Best Law Schools in the Netherlands for Study Abroad

The Netherlands is considered one of the birthplaces of legal studies. It belongs to the continental European civil law tradition, the same legal family as China’s. So for students who want to study law, whether they plan to stay in the Netherlands or return to China, it is an excellent choice.

Today, we recommend three Dutch universities with strong law programs.

1. Leiden University

Leiden University is one of Europe’s most prestigious universities. It is the oldest higher education institution in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the country’s first university. It has produced many outstanding figures who have influenced the course of human civilization, including 16 Nobel Prize winners, 9 heads of state, and 10 Dutch leaders.

Leiden University is one of the 12 founding members of the League of European Research Universities (LERU). Since its founding, it has consistently ranked among the world’s best in the humanities and sciences. Its law programs include International Law and National Human Rights Law, Global Employment Law, International Civil and Criminal Law, and International Public Law.

Leiden is a classic university town, with faculties spread throughout the city, full of energy and color. The famous Japanese haiku poet Hiroshi Kamamura once wrote of it: "Leiden University town, the moonlight is as cold as ice."

2. University of Amsterdam

The University of Amsterdam is a world-renowned university located in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. It is the largest comprehensive university in the country and one of its oldest universities. The university enjoys an international reputation for high-quality graduate education and cutting-edge scientific research. It has earned three top global accreditations: EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA.

Its alumni include six Nobel Prize winners, among them three Nobel laureates in Physics and one each in Peace, Medicine, and Chemistry. It also counts seven Spinoza Prize winners among its scholars. In education, it offers more than 85 master’s programs taught in English. Its law offerings include International Law, European Private Law, and International Trade and Investment Law. It is often described as "the Harvard of Europe."

3. Maastricht University

Although Maastricht University is a relatively young institution, the Dutch Ministry of Education has repeatedly recognized it as the university with the best teaching quality in the Netherlands. It is one of the country’s top universities.

The university has many strong disciplines, including life sciences, economics and business administration, law, medicine, psychology, and artificial intelligence, and it stands alongside long-established world-famous universities. Its law programs include intellectual property law and international law.

The university is known for its highly international character. With 16,000 students, 45% of whom are international students, it is the most international university in the Netherlands.

Overall, the Netherlands is a very suitable place to study law. Students can choose the university that best fits their own needs.