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Student city of Enschede

The city of Enschede is very popular among students because of its numerous associations, cosy restaurants and friendly, personal atmosphere.

With over 160,000 inhabitants, Enschede is the largest city in the east of the Netherlands. Enschede is a city of knowledge and innovation. A place where people still see each other and give each other space. On the border of the Netherlands and the European hinterland, it is an entrepreneurial and tolerant city with over 150 nationalities.

A lively student city

Over 30,000 students study at the University of Twente, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, ArtEZ Conservatoire or AKI. With this number of students and a wide range of clubs and bars, Enschede has earned the right to call itself a vibrant student city. And an international city! Thanks to the University of Twente's international profile and its location close to the German border, the campus - with more than 100 nationalities - is a multicultural community. The University of Twente invariably ends up in the top lists of institutions with the most foreign students.

The student city of Enschede

Student associations

The city of Enschede is very popular among students because of its numerous associations, cosy restaurants and friendly, personal atmosphere. Next to that, there are more affordable living spaces compared to other student cities. A striking element of student life in Enschede is the presence of varied study and student associations. These include study, sports and cultural associations as well as associations for social matters. For those football fans out there, Enschede is also home to the football club and former champions of the Netherlands, FC Twente! 

Shopping, food and drinks

Enschede goes out on the square, named Oude Markt. The cosy square and all the streets around it attract visitors from far and wide. Around the church De Grote Kerk - the proud heart of the Oude Markt - are regular musical and cultural events. H.J. van Heekplein is to shoppers what the Oude Markt is to those going out. You can find a large number of brand stores and local boutiques that attract tens of thousands of visitors, including those from Germany.

Every Tuesday and Saturday a large food market graces the H.J. van Heekplein where you can do your grocery shopping and enjoy typical Dutch and international snacks. On the Oude Markt, you will find lots of places to have a coffee or go out for dinner. You can always find a quick lunch, all kinds of dinners and an affordable "meal of the day". Most restaurants can be found in the centre of the city, around the Oude Markt.

Nature is always close by

Enschede is one of the greenest cities in the country. There are many parks, laid out by the former textile barons. If you want to take a break, the soothing nature is always nearby. Where the buildings of Enschede end, there is a particularly varied landscape with various walking and cycling routes.

Business opportunities

The University of Twente is part of the high-tech innovation campus Kennispark Twente, which is internationally renowned for the intensive cooperation between knowledge institutions, research institutes and entrepreneurs. For four years in a row, we have been the most entrepreneurial university in the Netherlands and together with Novel-T and our partners Saxion, Municipality of Enschede, Region of Twente and Province of Overijssel, we are building the best performing ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in Europe. Novel-T is a powerful regional innovation catalyst and connects talent, knowledge, capital, network and infrastructure. The aim is for even more start-ups, companies and international investors to discover the high-tech strength of the East Netherlands.