The best Dutch universities of 2012 revealed by Elsevier’s poll

The Dutch weekly magazine revealed the best universities in the Netherlands for 2012. Elsevier’s research based on the results of the National Student Survey (NSE).

170,000 students and 2,000 professors and senior lecturers were interviewed during this poll.

The annual educational report named the issue institutions which offer the best study programs. Elsevier has paid particular attention to the programs the National Student Survey which estimated above average by the students.

Students are most satisfied at the research universities of Eindhoven, which is the best among the three technical universities. Six out of the eleven programs at TU Eindhoven had above average satisfaction among the students.

Maastricht scores very high with seven of the sixteen programs (44%) where students are generally satisfied. The Green University of Wageningen was so difficult to compare, that’s why it did not taken in the poll.

The three best ‘comprehensive universities’ tend to coincide: about a third of their programs gets above average high praise from the students. At the top are the Radboud University and Leiden University (33 percent) followed by the University of Utrecht (32 per cent). Below are the two Amsterdam universities with a good score for only six of the 57 courses (UvA) and three of 49 (VU).

Traditionally Elsevier surveyed also the professors and teaching staff. Utrecht University got the most appreciation and the highest score: both the bachelor and master education is good, as the quality of teachers and scientific publications.