Fontys University of Applied Sciences

Fontys University of Applied Sciences is one of the Netherlands' largest hogescholen, with 44,000+ students across Eindhoven, Tilburg, and Venlo campuses.

Fontys University of Applied Sciences (Fontys Hogescholen) is one of the largest universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands, founded in 1996 and enrolling more than 44,000 students. It operates primarily across three campuses in Eindhoven, Tilburg, and Venlo in the southern Netherlands, offering approximately 200 bachelor's and master's programs across technology, business, healthcare, design, social work, and education. All programs are accredited by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation (NVAO).

Fontys is a practice-oriented institution, a hogeschool (university of applied sciences), rather than a research university, meaning programs are structured around professional skills, internships, and direct industry application. The university maintains active partnerships with more than 500 companies including BMW, Siemens, and IKEA, giving students direct access to industry projects and placement opportunities. English-taught bachelor programs are available in areas including IT, engineering, business, and creative industries.

Fontys draws students from more than 80 nationalities and describes itself as having one of the larger international student communities among Dutch hogescholen. The Eindhoven campus sits in a city internationally recognised as a technology and design hub, home to ASML, Philips, and the Dutch Design Week. The university is ranked in the top 170 universities of applied sciences in Western Europe by QS regional rankings (2026).