The Delft University of Technology is now considered one of the Top 50 educational institutes in the world. This news comes with the release of the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings for 2014.

This publication is a spin-off of the organisation’s World University Rankings, and assesses institutions based on their subjective reputations for teaching and research abilities. As in the past, three other Dutch institutions made the Top 100.

Four Dutch universities make the list

In the 2014 report, TU Delft rose from the 51-60 range to claim a spot in the prestigious Top 50, coming in at number 42. This makes TU Delft the highest-ranked university in the Netherlands and among the top three technological institutes in Europe.

While the city of Delft boasts the only institution to make the Top 50, three other Dutch cities have universities within the Top 100: Amsterdam, Leiden and Utrecht.

This year, the University of Amsterdam made the 71-80 range, an increase from its 2013 spot in the 81-90 group. (Schools outside of the Top 50 do not receive a specific ranking, but are placed within a range.) Utrecht University also made the 81-90 category, just as it did last year.

Leiden University was the one Dutch institution to lose ground, dropping from 61-70 to 81-90. However, Leiden ranked highest among the Dutch institutions in the related World University Rankings 2013-2014 list this past autumn, reaching number 67.

Rankings have long-term benefit

According to the university’s website, TU Delft President Dirk Jan van den Berg is "delighted" with this year’s results.

"A great reputation is important for staying attractive to talented students and researchers from all over the world," he says "and also for procuring funding, which leads to increasing competition between researchers for research funds from, for example, Europe."

The rankings are welcome news for the Netherlands as a whole, which has been struggling to compete with other European countries when it comes to attracting international students. In a recent study of nine European student cities, Amsterdam came in at the bottom of the list with regards to developing a strong international student body.

However, Phil Baty, editor of the Times Higher Education Rankings, offers an encouraging perspective. "The Netherlands continue to perform well in the ranking; even though the country is less than half the size of Canada [in population], for example, it has more universities in the Top 100." When compared to other countries, the Netherlands is in sixth place for the number of schools on the Times list.