Accreditations & Rankings

At Nyenrode, we provide students with an ideal environment to unleash their full potential. Our commitment to high-quality education and personalized approach is a source of great pride. This commitment is further reinforced by our accreditations and rankings, along with the high satisfaction of our students.

Student Bachelor accountancy van Nyenrode Business Universiteit

Accreditations

Accreditations are Nyenrode’s license to operate. Therefore, it is necessary to meet the quality requirements set by the national and/or international accreditation organizations. We value the regular evaluations of our educational programs by panels of experts.

The bachelor’s, master’s, and MBA programs at Nyenrode all have one or more accreditations. These are quality marks given by organizations such as the NVAO, the EFMD (EQUIS), or the AMBA. You can see which accreditations each program has on our website.

NVAO

The Nederlands-Vlaamse Accreditatieorganisatie (Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders, or NVAO) is responsible for assessing the quality of Dutch and Flemish higher education institutions and programs. If a program is NVAO accredited, a degree can be awarded based on the Higher Education Act (Wet op het Hoger Onderwijs, WHW), such as the Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees.

Nyenrode received university status in 1982. Every six years, the NVAO assesses our bachelor’s and master’s programs. These peer reviews have two purposes: accountability and improvement. In addition to the assessment, each program conducts a ‘development conversation’ with the panel as part of external accreditation. This conversation looks ahead to the future plans of the programs.

Our NVAO accredited bachelor’s and master’s programs

All programs accredited by the NVAO are listed in the Dutch Central Register of Higher Education Programs of the Education Executive Agency.

EQUIS

EQUIS is an accreditation system of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD). It is one of the leading international systems of quality assessment, improvement, and accreditation of higher education institutions in management and business administration. This accreditation guarantees continuous quality improvement, assessing the university in terms of governance, programs, students, faculty, and research.

Nyenrode obtained the EQUIS accreditation for the first time in 2000.

AMBA

Accreditation by the Association of MBAs (AMBA), a British organization, is globally recognized as the standard for MBA programs. It focuses on impact, employment opportunities, and learning outcomes, emphasizing high-quality education, curriculum design, and innovation. AMBA is one of the three major accreditation organizations worldwide, along with EQUIS in Brussels and AACSB in the US. AMBA distinguishes itself by accrediting the portfolio of postgraduate management programs, and does not grant accreditations to bachelor’s programs.

All of Nyenrode’s MBA programs have an AMBA accreditation

Upon completion of one of these programs, you will earn the MBA degree and may use the MBA title. The MBA degree does not grant access to a master’s program or doctoral trajectory at a Dutch university because it is an international accreditation.

Globally, less than 2% of all Business Schools have obtained an AMBA accreditation. Nyenrode first achieved the AMBA accreditation for its MBA programs in 2001.

AACSB

Nyenrode is striving to obtain the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation. The AASCB is an American organization American organization that grants accreditations to business schools. Achieving the AACSB accreditation is a lengthy process. AACSB aims to transform business education for global prosperity, which aligns perfectly with Nyenrode’s endeavor to inspire students and participants to develop into responsible leaders.

Professional Accreditations

The professional organizations of accountants (CEA) and controllers (VRC) have a significant influence on the curriculum of our programs in accountancy and controlling.

CEA

Students who graduate from the Post-Master Accountancy Program at Nyenrode will become Chartered Accountants. The accountancy program is supervised by the Commissie Eindtermen Accountantsopleiding (Accountancy Program Learning Outcomes Committee or CEA). According to CEA, the university has an adequate quality control system that ensures that the intended learning outcomes are safeguarded.

Nyenrode aims to ensure that the preliminary programs (bachelor’s and master’s) align well with the Post-Master in Accountancy. Therefore, we apply the quality standards of the CEA to all accountancy programs.

VRC

Graduates from the Executive Master of Finance and Control (EMFC) can affiliate to the Vereniging Register Controllers (Association of Register Controllers or VRC). The VRC is the Dutch national register for controllers and recognizes executive master’s programs in controlling. VRC members are driven financial executives who may use the title Registercontroller (RC). Since its establishment in 1988, the VRC has been committed to the continuing education and support of leading experts in financial management. In doing so, the VRC collaborates with renowned educational institutions and financial organizations.

Other: CPION

Het Centrum voor Post Initieel Onderwijs Nederland (Center for Post Initial Education, CPION) is an independent organization that assesses, diplomas, or certifies and registers post-initial and continuing education programs. CPION does this, among other things, for the Foundation for Post Scientific Education Netherlands (SPWO) and the Foundation for Continuing Education Netherlands (SPEN).

These programs are registered at CPION

Programs of SPO Nyenrode that are registered at CPION

Rankings

Nyenrode is a small-scale private university in the heart of Europe. We distinguish ourselves through a strong combination of academic knowledge, practical relevance, and personal development, and as such, hold a unique position in the Netherlands. We have a strong national and international reputation, which is reflected in various Business School Rankings.

Financial Times ranking

The Financial Times (FT) publishes annual rankings of business schools and a range of programmes. These rankings are highly regarded worldwide and are based on several data points, including information from alumni.

In 2025, Nyenrode Business Universiteit was ranked 60th out of 100 European business schools.

In the 2025 global ranking, Nyenrode’s Customized Executive Programs placed 81st worldwide. In the Open Executive Education ranking, Nyenrode ranked number one in the Netherlands for the fourteenth consecutive year.

Other Rankings

In the Training and Education category of MT/Sprout, Nyenrode is the number three service provider among thousands of business decision-makers and has a four-star rating in the categories of Product Leadership, and Excellent Execution. The entire ranking can be found here.

Nyenrode Business University was designated as a Tier One in the Global MBA Ranking by CEO Magazine in 2025. The Executive MBA program holds the 6th position in the global ranking by CEO Magazine in 2023. The ranking can be found here.

National Student Survey (NSE) & Keuzegids

The NSE is a national survey in which students of Dutch Higher Education institutions annually are invited to express their satisfaction about their education. Students are questioned on various topics, such as content and structure, study facilities, and the connection to the professional field.

Results from the NSE are used in the publications of the Keuzegids Master and the Keuzegids Universities. These are independent guides that annually compare Dutch NVAO-accredited bachelor's and master's programs and Institutions based on its own methodology combined with the results of the National Student Survey (NSE). The Keuzegids Universities is published in the autumn with an extensive comparison of institutions in the Netherlands. The Keuzegids Master is published in the spring.

Results NSE 2025

The 2025 NSE shows that students at Nyenrode Business Universiteit are once again satisfied with their programs, with overall satisfaction increasing compared to last year. Programs such as the Master in Fiscal Economics (4.5), the MSc in Management (4.1), and the Master of Science in Controlling (4.1) receive above-average ratings, while the Bachelor in International Business Administration achieved the highest score within its category. Students particularly value the strong link to professional practice, the positive learning environment, and the high quality of teaching. Link to the NSE 2025 results.