Tilburg University
trusts
HousingAnywhere
with accommodation for their students since 2016

• Was founded in 1927

• Ranks 357/900 (2017) in QS World University Ranking and 50/400(2017) in Economics & Econometrics

• Has 13,050 students

• Has 1,736 international students

• Offers 71 programs, with 22 for Bachelor and 49 for Master’s Degrees

• Offers courses in English

• Has partnered with Housing Anywhere since 2016

Campus facilities

Situated in the southern part of the Netherlands, Tilburg University’s campus is very compact, with the ultimate convenience of the students in mind. Its setting is almost park-like in nature, nestled up to the edge of a forest. Almost all of the university’s activities take place on this campus.

With everything located on just one campus with 15 buildings, it is quite simple for students to learn their way around. You can expect a well-stocked library, offering computers and lots of space for studying alone or with a group of new friends.

When you need to curb your hunger between classes, there’s a food court and a few places to get coffee and snacks. The largest restaurant is in the Mensa, offering full dinners throughout the week, along with a campus café with discounts for students on drinks. Nearby, you can also find a supermarket, Starbucks, Subway, a Dutch snack bar and a popular restaurant offering Mexican cuisine.

If you’re athletic or enjoy fitness, Tilburg University has excellent facilities for recreation and sports. Located close to the campus, the sports facilities include squash courts and fitness rooms, along with large sports halls and outdoor sporting facilities. For students or faculty members to take part in any of the activities at the sports facilities, they need to purchase a sports pass. By becoming a member of one of the university’s sports associations, you can also opt to be part of one of the competitive sports teams. This will require the payment of a small membership fee.

Tilburg University is located in the city of Tilburg, which is in the south of the Netherlands. Focusing on law, economics, social and behavioral sciences, business sciences, humanities and theology, this public research university is very popular among international students.

Courses

Founded in 1927, the Tilburg School of Economics and Management is the largest and oldest faculty of the university, also making it the most sought-after. There are also four other faculties. They include: Social and Behavioural Sciences, founded in 1963, Law, founded in 1963, Philosophy and Theology, founded in 1967, and Arts, founded in 1981. Additionally, Tilburg University also has several graduate schools and research centers, also partnering with a number of others.

Tilburg University also offers several academic undergraduate programmes that are taught completely in the English language, making it very popular with students who don’t speak Dutch. The three-year undergraduate programmes specialize in the areas of management, business, economics, social sciences, law, arts and cultures, communication, data science and liberal arts and sciences. Tilburg University ranks extremely high in global university rankings in all of these fields of study, as well as consistently being recognized as one of the best-specialized research universities in all of Europe.

Offering over 40 graduate programs fully taught in English, Tilburg University really appeals to anyone wishing to spend a semester or two abroad. MA, MSc and LLM programmes require one year of study. Studying towards a Research Master typically takes two years. Additionally, you can opt to take part in multiple-degree programs at other partner universities.

Additionally, the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences offers yet another programme that is quite popular with incoming international students. Taught in the Dutch language, this two-year Master programme in the field of Medical Psychology allows students the unique opportunity to be trained in a competitive medical setting as scientist practitioners.

International dimension

There are students and staff members from over 90 different nationalities at Tilburg University. The university’s international Bachelor’s programmes enroll between 35 to 60% of its students from countries other than the Netherlands.

Students utilizing special agreements with ERASMUS and other partnerships with universities all over the globe make Tilburg University a very culturally diverse environment. In fact, the university hosts approximately 400 international students every year.

Tilburg University is an active participant in a variety of well-known international research networks, with a high level of focus on becoming advocates who share knowledge within the network. Many of these networks have gone on to concentrate on European or even global themes of research, like the Seventh Framework Programme, for example. Tilburg University is proud to be an acting part of Brainage, Entracte, Integrate, Repopa, A4Cloud, CobaCore, Fi Star, Mopact, Citysdk, Glamurs and en Dasish.

These networks, along with a host of others, assist in making mobility a part of international academics. With a variety of methods in cooperation with partnering universities, Tilburg University is able to provide students with vast educational experiences. These can include Master’s programmes (some with multiple degree options), exchange programmes, internships and summer classes.

If you are considering studying abroad, there is a wealth of information available to you. Be sure to do your homework, and learn as much as you can about your new university and home!

Check out our country guide for information about health insurance and other practicalities that are offered to foreign students.

How to get to the university

In the Netherlands, you will find that most students get from one place to the next by riding bikes. It is fast, safe and extremely convenient. You can purchase your own bicycle or even rent one.

If you don’t really like riding a bicycle, or if the weather isn’t optimal, you can always use the inexpensive, reliable transportation system.

Arrival in the Netherlands at Schiphol Airport

When arriving at the airport, go underground to the train departure area, following the "to trains" signs. You will travel toward Tilburg Universiteit. You will find that there is an electronic board at each platform, listing train destinations and all of the stops along that particular route. Also, check the board to ensure that you are not getting on the wrong train! However, if this should happen, you can easily backtrack and board the correct train to the right destination.

Note:

When looking at the names of the destinations, the city of 's-Hertogenbosch is also commonly called Den Bosch. These two names are interchangeable.

By train

Local train

If wanting to travel by stop-train (departing from Eindhoven, 's-Hertogenbosch and Breda), exit at the "Tilburg Universiteit" NS train station, which is just a short walk from Tilburg University.

Intercity

Another option is the fast intercity trains. When using this mode of transportation, exit the train downtown at "Tilburg Centraal Station" (downtown). From there, you can take a cab for approximately € 15, bus line 4, or a connecting stop-train to “Tilburg Universiteit”.

