Dutch universities have fallen on an annual international ranking chart, with just two in the top 100 compared with five last year.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is ranked best in the QS World University Rankings 2016, while the University of Cambridge once again beats Oxford.

But, reports NOS, despite their best efforts to attract international students and teach ever more courses in English, most Dutch universities have fallen down the rankings. The University of Amsterdam, highest in the Netherlands, drops two spots to 57^th place, although TU Delft rises two to 62^nd. But Leiden, Utrecht and Groningen have fallen out of the top 100.

A survey in the Volkskrant last month suggested that 60% of Dutch university courses are given solely in English, but this has sparked much debate. ISO student union has protested that this is ‘not a good idea’ and a survey from the LSVB student union last year questioned the quality of lecturers’ English. But Dutch university association the VSNU has argued that the move will ‘lead to better education and more opportunities for students in the international jobs market.’

Out of the new listing of 916 universities, nonetheless, all 13 institutions in the Netherlands score in roughly the top third, with Tilburg lowest at 330^th (falling from 293rd last year). Amsterdam, which scores highest, had so many students from Britain this year that it organised a special two-day welcome desk at Schiphol last month to help them find their feet.