Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Amsterdam, the most populous and capital city of the Netherlands, is located in the province of North Holland. It has an oceanic climate with cool winters and mild summers, with precipitation constant throughout the year. Amsterdam is the cultural capital of the country and one of the top financial centres in Europe. Golden Age canals lined by tilting gabled buildings are the backdrop for Amsterdam’s treasure­-packed museums, vintage­-filled shops and hyper­creative design, socialising and dining scenes.

University website

https://www.vu.nl/en

University information

Founded in 1880, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Free University Amsterdam) is a research-intensive university attended by a wide variety of students of diverse backgrounds. It is ranked the 207th best university globally and 8th best nationally, according the QS World University Rankings. Currently just over 30,000 students and 3,000 academic staff members are situated the university. The university houses several interdisciplinary research institutes and within the last five years the European Research Council awarded two starting grants and six advanced grants to VU researchers.

Summary table

Competitiveness	Less competitive
Minimum Academic Average needed for Year Abroad	60%
Number of places open for semester abroad	N/A
Number of places open for year abroad	4
Number of places open for summer abroad	N/A
Semester Abroad only: Do UK Students Need a Visa?	Yes
Total estimated cost per semester in local currency (check xe.com for current exchange rates)	6,500 EUR per semester
City type	Large city (500k - 1m)
Campus Type(s)	Urban
Where do exchange students normally live?	Mixture of university halls of residence and private off-campus accommodation
Are exchange students guaranteed a place in University halls of residence?	No
Which UoL semester would a student normally spend at this partner?	Full academic year
Term Dates	Semester 1: September to January Semester 2: February to June