Erasmus University began in 1913 as the Netherlands School of Commerce. In 1939 it was renamed as the Netherlands School of Economics.

Meanwhile, the separate Foundation for Higher Clinical Education was working towards a full academic medical programme in Rotterdam; this was realised in 1966 as the Medical Faculty Rotterdam. Along with Sophia Children's Hospital and the Daniel den Hoed Clinic, it forms the University Hospital Rotterdam, which, since 1 January 2003, has been called Erasmus MC.

In 1973, the Medical Faculty Rotterdam and the Netherlands School of Economics merged to become Erasmus University Rotterdam – the first university in the Netherlands named after a person, Desiderius Erasmus (also known as Erasmus of Rotterdam), the 15th century humanist and theologian.

Numbers:

International student breakdown
Total students (including Dutch): 21,246
International bachelor: 2,105
Master’s degree: 1,872
Doctoral degree: 195
Post-experience programmes: 396
Exchange students: 625

International student origins
Europe: 54%
Asia: 29.4%
Africa: 8.3%
North America: 3%
South America 3%
Oceania: 0.3%

Overall ranking (2010):
The QS World University Ranking:
4th In the Netherlands
40th In Europe
99th In the World

The Times Higher Education World University Ranking:
7th In the Netherlands
59th In Europe
159th In the World

Atmosphere:
With more than 80 nationalities on campus, Erasmus University has a very international vibe. The school’s namesake is easily quoted by many students and alumni, “Heel de wereld is je vaderland” – All the world is your fatherland.

However, despite the fact that Erasmus is in the middle of a big city – and certainly has a big city feel – unlike many other Dutch universities, it isn’t scattered throughout the city. Instead it is concentrated on two campuses - the Woudestein campus in the east of Rotterdam and the Erasmus Medical Centre (MC) at the Hoboken campus in the western part of the city.

Watch a video about international students during their first week at Erasmus University.

Focus:
The university has seven faculties and focuses on three key areas of study: Economics & Management - Law, Culture & Society - Medicine & Health Sciences. There are over 65 bachelor, master and doctoral programmes taught in English. 

Erasmus MC is the largest and one of the foremost academic medical trauma centres in the Netherlands. Erasmus’ Rotterdam School of Management is a leading business school in Europe. The Faculty of Law is one of the largest law schools in the Netherlands.

Acceptance rates:
In 2010, 1,603 international students applied to study for a bachelor degree at Erasmus University. Of this group, 627 people were admitted.

In addition to the academic prerequisites, you’ll also need a good command of the English language. Read more about the TOEFL or IETLS tests.

If you’re a non-EU student, you will also likely need a residence permit and possibly a visa. Read more about permits and visas.

Cost:
Tuition for Dutch students is set annually by the government. For 2011-2012, this is € 1,713. Tuition for international students is set by each Dutch university individually and varies also per academic programme.

For students coming from within the European Economic Area, the tuition fees range from € 3,500 for a Master in philosophy, to € 15,000 for a Master in medicine. Read more.

For non-EEA students, the tuition fees range from € 2,172 for a Master in philosophy to € 28,850 for a Master in business administration. Read more.

Read more about tuition in general.

Cost of living:
An example of average living expenses per month
Accommodation (furnished, including (shared or individual) utilities): € 500 - € 600
Insurance: € 55
Books and study materials (may vary per study programme): € 100
Daily expenses (food, drinks, clothes, going out, public transport, etc.): € 350
Other (non-recurrent) expenses:
Visa and residence permit fees (for non-EU students) : € 433 - € 438
Bicycle (secondhand): € 50 - € 100
Unforeseen expenses (high medical or telephone bill, etc.): € 300

A number of items with their average prices
Cup of tea or coffee in a café: € 2.50
Cheese sandwich: € 3.00
Big Mac: € 3.15
Meal in a typical student restaurant: € 12.50
Cinema ticket: € 10.00
Hairdresser (cut and blow-dry): € 25 - € 60

Financial assistance:
Yes, there are possibilities, even for international students. See the university's scholarship guide or see the Nuffic grant-finder search engine.

EU students with valid residence permits can also get part-time jobs. Students from outside the EU must get a work permit in order to get a part-time job and, even with this permit, may only work for a maximum of ten hours per week (which can be condensed into 3 months of full-time work). Read more about this on the Nuffic website.

Accommodation: 
Rent a furnished room from the universities’s own accomodation service for € 500 - € 600 a month and live on campus or look for your own place in the city of surrounding area.

Prospectus:
Bachelor: http://www.eur.nl/english/prospective/bachelor/comparing_bachelors/
Master: http://www.eur.nl/english/prospective/master/comparing_masters/
Post-Experience Master: http://www.eur.nl/english/post_experience/master/
PhD: http://www.eur.nl/english/prospective/phd/phdprogrammes/

Nightlife:
Because Erasmus University’s home is the city of Rotterdam, there’s never a shortage of things to do after the sun goes down. Considered the clubbing capital of Holland, Rotterdam has a huge number of cafés, restaurants, clubs and discotheques. Famous party places include clubs Maassilo and Off_Corso. If you’re not much into dancing, check out the Holland Casino or just go for a drink at De Witte Aap. Read more about Rotterdam's nightlife.

Who’s the boss:
Prof. Henk G. Schmidt, Rector Magnificus

Alluring alumni:
1st Vice President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Indonesia,
Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau (second son of Queen Beatrix),
Frederique van der Wal (supermodel)

Contact:

Postal Address:
Erasmus University Rotterdam
P.O. Box 1738
3000 DR Rotterdam
The Netherlands

Visiting addresses:
Campus Woudestein
Burgemeester Oudlaan 50
3062 PA Rotterdam
The Netherlands

Erasmus MC - University Medical Centre Rotterdam
Dr. Molewaterplein 50
3015 GE Rotterdam
The Netherlands

Email:
Website: www.eur.nl/english