Keuzegids 2017: Wageningen University & Research named best Dutch university for twelfth consecutive time

The Keuzegids praised Wageningen's combination of excellent research and education, a combination rarely encountered by the experts. In terms of research performance, Wageningen was ranked third in the Times Higher Education (THE) World Ranking 2017. According to the Keuzegids, the WUR maintained its position as top-ranking academic institute. The guide also praised Wageningen University & Research for its small-scale, intensive, challenging and practical education. According to the students and the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO), most of the programmes manage to achieve excellent standards, despite their lack of selection thresholds.

"The experts and the students commend Wageningen for its high-quality education," says Arthur Mol, Rector Magnificus of Wageningen University & Research. "Wageningen is also a top-ranking player in various research fields, as an increasing number of prospective students from around the world are starting to realise. Wageningen has a lot of international students from various nationalities, which is something I'm extremely proud of."

Best university

With a score of 74.5 out of 100, Wageningen University was ranked the best university in the list of fourteen Dutch universities. This was closely followed by the Open University of the Netherlands (73.5), a university for distance learning where students can study at their own pace, and Eindhoven University of Technology (64).

Best programmes

Owing to their exceptionally high score of at least 76 points, nearly all of Wageningen's Bachelor’s programmes received extremely high ratings in the Keuzegids, with seventeen of the nineteen programmes receiving the 'Top Programme' designation. The highest-scoring Bachelor’s programmes were Plant Sciences (96), International Land and Water Management (96), Forest and Nature Conservation (88), Food Technology (88) and Nutrition and Health (88).

Female professors

Wageningen did not score optimally on all components. The number of female professors is still relatively low, which is something Arthur Mol hopes to change in the future. "We have agreed with Minister Bussemaker to increase the number of female professors by at least 25% in 2020. This is something I am committed to wholeheartedly." 

Another point of improvement is the accessibility of Wageningen University & Research. Wageningen does not have its own railway station and is seven kilometres from the Ede-Wageningen station by bicycle or bus. On the other hand, Wageningen does offer plenty of affordable student rooms.

Scores per programme: (Top Programmes received a score of 76 or higher)

For a full overview, visit www.keuzegids.nl