It may be the second-smallest continent on Earth, but Europe claims many of the world’s best educational institutions. In the QS World University Rankings 2016-2017, a total of 348 European universities are featured among the world’s top 900 (roughly 38%). The UK boasts Europe’s highest number of internationally ranked universities with 71 entries, followed by Germany (43) and France (39). Meanwhile Switzerland claims one of the world’s top 10 universities, with a second entrant in the top 15, leading a group of smaller European countries with very strong higher education systems.
With such a large selection of top universities in Europe to choose from, deciding where to study in Europe is not always easy. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of the top universities in Europe categorized by country, based on the QS World University Rankings 2016-2017.
Top universities in Austria
A landlocked country in central Europe, Austria shares borders with eight other European nations, including Germany to the north and Italy to the south. It has seven top European universities currently included in the QS World University Rankings. Of these, the top universities in Austria are:
1. University of Vienna (155th in the world; 63rd in Europe)
2. Vienna University of Technology (joint 183rd in the world; joint 82nd in Europe)
3. Universit?t Innsbruck (joint 299th in the world; 135th in Europe)
4. Karl-Franzens-Universit?t Graz (461-470 in the world; joint 202nd in Europe)
5. Johannes Kepler University Linz (551-600 in the world; joint 229th in Europe)
+ 2 more top universities in Austria
Alpen-Adria-Universitaet Klagenfurt (701+ in the world)
Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (701+ in the world)
Top universities in Belgium
Known for its fine chocolate and beer, Belgium is also home to some excellent educational establishments. This year it claims eight of the top universities in Europe to be internationally ranked, with all but two of these placed within the top 300 worldwide. The top universities in Belgium are:
1. KU Leuven (79th in the world; 26th in Europe)
2. Ghent University (joint 131st in the world; 52nd in Europe)
3. Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL, 154th in the world; 62nd in Europe)
4. Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB, 182nd in the world; 81st in Europe)
5. Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB, joint 216th in the world; 95th in Europe)
+ 3 more top universities in Belgium
University of Antwerp(209th in the world)
Université de Liège(joint 315th in the world)
University of Mons(501-550th in the world)
Top universities in France
France boasts a very extensive selection of top European universities, and an impressive presence in the international rankings, with the majority of its top 10 universities located in the capital city of Paris. The top universities in France are:
1. Ecolé Normale Supérieure, Paris (33rd in the world; 10th in Europe)
2. Ecolé Polytechnique (joint 53rd in the world; 14th in Europe)
3. Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC, joint 141st in the world; joint 57th in Europe)
4. CentraleSupélec (new entry this year – joint 164th in the world and joint 68th in Europe)
5. Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon (joint 177th in the world; joint 76th in Europe)
+ 34 more top universities in France
Université Grenoble-Alpes(=206th in the world)
Sciences Po(220th in the world)
Université Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV)(221st in the world)
Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (=228th in the world)
Université Paris-Sud (=241st in the world)
Université de Strasbourg (260th in the world)
Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (262nd in the world)
Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachanb (=264th in the world)
école des Ponts ParisTech (268th in the world)
Université de Montpellier (=327th in the world)
Université Paris Dauphine (356th in the world)
Université Paris Descartes (=377th in the world)
Aix-Marseille University (411-420th in the world)
Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (INSA) (421-430th in the world)
Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III (461-470th in the world)
University of Bordeaux (501-550th in the world)
Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (501-550th in the world)
Université Lille 1, Sciences et Technologies (501-550th in the world)
Université de Rennes 1 (601-650th in the world)
Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (601-650th in the world)
Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris 2) (601-650th in the world)
Université Charles-de-Gaulle Lille 3 (701+ in the world)
Université de Caen Basse-Normandie(701+ in the world)
Université de Cergy-Pontoise(701+ in the world)
University of Lorraine(701+ in the world)
Université de Nantes(701+ in the world)
Université de Poitiers(701+ in the world)
Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3(701+ in the world)
Université Lille 2 Droit et Santé(701+ in the world)
Université Lumière Lyon 2(701+ in the world)
Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense(701+ in the world)
Universit Paul-Valery Montpellier 3(701+ in the world)
Université Toulouse 1 Capitole(701+ in the world)
Université de Toulouse II-Le Mirail(701+ in the world)
Top universities in Germany
