Groningen is the closest thing the Netherlands has to a proper student city. It is compact, young, cheap by Dutch standards, and organised almost entirely around the University of Groningen and Hanze University of Applied Sciences. If you want a student experience where the city itself feels like a campus, this is where you get it.
It also has a September housing problem serious enough that the university has repeatedly warned incoming international students not to travel without accommodation confirmed. That warning is not boilerplate. Take it literally.
The September crunch
Groningen's student population is very large relative to the size of the city, and the arrival is concentrated into a few weeks. Every year a number of international students arrive with nothing arranged and end up in hostels, temporary shelters, or on a friend's floor for weeks.
What follows from that, practically:
- Do not fly in to search. The market between mid-August and late September is not searchable from a hostel.
- Apply through the university housing channel the day it opens. In Groningen this matters more than in most cities, because the alternative is genuinely bad.
- Consider starting in a nearby town. Assen, Leek and Winsum are all commutable and dramatically less contested.
Treat that as a serious problem rather than something that will resolve itself on arrival. Arrange temporary accommodation for at least a month, budget for it, and keep searching from there. Arriving with nothing is how people end up paying for a scam out of desperation.
Costs
Groningen is one of the more affordable Dutch student cities, which is a large part of its appeal.
Approximate monthly rent, as of 2026:
| Type | Typical monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Room in a shared student house | €400–€600 |
| Room via a student housing provider | €400–€550 |
| Studio | €700–€1,000 |
Compared with Amsterdam you are looking at meaningfully lower rent for a considerably better student social life. The trade-off is distance: Groningen is in the far north, and a trip to Schiphol is roughly two hours by train.
Housing routes worth trying
- University-mediated housing through the RUG or Hanze international offices — apply early, accept what is offered.
- SSH, the student housing organisation operating in Groningen, which allocates by registration time rather than luck. Register as early as you are allowed to, even before you are certain you are coming.
- Shared houses via hospiteeravond — Groningen has a strong tradition of houses picking their own housemates, which means the search is social rather than transactional. Read how a hospiteeravond works before you attend one.
- Facebook groups for Groningen students — a real source of rooms, and a real source of scams. Verify everything.
Arriving in Groningen soon?
Get a free plan with your housing, registration and insurance steps in the right order.
The order to do things in
- Room first. Everything else depends on having an address where registration is permitted.
- Register at the gemeente and get your BSN, within five days of arrival if you are staying longer than four months. Book the appointment as soon as you have an address — September slots go quickly.
- Open a Dutch bank account so you can use iDEAL, which many Dutch sites treat as the only real payment method.
- Health insurance. Studying only: your EHIC or approved private policy is generally sufficient. Taking a paid job or paid internship: Dutch basic insurance becomes mandatory immediately.
- Buy a bike. In Groningen this is not optional in any meaningful sense.
Full guides: BSN registration, Dutch bank accounts, health insurance.
A room where the landlord does not permit registration blocks your BSN, and without a BSN you will struggle with banking, insurance, and any paid work. Get permission to register confirmed in writing before you commit to anything.
Getting around
Groningen is small enough to cross by bike in about twenty minutes, and the city is built around that assumption. It has one of the highest cycling shares of any city in Europe, and the infrastructure reflects it — you will feel more at risk from other cyclists than from cars.
- Buy a second-hand bike in your first week, and a good lock. See our bike guide.
- Buses cover the outer areas and the commuter towns; the city is otherwise walkable and cyclable.
- Trains: roughly two hours to Amsterdam, and Groningen Airport Eelde is small — most international students arrive via Schiphol and take the direct train north.
What living there is actually like
The student share of the population is high enough that the city's rhythm follows the academic year. Nightlife is concentrated around the Grote Markt and its surrounding streets, and it runs late in a way that surprises people who expected Dutch cities to be quiet.
Student associations matter here more than in the Randstad cities — they are a primary social structure, not an optional extra, and joining one in your first weeks is the single most effective thing you can do socially. The introduction week (KEI week) is worth attending even if you dislike organised fun.
The north is flatter, windier and colder than the rest of the country. Winter is dark, and the wind coming off the sea is the part nobody warns you about.
Mistakes people make in Groningen specifically
- Assuming a cheap city means an easy housing market. They are unrelated. Cheap rent with no supply is still no room.
- Arriving in September to look. The one month of the year when it is close to impossible.
- Skipping SSH registration because you are not sure you are coming. Registering early costs almost nothing and the queue position is the whole point.
- Underestimating the distance. Two hours to Schiphol matters when you are booking flights home, and it changes how often you will realistically travel.
Read next
- Surviving a Dutch Hospiteeravond — how Groningen houses choose people
- How to Get Your BSN Number
- How to Spot and Avoid Dutch Rental Scams
Frequently asked questions
How much is a student room in Groningen?
Most shared student rooms fall between €400 and €600 per month, with rooms allocated through student housing organisations often at the lower end of that range. Studios run considerably higher, generally €700 to €1,000. Groningen is one of the cheaper Dutch student cities, but low prices do not mean rooms are easy to get.
Is it true that students in Groningen can't find housing?
The shortage is real and concentrated in the weeks around the start of the academic year, and the universities have repeatedly advised incoming international students not to travel without confirmed accommodation. It is not a myth or a marketing line. Secure something before you fly, even if it is temporary, and keep searching from a stable base.
What is a hospiteeravond and will I need to do one?
It is an evening where a shared student house interviews several candidates and then votes on who joins. It is very common in Groningen, and it means the search is social rather than purely financial — the house is choosing a housemate, not a tenant. Being personable and genuinely interested in the people matters more than your budget.
Do I need a bike in Groningen?
Effectively yes. The city is built around cycling and has one of the highest cycling rates in Europe, so a bike is how you get to class, to the supermarket and to your social life. Buy a second-hand bike in your first week and spend real money on the lock, since bike theft is common in every Dutch student city.
How far is Groningen from Amsterdam and Schiphol?
Around two hours by direct train, which is the main practical drawback of studying in the far north. Groningen Airport Eelde is small with limited international routes, so most students fly into Schiphol and take the train. Factor the journey into flight bookings and into how often you realistically expect to travel home.