Leiden, Netherlands
The Netherlands' oldest university, historically strong in Law and the Humanities.
Leiden University, founded in 1575, is the Netherlands' oldest and has a long-standing reputation in Law, History and Asian Studies in particular. Its compact city-centre campus in Leiden sits about 15 minutes from Amsterdam by train.
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AAB (A Level) · IB 34
Top tier · indicative for the flagship courses below — always verify per-course requirements directly with the university.
€13,000–€17,000/yr
high tier for Netherlands — figures are typical ranges, not this specific university's published fee.
Mix of English and Dutch — many Bachelor's programmes are English-taught, but Medicine, Dutch Law and some others remain Dutch-medium. Check the specific programme.
city campus, Leiden
Informational only — scholarship amounts, deadlines and even which schemes are running change often (sometimes per intake), so treat this as a starting point, not a guarantee. Always confirm current details directly with the scholarship provider or Leiden's financial aid office.
The Netherlands has a well-known joint government/university scholarship for non-EEA students, alongside a growing number of individual university excellence scholarships.
Want help figuring out which of these you'd actually qualify for? Talk to a free Tutopiya counsellor.
Law
⏱️ Typical duration: 3 years for an undergraduate LLB (UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia); typically a 3-year postgraduate JD entered after a Bachelor's (US, Canada)
International Relations
⏱️ Typical duration: 3 years
Liberal Arts
⏱️ Typical duration: 3 years
Typical entry: Portfolio / audition
Medicine
⏱️ Typical duration: 5–6 years where entered straight from school (UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong); typically a 4-year postgraduate MD entered after a Bachelor's (US, Canada)
Typical entry: Requires Chemistry + Biology · University-run decentralised selection (motivation, skills assessment, interview) rather than a single national test
Psychology
⏱️ Typical duration: 3 years
Typical entry: A science or Mathematics recommended
Durations are typical for Netherlands — always confirm the exact length (including any placement or integrated Master's year) on the course's own page before applying.
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IELTS: 6.5 overall
TOEFL: 90–100 iBT
Most universities waive this requirement if you've completed 2+ years of English-medium schooling (e.g. IGCSE / A Level / IB) — always confirm the specific university's waiver policy before booking a test.
Enter your grades and budget in the free Netherlands University Shortlist Builder to see whether Leiden is a reach, target or safety for you — alongside every other Netherlands university that matches.
Build my Netherlands shortlist →Quick answers about grades, tuition, deadlines and applying to Leiden as an international IGCSE / A Level / IB student.
As a typical benchmark for international entry, Leiden expects around AAB at A Level or 34 points on the IB Diploma. This is indicative for Leiden's flagship courses — competitive subjects like Medicine and Law usually sit above this baseline, and the exact requirement varies by course, so always confirm the specific figure on Leiden's own admissions page before applying.
International tuition at Leiden typically falls in the €13,000–€17,000/yr range (high tier for Netherlands). This is a typical range for the university's tuition tier, not Leiden's specific published fee for every course — confirm the exact figure for your intended programme directly with the university.
Leiden follows Netherlands's typical intake calendar: September, with applications generally due 1 may (general deadline). Numerus fixus (restricted-entry) programmes such as Medicine close much earlier — 15 January. Always verify the exact date on Leiden's own admissions page, since deadlines can shift year to year.
Netherlands universities, including Leiden, typically ask international applicants for 6.5 overall. Most universities waive this requirement if you've completed 2+ years of English-medium schooling (e.g. IGCSE / A Level / IB) — always confirm the specific university's waiver policy before booking a test.
The Netherlands' oldest university, historically strong in Law and the Humanities. Leiden University, founded in 1575, is the Netherlands' oldest and has a long-standing reputation in Law, History and Asian Studies in particular. Its compact city-centre campus in Leiden sits about 15 minutes from Amsterdam by train.
Yes — Leiden accepts applicants from IGCSE-to-A-Level, IGCSE-to-IB-Diploma, and directly from the IB Diploma. Tutopiya's free Netherlands University Shortlist Builder matches your predicted or actual grades against Leiden and every other Netherlands university we track, tagging each as reach, target or safety.
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