against roughly 37,000 here.
For astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies outside the home country, Université Paris-Saclay in France is a natural reference; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is the University of Groningen?
The historic Academy building is at Broerstraat 5 in Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands.
When was it founded?
In 1614.
How large is it?
About 37,000 students and 6,000 staff.
What is the Zernike campus?
The campus in the north of the city that holds science and engineering.
Which Nobel laureates are linked to it?
Frits Zernike, 1953 Nobel Prize in Physics, and Ben Feringa, 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Who was Aletta Jacobs?
The first woman to enrol at a Dutch university, who studied medicine in Groningen in the 1870s.
What is Campus Fryslan?
A satellite campus in Leeuwarden focused on global responsibility and sustainable development.
What does it cost?
EU students pay the statutory Dutch tuition fee, around two and a half thousand euros a year. Students from outside the EU pay a higher institutional fee. Check the current tariff.
How do you apply?
Through Studielink, and several programmes use selection or limited places.
Is Groningen cheaper than Amsterdam?
Rents are generally lower than in Amsterdam or Utrecht.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
Innovation.world is not affiliated with this school/university. We recommend to contact them directly on their website for any special request.
To complete or correct any information here or share your opinion, please comment below or > send us a direct message <.