Offering free tuition to all undergraduate students, regardless of nationality, Germany is one of the world’s most popular non-Anglophone destination for international students. The top universities in Germany are:
1. Technische Universität München (60th in the world; 16th in Europe)
2. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (joint 68th in the world, joint 19th in Europe)
3. Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg (72nd in the world; 20th in Europe)
4. Kit, Karlsruher Institut Für Technologie (joint 98th in the world, joint 35th in Europe)
5. Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin (joint 121st in the world, joint 46th in Europe)
+ 38 more top universities in Germany
Freie Universitaet Berlin (=123rd in the world)
RWTH Aachen University (146th in the world)
Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet Freiburg (163rd in the world)
Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) (=164th in the world)
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen(=167th in the world)
Georg-August-University Goettingen (=177th in the world)
Technische Universität Dresden(=210th in the world)
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn (231st in the world)
Universität Hamburg (232nd in the world)
Technische Universität Darmstadt (=247th in the world)
Universität Stuttgart (263rd in the world)
Universität Frankfurt am Main (=264th in the world)
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (=272nd in the world)
Westfälische Wilhelms-Universitat Münster (=294th in the world)
University of Cologne (=347th in the world)
University Ulm (=347th in the world)
Universität Konstanz (=352nd in the world)
Universität Jena (=363rd in the world)
Leibniz Universität Hannover (=400th in the world)
Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz (401-410th in the world)
Universität Mannheim (411-420th in the world)
Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (421-430th in the world)
Christian-Albrechts-University zu Kiel (421-430th in the world)
Universität Bremen (441-450th in the world)
Ruhr-Universität Bochum (451-460th in the world)
Technische Universität Braunschweig (471-480th in the world)
Universität Leipzig (501-550th in the world)
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg (501-550th in the world)
University of Bayreuth (501-550th in the world)
Universität des Saarlandes (501-550th in the world)
Universität Regensburg (501-550th in the world)
Philipps-Universität Marburg (551-600th in the world)
TU Dortmund University (551-600th in the world)
Universität Bielefeld (601-650th in the world)
Universität Duisburg-Essen (601-650th in the world)
University Duesseldorf (601-650th in the world)
Justus-Liebig-University Giessen (651-700th in the world)
Universität Rostock (651-700th in the world)
Top universities in Ireland
A relatively small country in Western Europe, Ireland is home to eight world-ranking universities, of which half are located in the capital city, Dublin. The top universities in Ireland are:
1. Trinity College Dublin (joint 98th in the world; joint 35th in Europe)
2. University College Dublin (176th in the world; 75th in Europe)
3. National University of Ireland, Galway (joint 249th in the world; 111th in Europe)
4. University College Cork (joint 283rd in the world; joint 129th in Europe)
5. Dublin City University (joint 380th in the world; 172nd in Europe)
+ 3 more top universities in Ireland
University of Limerick (501-550th in the world)
Dublin Institute of Technology (651-700th in the world)
Maynooth University (651-700th in the world)
Top universities in Italy
Located in the southern peninsula of the continent and much-loved for its weather, cuisine and beautiful settings, Italy is the sixth most populous country in Europe and boasts 28 internationally ranked universities. The top universities in Italy are:
1. Politecnico di Milano (joint 183rd in the world; joint 82nd in Europe)
2. University of Bologna (208th in the world; 91st in Europe)
3. Sapienza University of Rome (joint 223rd in the world; 98th in Europe)
4. Politecnico di Torino (305th in the world; 137th in Europe)
5. Università Degli Studi Di Padova (joint 338th in the world; joint 149th in Europe)
+ 23 more top universities in Italy
University of Milan (=370th in the world)
University of Pisa (431-440th in the world)
University of Trento (441-450th in the world)
University of Florence (451-460th in the world)
University of Rome "Tor Vergata" (481-490th in the world)
University of Naples - Federico II (481-490th in the world)
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (491-500th in the world)
University of Turin (551-600th in the world)
Università degli Studi di Pavia (551-600th in the world)
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (651-700th in the world)
University of Milano-Bicocca (651-700th in the world)
Ca' Foscari University of Venice (+701 in the world)
Catania University (+701 in the world)
Universita' degli Studi di Ferrara (+701 in the world)
University of Genoa (+701 in the world)
Perugia University (+701 in the world)
University of Siena (+701 in the world)
University of Trieste (+701 in the world)
Università degli studi Roma Tre (+701 in the world)
University of Palermo (+701 in the world)
University of Bari (+701 in the world)
University of Brescia (+701 in the world)
Verona University (+701 in the world)
Top universities in the Netherlands
