The Netherlands is one of the most popular countries in Europe among students. Some of the world’s finest institutions are based in this country. Radboud University is one of them.
The Netherlands offers a lot of programmes in English, with a wide range of Bachelor, Master, and MBA programmes. There is also a large community of international students comprised of approximately 112,000 students from around the world.
We look at why Radboud University is consistently one of the top choices for students. Including the ins and outs of student life, the application process and what actual students are saying about the institution.
Get to Know Radboud University
Radboud University was established in 1923, under the name Catholic University Nijmegen. Radboud has a strong tradition of accredited education and research. The university is research-focused. It has 14 research institutes on the campus and offers 13 Bachelor’s programmes and 35 Master’s programmes in English across many academic fields, along with many other programmes in Dutch. They also offer 50 academic intensive courses at the Bachelor, Master and PhD level. Radboud is renowned for its green campus and has over 20,000 students.
Radboud University Rankings
Radboud is ranked among the top 11 universities in the Netherlands and the staff have received numerous prizes and grants due to the quality of their research. The University was also recently rated Best General University in the Netherlands. It is number 217 on the QS World University Ranking.
The Keuzegids Masters 2019 has also awarded nine master’s programmes the coveted ‘Top Programme’ status, and six were deemed best in their field.
Student Life
Located in the heart of Nijmegen in the Netherlands, the city is an out and out student city. You will find students from many nationalities on campus, from China to India.
Of all students, 10.6% are international students and of all first-year students, 20.5 % are international. An orientation is held especially for all new international exchange and Masters’ students, organised by the International Office in cooperation.
The university itself has a lot of social clubs which offer plenty of opportunities for relaxation and social mingling. There are many unique social activities. Plus, there are a lot of study clubs as well. These clubs offer a pleasant and efficient way to deepen and broaden knowledge whilst socialising with other like-minded students. There are cultural societies or ideological associations as well.
Even on campus, the university culture is a lot of fun with musical performances, cabaret nights and discussion programmes on the CultuurCafé stage.
Applying to Radboud University
All applicants applying to Radboud University must apply with a Dutch VWO diploma or a higher-level diploma. For international students, additional requirements may be necessary, like a diploma from an academic stream or a specific level or course in Mathematics.
For students applying to English taught programmes, an English proficiency certificate is required(TOEFL iBT, IELTS etc). If you have obtained a European diploma with English in the final examination, you may be exempted.
If you are applying to a Dutch-taught programme, then you will need to provide one of the certificates specified on the Radboud website.
For admission to a Master’s programme, a completed Bachelor’s degree in the respective subject or a related discipline from a research university is required. Based on your past qualifications, you might also be required to give GMAT scores.
Fees, Funding and Scholarships
The tuition fees for English-taught programmes differ per programme and no handling fees are required from non-EEA students. Tuition fees might also differ according to a personal situation (nationality and previous education). Contact us if you would like to find out more about tuition fees for your programme of interest.
Student Reviews
The review section of EDUopinions indicates that there are mostly positive reviews about Radboud university. The students, in general, seem to be very pleased with the green campus, high-quality studies and fun student life. There are lots of things to do for students around the city. Though the students find the studies challenging, the programmes open up many opportunities for careers in various fields.
I went to Radboud University after I graduated from my previous university to pursue a different subject. I have been living in Nijmegen for quite a while and I currently consider it my home town. It’s a lively place with lots of things to do for students, for entertainment and professional purposes. My study is great! I love the courses and the building where I am studying is new and has nice facilities for studying. Classes are often interactive and teachers like students to be active and involved during courses. This has helped me to focus on my studies and gave me confidence and experience in expressing my views on topics. My current Master’s program is challenging but very interesting. Often courses reflect current issues and debates which makes it more relevant and of use for later careers. Dutch students are used to cooperate with internationals and overall I would say this university has an international and open perspective, where developing your interests and skills are heavily encouraged.
Radboud University fulfills every student’s needs. From great professors, research initiatives and connection to the labor market, to an amazing green campus, social activities and lively international environment, it has it all.
Radboud is the perfect place for a student who wants the feeling of an active university environment in a beautiful city. The campus is forested and green, the buildings are modern, and the university community is very active. There are many kinds of supporting services especially for international students. As a student there you can have a membership at an excellent gym for a very low yearly fee and be active in sports clubs, there are opportunities to be a student assistant for your professors, to be active in student associations, and many more things. Although Nijmegen is not very big it always has an event going on, and it is very well connected for visiting Germany, Belgium, and many other places. I am happy with the student experience because the classrooms are small, the program structure is very interesting with a number of elective courses, there is an opportunity to study abroad for a semester, and talking to or getting advice from teachers is very easy. I would definitely recommend Radboud to someone interested in a good academic environment in a beautiful environment.
Conclusion
As we saw by the rankings of the university and student reviews as well, Radboud University is home to a lot to international students. The city of Nijmegen really promotes a great student culture. Needless to say, Radboud University should certainly be on your list of places to study.
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