Wageningen

Wageningen University & Research

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Wageningen

Wageningen is a municipality and historic town in the centre of the Netherlands. It is situated on the Northern bank of the Nederrijn (Lower Rhine). The municipality has a population of almost 40.000 people and is internationally known for its university and  numerous research facilities. Wageningen is the central city in the so-called Food Valley, the Dutch cluster on food and nutrition that concentrates around the university. Amsterdam is located a one and a half-hour train ride from Wageningen. Utrecht can be reached within less than an hour.

Attractions in Wageningen include a 19th century wind-powered flour mill, which is still functional, Wijngaard Wageningse Berg, the location of a local winery, a botanical garden, a sculpture gallery, a theatre and a museum, showcasing the history of Wageningen. Wageningen is located at the border of High Veluwe, a large nature reserve, where local wildlife can be observed.

To find out more about Wageningen, visit the city’s official website

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Wageningen University & Research

Wageningen University and Research (WUR) is a collaboration between Wageningen University and the Wageningen Research foundation with the mission of „exploring the potential of nature to improve the quality of life“. WUR’s domain entails the three related core areas of „food and food production“, „living environment“ and „health, lifestyle and livelihood“. It builds on the Agricultural College that was taken over by the state in 1876 and became the National Agricultural College (Landbouwhogeschool Nederland) in 1918.

The university now employs around 5,000 people. It hosts approximately 12,000 students, of which more than 20% are international, from over 100 countries.

WUR is organised in 5 departments (Agrotechnology & Food Sciences, Animal Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Plant Sciences and Social Sciences), which are again subdivided into 85 chair groups. In the 2019 QS World University Ranking it ranked No. 1 worldwide in “Agriculture and Forestry” and No. 125 worldwide. In 2018, WUR was ranked as best university in the Netherlands for the fourteenth time in a row.

WUR’s Student Service Centre provides information for international students.

Accommodation

As a student city, Wageningen offers a lot of different housing opportunities for students, including dormitories, shared flats or private flats. However, the demand is high. Make sure to plan ahead and arrange your accommodation well in advance. For more details, visit WUR’s information on student housing.

Residence Permit/Visa and Registration

This information will be updated soon!

Any student studying in Wageningen for a period of more than four months has to register at the local municipality. A passport, proof of accommodation and a birth or marriage/divorce certificate need to be presented. Find out more about registration in Wageningen on WUR’s homepage or the municipality’s homepage

Climate

Wageningen has a warm temperate climate with considerable rainfall throughout the year. Temperatures average to about 17 °C in summer (max. around 25 °C) and 2 °C in winter. Minimum temperatures can fall slightly below 0 °C.

Transportation

The most practical means of transportation in a flat country like the Netherlands is cycling. Bicycles can be rented from the Wageningen public transport system (OV-fiets), several stores or can also be bought second-hand. The main roads have separate bicycle lanes with own traffic signals for cyclers. For those not wanting to go by bicycle, there is a bus that can be used to get around most of the city. For more information on safe bicycle riding in Wageningen, visit cyclinginwageningen.nl or WUR’s information on the topic of bicycles.

Living expenses

Living expenses in Wageningen are lower than in the capital Amsterdam. Students should expect to spend about € 1,000 per month. Information on the costs of living in Wageningen can be found on WUR’s homepage on the topic.

Estimated monthly expenses:
Accommodation € 300-600
Food: € 300
Transportation*: € 4-42
Other: € 200

*Bicycle (used/new: €50-€80/up to €500) or bus

Administrative Coordinator

Photo of Dieuwertje Lont at WUR

Academic Coordinator

Hans Komen

Administrative Coordinator

Academic Coordinator

Last updated: 03.05.2023