By bus

Getting to the Campus

From the Tilburg train station, you can take bus 4 every day of the week to get to Tilburg University. Exit at the "Universiteit van Tilburg" bus stop. Additionally, you can take bus 2, 4 and 131 (on weekdays only) to the “Conservatoriumlaan” bus stop. Next, the university is a short walk along the Professor Cobbenhagenlaan.

You can also choose to take bus 4 from the Tilburg Reeshof train station. Be sure to check the electronic boards for the bus lines and bus stops.

To use any method of public transportation in the Netherlands, you must have an OV-kaart, which you can load for funds to pay the transportation fees. You can use it for all buses and trains.

Student Neighbourhoods

Tilburg is a compact, small city that is easy to learn to maneuver. In fact, you can easily bike from one side of the city to the totally opposite side in less than 30 minutes, giving Tilburg that cozy, familiar feel almost immediately.

You will find many types of different people who live in Tilburg, including local residents who can tell you everything about the city’s history. However, this is still a great student city, with almost 14% making up its total population.

City Center

The City Center, also known as Tilburg Centrum, is the downtown area of the city. It is nestled between Heuvelring, the Spoorlaan, Paleisring, Schouwburgring and Noordhoekring. This district has a population of 6,331, also playing home to most of the city’s hotels, shops, restaurants and cafes. In 2007 Pieter Vreedeplein, two small cinemas were replaced with a much larger cinema, which is very popular with students and locals alike.

A bit of a distance southeast from the actual geographical center of the city, it is often referred to as "Centrum". This area is also easily connected to the Tilburg railway station.

Oud Noord (Old North)

This lovely area has a population of almost 32,000 people, and it’s popular with young people and students. Set north of the railway that criss-crosses across Tilburg, Oud-Noord is nestled between Ringbanen, the ring road that runs around the city center.

De Pont, _the contemporary art museum and a popular attraction, is located within this area. Plus, there’s a wonderful urban renewal project. It is built on a stretch of railway called the _Spoorzone, after the railway yard that belonged to the Nederlandse Spoorwegen was no longer in use.

This will also be the location for two new courses taught by Fontys University of Applied Sciences, along with Tilburg's new central library, which will replace the old library in Koningsplein. The railway yard is the largest area, though more areas along the railway will be reconstructed.

Oud-Zuid (Old South)

Oud-Zuid is an area located south, as well as west and east, of Tilburg’s downtown center. It boasts a population of nearly 39,000.

The skyscrapers of Tilburg, all higher than 33 feet (100 meters), are part of this district’s skyline, as of 2012. Including StadsHeer and Westpoint Tower, the Hart van Brabantlaan is nearly completely surrounded by tall buildings. A part of the urban renewal project, this area is set along the railway.

There are also many popular venues in Tilburg that are situated in this district, like Schouwburg, built in 1961, and 013, a bustling music hall. The Koningsplein, which is home to the Piushaven and the central library, is also a vibrant part of Oud-Zuid. You can also expect to find old herd places, such as Oerle, Korvel and Broekhoven.

Plus, Piushaven, along with many other areas, is very close to the city center. You can also take a leisurely 5-minute walk to the main railway station.

West

Almost completely built after WWII, Tilburg-west has nearly 30,000 inhabitants. This charming district has plenty of small brick houses just bursting with character, along with several apartment buildings, which are popular with students. If you’re thinking about splurging, Zorgvlied also offers costlier free-standing homes.

This area also boasts the biggest shopping center not located in the city center, which is called the Westmarket. You can also expect to find several academic buildings here, such as Tilburg University. It’s also nice to know that this district is easily accessible by train via the Tilburg Universiteit railway station. Located west of the university, you can also relax in one of the lush forests that surround the area, like the Oude Warande or Wandelbos.

Common housing practices

Apartments

If you’re looking for a bit more privacy, renting an apartment is probably your best option. Pricing might be higher, but it is an ideal living arrangement for young professionals or students with a higher housing budget.

Houses

Many students opt to actually rent an entire house, enabling them to share it with colleagues or new friends. However, if you are an incoming international student, be sure to take a close look at the rental agreement’s terms and conditions, along with the country’s restrictions. Be sure also to find out which amenities are included.

Student house

Most of the students studying at the university choose to rent rooms that are available in student houses. These are homes that are privately owned but set up to rent to between three and six different students.

You might feel that living with strangers and following any rules set by the other occupants of the house might be difficult. However, most students adapt quickly, finding that this way of life is greatly enjoyable, often making integration into the country’s culture much easier.

Student apartment

Student apartments are yet another option, with most offering a shared kitchen, living room and bathroom, along with private bedrooms for each student. These apartments usually rent to between 8 and 12 students, with rent cheaper than other forms of housing available to students.

To begin searching for your accommodation in Tilburg, be sure to check out Housing Anywhere!

Tilburg University offers a wide variety of student societies, associations and organizations. They offer a great way to meet new friends who are also international students, as well as mingle with local Dutch students. You can join organizations for sports, arts and culture, politics and philosophy, along with academic and professional associations.

There are also organizations that are completely geared toward international students and their successful integration into the university and the country’s culture. You’ll find plenty of activities to keep your social calendar full, as well as a myriad of opportunities to help develop academic skills or make connections that can be put to use in your particular field of study.

The largest and most popular student associations at Tilburg University include:

• St. Olof

• I*ESN

• T.S.V. Plato

• T.S.R. Vidar