Utrecht University
Utrecht University (UU; Dutch: Universiteit Utrecht, formerly Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht) is a prestigious public research university in Utrecht, Netherlands. Established 26 March 1636, it is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands. In 2022, it had an enrollment of 37,675 students, and employed 8,584 faculty members and staff.[2] More than 400 PhD degrees were awarded and 8,500 scientific articles were published. The university's 2022 budget was €2.606 billion, consisting of €1.067 billion for the university[2] and €1.539 billion for the University Medical College Utrecht.[4]
The university's interdisciplinary research targets life sciences, pathways to sustainability, dynamics of youth, and institutions for open societies. Its teaching and research are strongly connected where equality, diversity, and inclusion are valued.
Utrecht University counts a number of distinguished scholars among its alumni and faculty, including 12 Nobel Prize laureates, 1 Pulitzer Prize, 19 Spinoza Prize and 2 NWO Stevin Prize laureates.
The university counts several heads of state and government amongst its graduates, including: 4 members of Dutch royal house, 6 Prime Ministers of the Netherlands, An American Founding Father and signatory to the United States Constitution Hugh Williamson, 1 Prime Minister of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland: William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, an ancestor of both Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales, First Lord of the Treasury: Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland, 4 foreign heads of state or government, and 35 Ministers of the Cabinet of the Netherlands. An English economist Nicholas Barbon who was one of the first proponents of the free market studied at Utrecht University.[5][6] A French philosopher, scientist, and mathematician René Descartes who developed the techniques of analytical geometry briefly studied at university.[7]
Utrecht University alumni have won a total of 10 gold Olympic medals.[8]
Utrecht University is led by the University Board, consisting of Henk Kummeling (Rector Magnificus), Anton Pijpers (chair), Margot van der Starre (Vice Chair) and Anneloes Krul (Student Assessor).Close ties are harboured with other institutions internationally through its membership in the Coimbra Group (CG), the League of European Research Universities (LERU), the Utrecht Network and the European University Association (EUA).
University College
Minnaert Building
Juridische Bibliotheek (former law library)
Student life, Neude square, Utrecht city centre
David de Wied building
The two large faculties of Humanities and Law & Governance are situated in the inner city of Utrecht. The other five faculties and most of the administrative services are located in Utrecht Science Park De Uithof, a campus area on the outskirts of the city. University College Utrecht, along with the Utrecht School of Economics, are situated in the former Kromhout Kazerne, which used to be a Dutch military base. University College Roosevelt is located off-campus in the city of Middelburg in the south-west of the Netherlands.
University rankings
52 (2023)
=107 (2024)
66 (2023)
=44 (2022–23)
1 (2023)
=3 (2024)
3 (2023)
=2 (2022–23)
On the 2023 AWRU list, the University of Utrecht was ranked 52nd globally and the highest in the Netherlands. Its ranking has declined slightly since 2003, when it was ranked 40th.
Best-ranked subjects in the world by AWRU 2023:
In the 2022 USNWR, Utrecht University is ranked 44th (tie) best University in the world.
Best-ranked subjects in the world by USNWR 2022:
In the 2023 THE ranking, the university is ranked 66th.[19]
Best-ranked subjects in the world by THE ranking 2023:
QS ranking by Subject 2023
Utrecht University was also mentioned in the BlueSky Ranking Of University Rankings 2022/23 published by Matt Symonds, who is the S of QS, co-founding QS Quacquarelli Symonds ranking. BlueSky Ranking Of University Rankings considers the aggregation of the performance of schools across four major rankings: AWRU, QS,THE, and USNWR. In this ranking, Utrecht University was placed 60th in the world, 18th in Europe, and 1st in the Netherlands.[23]
Affiliations[edit]
Utrecht University is a member of the Coimbra Group (CG), League of European Research Universities (LERU), the Utrecht Network, the European University Association (EUA), the International Association of Universities (IAU) and the McDonnell International Scholars Academy (MISA).