Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam campus
Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Amsterdam·public

#=194

QS Rank

21%

Intl. students

31,070

Enrollment

About Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is a research university founded in 1880, ranked =194 in the QS World 2026 rankings, with 31,000+ students in Amsterdam.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) is an independent research university founded in 1880, located in the Buitenveldert district of Amsterdam. It enrolls over 31,000 students from more than 122 nationalities and employs around 2,149 academic staff, with 38 percent of faculty drawn from outside the Netherlands.

VU Amsterdam has particular strength in health sciences, social sciences, law, economics, and the humanities. The university operates nine graduate schools and offers more than 175 English-taught programmes across bachelor, master, and PhD levels, giving non-Dutch-speaking students broad access to its curriculum.

The main campus sits in the southern Amsterdam Zuidas business district, close to major corporate headquarters and the Amsterdam South railway hub. This location gives students direct proximity to one of Europe's largest financial and legal hubs, creating practical internship and networking opportunities that extend well beyond the university itself.

World University Rankings

QS World University Rankings (2026)#=194
Times Higher Education (THE) (2025)#=176

For Nepali students

  • VU Amsterdam's strength in health sciences, social sciences, and law aligns with fields where Nepali students consistently seek international credentials; its broad English-taught portfolio means Nepali applicants without Dutch language skills can enroll from day one.
  • The VU Fellowship Programme (VUFP) and the NL Scholarship (worth €5,000–€10,000) are both open to non-EU/EEA students including Nepalis, and the VU Fellowship covers full tuition for high-achieving applicants with a GPA equivalent to a Dutch 8.0.
  • After graduating, Nepali students are eligible for the Netherlands Orientation Year (Zoekjaar) permit, a one-year post-study work authorisation with unrestricted labour-market access, which can transition into a Highly Skilled Migrant visa if they secure qualifying employment.
  • The Netherlands has a well-established South and Southeast Asian student presence, and Amsterdam's international profile (122 nationalities on campus) means Nepali students are unlikely to be isolated; living costs in Amsterdam are moderate by Western European standards compared with cities like London or Zurich.

Programs(10)

BSc Business Analytics

Data Science & Analytics
Bachelor's$20–40k/yr

BSc Economics and Business Economics

Business & Management
Bachelor's$20–40k/yr

BSc Computer Science

Computer Science & IT
Bachelor's$20–40k/yr

MSc Artificial Intelligence

Data Science & Analytics
Master's$20–40k/yr
Master's$20–40k/yr

MSc Business Administration

Business & Management
Master's$20–40k/yr

MSc Health Sciences

Nursing & Health Sciences
Master's$20–40k/yr

MSc Neurosciences

Nursing & Health Sciences
Master's$20–40k/yr

PhD Computer Science

Computer Science & IT
PhD$20–40k/yr

MSc Political Science

Arts & Social Sciences
Master's$20–40k/yr

Data last verified from official sources · Disclaimer

Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents

A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:

GPA 3.060%+ in NEB +2, B+ average in Cambridge A-levels, or Second Division in a TU bachelor's degree.
GPA 3.370%+ in NEB +2 or First Division in a TU bachelor's degree.
GPA 3.675%+ in NEB +2 or First Division with Distinction in a TU bachelor's degree.
IELTS 6.5The most common graduate minimum — achievable with 2–3 months of focused preparation. IELTS 7.0+ needed for the most competitive programs.

Use our GPA converter to translate your exact score to the 4.0 scale.

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