Five Dutch institutions in top 100 of reputation rankings

This year’s rankings have again provided strong evidence of an elite group of six US and UK global “super-brands” that stands head and shoulders above the rest. The group is headed by Harvard University, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, the University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University.

The Netherlands’ position

The Netherlands scores high in terms of the number of institutions in the top 100, but could improve its position within the top 100.

Phil Baty, editor of Times Higher Education Rankings, explains: “The Netherlands performs well in the reputation rankings: it has five top 100 institutions, leaving it behind only the US, the UK and Australia in the tables. However, not one of its representatives makes the top 50, with the highest ranked, Delft University of Technology, stuck in the 51-60 band. The University of Leiden is the only Dutch institution to have improved its position, with the rest stagnating or falling.”

Good reputation attracts international students

Research by international student recruitment agency IDP has shown that a university’s “reputation/ranking” is the single most important consideration for students choosing study destinations, above fees and even course content. The Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, a subsidiary of the prestigious World University Rankings, are based on the results of the Academic Reputation Survey carried out by Ipsos MediaCT for Thomson Reuters, data supplier to the Times Higher Education rankings. In total, twenty countries are represented in the top 100.

See the ranking results on the Times Higher Education website

Read the article on 'Branding a country' by Nuffic Director Hanneke Teekens