Top 10 Scholarships in Netherlands for International Students

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Along with UK and Germany, the Netherlands is one of the top destinations for international students looking to pursue free studies in Europe.  The degrees offered by Dutch institutions are internationally recognized and there are a significant number of scholarships in Netherlands offered by Dutch Colleges and Universities as well as scholarships granted by the Dutch government and institutions.

The University of Gothenburg Axel Adler Scholarships

Gothenburg University
Masters Degree

Deadline: 15 Jan/mid-Feb 2027 (annual)
Study in: Sweden
Course starts August 2026

University of Twente Scholarships (UTS)

University of Twente
Masters Degree

Deadline: 1 April 2027 (annual)
Study in:  Netherlands
Course starts Sept 2027

Chalmers IPOET Scholarships for International Students

Chalmers University of Technology
Masters Degree

Deadline: 15 Jan 2027 (annual)
Study in: Sweden
Course starts August 2027

Cambridge International Scholarships

University of Cambridge
PhD Degree

Deadline: varies (annual)
Study in: UK
Course starts October 2027

Top 20 Excellence Scholarships for Outstanding International Students

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Although not all, most scholarship programs are merit-based meaning scholars are chosen based on academic merit or in others forms such as leadership, athletic, or artistic merits.  Merit-based scholarships are sometimes referred to as excellence scholarships since it seeks out the most bright and most talented students.  In this list, scholars4dev.com highlights the most popular merit-based scholarships out there.

ENS International Selection Scholarships

École Normale Supérieure
Masters Degree

Deadline: 15 Dec 2026 (annual)
Study in: France
Course starts September 2027

Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarships for International Students

Maastricht University
Masters Degree

Deadline: 10 Dec 2026/1 Feb 2027 (annual)
Study in:  Netherlands
Course starts September 2027

VU Amsterdam Fellowship Programme for International Students

VU University Amsterdam
Masters Degree

Deadline: 1 Dec 2026/1 Feb 2027 (annual)
Study in: Netherlands
Course starts September 2027

Adlerbert Study Scholarships at Chalmers University of Technology

Chalmers University of Technology
Masters Degree

Deadline: 15 Jan 2027 (annual)
Study in: Sweden
Course starts August 2027