This Dutch-speaking country towards the north of the continent (often referred to as Holland, though in fact the region of Holland only makes up two of its provinces), boasts 13 globally ranked universities. The top universities in the Netherlands are:
1. University of Amsterdam (57th in the world; 15th in Europe)
2. Delft University of Technology (62nd in the world; 17th in Europe)
3. Leiden University (joint 102nd in the world; 38th in Europe)
4. Utrecht University (joint 104th in the world; 39th in Europe)
5. University of Groningen (joint 113th in the world; joint 42nd in Europe)
+ 8 more top universities in the Netherlands
Wageningen University (119th in the world)
Eindhoven University of Technology (=121st in the world)
Erasmus University Rotterdam (144th in the world)
Maastricht University (173rd in the world)
University of Twente (=177th in the world)
Radboud University (190th in the world)
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (199th in the world)
Tilburg University (=330th in the world)
Top universities in the Nordic countries
Europe’s Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) offer 27 internationally ranked universities. Within the Nordic region, Finland claims the highest number of ranked institutions, despite being the most sparsely populated country in Europe, while Denmark offers the highest-ranked university in the group. The top universities in the Nordic countries are:
Denmark
1. University of Copenhagen (joint 68th in the world; joint 19th in Europe)
2. Technical University of Denmark (109th in the world; 41st in Europe)
Aarhus University (117th in the world)
Aalborg University (=374th in the world)
University of Southern Denmark (=390th in the world)
+ 3 more top universities in Denmark
Finland
1. University of Helsinki (91st in the world; 31st in Europe)
2. Aalto University (joint 133rd in the world; 53rd in Europe)
+ 8 more top universities in Finland
University of Turku (234th in the world)
Tampere University of Technology( 319th in the world)
University of Jyväskylä (=338th in the world)
University of Eastern Finland (=382nd in the world)
University of Oulu (411-420th in the world)
Lappeenranta University of Technology (471-480th in the world)
Abo Akademi University (501-550th in the world)
University of Tampere (501-550th in the world)
Norway
1. University of Oslo (joint 113th in the world; joint 42nd in Europe)
2. University of Bergen (joint 177th in the world; 76th in Europe)
+ 2 more top universities in Norway
Norwegian University of Science And Technology (259th in the world)
University of Tromsø The Arctic University of Norway (=377th in the world)
Sweden
1. Lund University (73rd in the world; 22nd in Europe)
2. KTH Royal Institute of Technology (97th in the world; 34th in Europe)
+6 more top universities in Sweden
Uppsala University (=98th in the world)
Chalmers University of Technology (139th in the world)
Stockholm University (=196th in the world)
University of Gothenburg (=264th in the world)
Linköping University (282nd in the world)
Umea University (=294th in the world)
Top universities in Russia
If you think size matters when it comes to deciding where to study in Europe, then perhaps you’ll consider Russia, the largest country in the world, and home to 22 universities included in the QS World University Rankings. The top universities in Russia are:
1. Lomonosov Moscow State University (108th in the world; 40th in Europe)
2. Saint-Petersburg State University (258th in the world; 114th in Europe)
3. Novosibirsk State University (joint 291st in the world; 132nd in Europe)
4. Bauman Moscow State Technical University (joint 306th in the world; 138th in Europe)
5. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology State University (joint 350th in the world; joint 155th in Europe)
+ 17 more top universities in Russia
Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University) (=350th in the world)
Tomsk State University (=377th in the world)
National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University (=400th in the world)
National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute) (401-410th in the world)
National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE, Moscow) (411-420th in the world)
Peter the Great Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University (411-420th in the world)
Kazan (Volga region) Federal University (501-550th in the world)
Far Eastern Federal University (551-600th in the world)
National Research Saratov State University (551-600th in the world)
Southern Federal University (551-600th in the world)
The National University of Science and Technology MISIS (601-650th in the world)
RUDN University (601-650th in the world)
Ural Federal University (601-650th in the world)
Lobachevsky University (701+ in the world)
Novosibirsk State Technical University (701+ in the world)
Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (701+ in the world)
Voronezh State University (701+ in the world)
Top universities in Spain
Acclaimed for its buzzing cities and attractive Mediterranean coast, Spain is popular among tourists and students alike, and claims 21 of the top European universities according to the QS World University Rankings. The top universities in Spain are:
1. University of Barcelona (joint 160th in the world; 66th in Europe)
2. Universitat Autonóma de Barcelona (joint 203rd in the world; 89th in Europe)
3. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (joint 210th in the world; joint 93rd in Europe)
4. University Complutense Madrid (UCM - joint 239th in the world; joint 105th in Europe)
5. University of Navarra (joint 245th in the world; 109th in Europe)
+ 16 more top universities in Spain
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) (=280th in the world)
Universitat Pompeu Fabra (=283rd in the world)
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (=321st in the world)
Universidad Politècnica de València (431-440th in the world)
Universidad de Zaragoza (481-490th in the world)
University of Granada (501-550th in the world)
Universitat de Valencia (551-600th in the world)
Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (551-600th in the world)
Politécnica de Madrid (551-600 th in the world)
Universidad de Sevilla (601-650th in the world)
Universidad de Alcalá (601-650th in the world)
University of Salamanca (651-700th in the world)
Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (701+ in the world)
University of Murcia (701+ in the world)
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (701+ in the world)
Universidade da Coruña (701+ in the world)
Top universities in Switzerland
Home to a large portion of the Alps mountain range, Switzerland is the only country other than the US or the UK to claim a university in the world’s top 10. It has a second entrant in the top 15, and half of its eight internationally ranked universities are in the global top 100. The top universities in Switzerland are:
1. ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, 8th in the world; 4th in Europe)
2. Ecolé Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL, 14th in the world; 6th in Europe)
3. University of Zurich (UZH, 80th in the world; 27th in Europe)
4. University of Geneva (joint 95th in the world; 33rd in Europe)
5. University of Lausanne (138th in the world; 54th in Europe)
+ 3 more top universities in Switzerland
University of Basel (=141 st in the world)
University of Bern (181st in the world)
University of St.Gallen (HSG) (=288th in the world)
Top universities in the UK
Second only to the US in overall rankings presence, the UK has the region’s largest selection of internationally ranked institutions, and is also the most popular destination to study in Europe. It currently boasts four of the world’s top 10 universities, and seven of the 10 top universities in Europe. The top universities in the UK are:
1. University of Cambridge (4th in the world; 1st in Europe)
2. University of Oxford (6th in the world; 2nd in Europe)
3. UCL (University College London; 7th in the world; 3rd in Europe)
4. Imperial College London (9th in the world; 5th in Europe)
5. University of Edinburgh (19th in the world; 7th in Europe)
+ 66 more top universities in the UK
King's College London (21st in the world)
The University of Manchester (29th in the world)
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) (=37th in the world)
University of Bristol (41st in the world)
The University of Warwick (=51st in the world)
University of Glasgow (=63rd in the world)
Durham University (74th in the world)
The University of Nottingham (=75th in the world)
University of St Andrews (77th in the world)
University of Birmingham (82nd in the world)
The University of Sheffield (84th in the world)
University of Southampton (87th in the world)
University of Leeds (93rd in the world)
Queen Mary University of London (=123rd in the world)
University of York (127th in the world)
Lancaster University (129th in the world)
Cardiff University (140th in the world)
University of Aberdeen (=141st in the world)
University of Liverpool (157th in the world)
University of Bath (159th in the world)
The University of Exeter (=164th in the world)
Newcastle University (168th in the world)
University of Reading (175th in the world)
University of Sussex (=187th in the world)
Queen's University Belfast (195th in the world)
Royal Holloway University of London (235th in the world)
Loughborough University (237th in the world)
University of Leicester (=239th in the world)
University of Dundee (244th in the world)
SOAS University of London (=252nd in the world)
University of East Anglia (UEA) (=252nd in the world)
University of Surrey (261st in the world)
University of Strathclyde (=272nd in the world)
Birkbeck, University of London (=280th in the world)
City, University of London (314th in the world)
Heriot-Watt University (=327th in the world)
University of Essex (=330th in the world)
Brunel University London (=345th in the world)
Aston University (358th in the world)
Oxford Brookes University (=359th in the world)
University of Kent (=366th in the world)
University of Stirling (385th in the world)
Swansea University (=390th in the world)
Bangor University (411-420th in the world)
Goldsmiths, University of London (421-430th in the world)
Aberystwyth University (491-500th in the world)
Kingston University, London (501-550th in the world)
Keele University (551-600th in the world)
University of Bradford (551-600th in the world)
University of Hull (551-600th in the world)
Middlesex University (601-650th in the world)
University of Portsmouth (601-650th in the world)
Ulster University (601-650th in the world)
Coventry University (651-700th in the world)
London Metropolitan University (651-700th in the world)
Plymouth University (651-700th in the world)
Manchester Metropolitan University (701+ in the world)
Northumbria University at Newcastle (701+in the world)
Nottingham Trent University (701+in the world)
Robert Gordon University (701+in the world)
University of Central Lancashire (701+in the world)
University of East London (701+in the world)
University of Greenwich (701+in the world)
University of Hertfordshire (701+in the world)
University of Huddersfield (701+in the world)
University of Salford (701+in the world)
Top universities in Greece
1. National Technical University of Athens (joint 395th in the world; 178th in Europe)
2. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (491-500 in the world; joint 209th in Europe)
+ 4 more top universities in Greece
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (651-700th in the world)
University of Crete (651-700th in the world)
University of Patras (651-700th in the world)
Athens University of Economics and Business (701+ in the world)
Top universities in Greece
1. National Technical University of Athens (joint 395th in the world; 178th in Europe)
2. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (491-500 in the world; joint 209th in Europe)
+ 4 more top universities in Greece
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (651-700th in the world)
University of Crete (651-700th in the world)
University of Patras (651-700th in the world)
Athens University of Economics and Business (701+ in the world)
Best of the rest…
The list above covers most of the best-known places to study in Europe as an international student. But the top universities in Europe do not end there; many more European countries are home to one or more institutions included in the QS World University Rankings. Here’s a quick round-up of the rest:
Belarus
1. Belarus State University (354th in the world; 158th in Europe)
2. Belarusian National Technical University (701+ in the world; joint 283rd in Europe)
Bulgaria
1. University of St. Kliment Ohridski (651-700 in the world; joint 263rd in Europe)
Croatia
1. University of Zagreb (651-700 in the world; joint 263rd in Europe)
Czech Republic
1. Charles University (joint 302nd in the world; 136th in Europe)
2. Czech Technical University in Prague (501-550 in the world; joint 212th in Europe)
+ 3 more top universities in the Czech Republic
Masaryk University (601-650th in the world)
Brno University of Technology (651-700th in the world)
Palacký University in Olomouc (651-700th in the world)
Estonia
1. University of Tartu (joint 347th in the world; joint 152nd in Europe)
2. Tallinn University of Technology (601-650 in the world; joint 244th in Europe)
Hungary
1. University of Szeged (501-550 in the world; joint 212th in Europe)
2. Eötvös Loránd University (601-650 in the world; joint 244th in Europe)
+ 4 more top universities in Hungary
University of Debrecen (651-700 th in the world)
Budapest University of Technology and Economics (701+ in the world)
Corvinus University of Budapest (701+ in the world)
University of Pécs (701+ in the world)
Latvia
1. University of Latvia (651-700 in the world; joint 263rd in Europe)
Lithuania
1. Vilnius University (481-490 in the world; joint 205th in Europe)
2. Kaunas University of Technology (701+ in the world; joint 283rd in Europe)
+ 2 more top universities in Lithuania
Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (701+ in the world)
Vytautas Magnus University 701+ in the world)
Poland
1. University of Warsaw (joint 366th in the world; joint 164th in Europe)
2. Jagiellonian University (431-440 in the world; joint 193rd in Europe)
+ 4 more top universities in Poland
Warsaw University of Technology (601-650th in the world)
University of Lodz (701+ in the world)
Nicolaus Copernicus University (701+ in the world)
University of Wroclaw (701+ in the world)
Portugal
1. University of Porto (323rd in the world; 143rd in Europe)
2. University of Lisbon (joint 330th in the world; joint 146th in Europe)
+ 3 more top universities in Portugal
Universidade Nova de Lisboa (=366th in the world)
University of Coimbra (451-460th in the world)
Universidade Católica Portuguesa - UCP (701+ in the world)
Romania
1. Alexandru loan Cuza University (701+ in the world; joint 283rd in Europe)
2. Babes-Bolyai University (701+ in the world; joint 283rd in Europe)
+ 2 more top universities in Romania
University of Bucharest (701+ in the world)
Universitatea de Vest din Timisoara / West University of Timisoara (701+ in the world)
Serbia
1. University of Belgrade (701+ in the world; joint 283rd in Europe)
Slovakia
1. Comenius University in Bratislava (651-700 in the world; joint 263rd in Europe)
Slovenia
1. University of Ljubljana (601-650 in the world; joint 244th in Europe)
2. University of Maribor (new entry this year, 701+ in the world; joint 283rd in Europe)
Ukraine
1. V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (joint 382nd in the world; joint 173rd in Europe)
2. Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (431-440 in the world; joint 193rd in Europe)
+ 4 more top universities in Ukraine
National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" (551-600th in the world)
Vasyl` Stus Donetsk National University (701+ in the world)
National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute" (701+ in the world)
Sumy State University (701+ in the world)
This article was originally published on 14 November 2013. It was last updated in September 2016 to reflect the results of the QS World University Rankings? 2016-2017.
