Admission requirements

(Image: Justitia (Lady Justice), a symbol of moral justice embraced by many judicial systems worldwide)

Studying law on a more abstract and conceptual basis will require much more from students, which means that students will need above average talents to succeed in our programme. Applicants can apply for admission if they have completed, or are about to complete, their pre-university education. All applications for admission to the bachelor programme will be assessed on an individual basis. The admission procedure includes evaluating academic credentials, which in most cases are the pre-university secondary school diploma(s) and grade list. More information about the application deadline can be found here.

Please see the application instructions as there are different processes for applicants with Dutch qualifications and applicants with non-Dutch qualifications.

Please note that for the 2025-2026 admissions round, all applicants with non-Dutch qualifications will have to pay an application fee of €100. More specific details about the application fee can be found here. Application files/documents will only begin being reviewed after the application fee has been received.

All applicants have to hand in the following documents to assess their admissibility to our LLB programme:

• A pre-university diploma, including transcript of studies;
• The transcript of studies should reflect a GPA (Grade Point Average) equivalent to 7.0/10 (Dutch grading scale);
• Proof of English proficiency;

Applicants are also required to complete our matching activity in order to register and enroll for the programme, if deemed admissible.

It is explained below what these requirements fully entail. You can find out more about the specific documents accepted with regards to the requirements here.

Please note: we cannot provide speculative evaluations or decisions of admissiblity to email questions or questions submitted via our information request form.

1. A secondary/higher education diploma
The pre-university diploma satisfies the entry requirements for admission to LLB programme in Groningen if:

• You hold an International/European Baccalaureate (IB/EB);
• You hold a secondary school or pre-university diploma that is considered by the Admissions Board to be equivalent to the Dutch University Preparatory Certificate (VWO) (this may include country specific education requirements).

Applicants must ensure that they send a certified copy of their degree certificate(s) and certified transcripts of their pre-university records along with their application. If the certificates or transcripts are not in English or Dutch a certified translation into English must also be provided. Applicants who are in their final year of studies may apply by submitting a statement of enrollment with a predicted graduation date and transcripts of subjects passed so far.  

2. GPA
On top of providing the Admissions Board with transcripts and diplomas, students should have an equivalent minimum GPA (Grade Point Average) of 7.0/10 (Dutch grading scale). For applicants with a non-EU/EEA qualification, this minimum GPA is mandatory. Grade Point Average is the average of all the marks of your pre-university education. To note, a score of 6 is a passing grade in the Netherlands. *Please look here to clarify your specific country or diploma qualification requirements.

3. Proficiency in English
Students are exempted from proving proficiency in English if they are a native speaker and have completed secondary education, or have already completed a bachelor programme, in one of the following countries: USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, and Malta.

Applicants who do not fulfill the aforementioned requirement(s) for exemption must provide adequate evidence of proficiency in English. The following tests are accepted:

• (International) TOEFL (iBT*) score of at least 100, all sections sufficient (so at least 21 on each section) to be sent in through our institutional code 7191
• (Academic) IELTS Academic (British Council’s English Language Test)**: score of at least 7.0, all sections sufficient (so at least 6.0 on each section);
• Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE, Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English);
• Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE, Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English)

* TOEFL MyBest Scores are not considered in the Admissions procedure.
** IDP IELTS can be considered as long as its the academic version.

The test scores cannot be older than two years.

Applicants can make a request for exemption from taking one of the English proficiency tests mentioned above under certain conditions:

• IB students: students that obtained their international Baccalaureate diploma from a school of which the sole medium of instruction is English can be exempted from taking an English proficiency test as mentioned above. Alternatively, students that have passed Higher Level English (first language) can also be exempted from taking an English proficiency test as mentioned above. If students have passed English at Standard level, they will have to have scored at least 5 (out of 7) points on English to be considered for exemption. On top of that, their total IB-score should be 35. Students that have taken English B (at Standard level) have to present an English proficiency test score in all cases.
• EB students: students that have obtained their European
  Baccalaureate diploma with English (L1 or L2) can be exempt from taking an English proficiency test as mentioned above.
• GCE students: students that have passed at least three A-levels can be exempted from taking an English proficiency test as mentioned above.
• Maltese Advanced Level students: Applicants who have obtained at least 3 Maltese Advanced levels (A-levels) from the MATSEC examination board.

• South Africa: South African students who have completed a Bachelor’s degree at one of the accredited SA Universities fully taught and assessed in English.

All students should always apply for such exemptions if applicable. However, it is ultimately the Admissions Board who decides on these matters. If unsure whether you meet an exemption as listed above, applicants with non-Dutch qualifications should contact the admissions office directly through this form for clarification.

Applicants from Cameroon should take the British Council’s English Language Test (IELTS) to avoid problems in a later stage of the procedure when they are applying for visa.

Details of the TOEFL test can be obtained from ETS on their website. Our TOEFL institution code is 7191. Please mention this on your answer sheet when you are taking the test! Details of the British Council Test are available from the British Council Office in your country or from their website. The test scores cannot be older than two years.

Please note that the English language proficiency tests are not required at the time of application but can be submitted at a later date. Applicants with non-Dutch qualifications should contact the admissions office directly through this form for further information regarding final deadlines for submitting proficiency tests and include your application number and name in your email. Applicants with Dutch qualifications should contact llb rug.nl

4.  Matching activity (online matching class)
For the 2025-2026 admissions intake, there is planned to be multiple rounds for applicants to participate in the matching activity. You can find more information about these rounds here (please check that the information is referring to the 2025-2026 admissions round).

Please note:

• Completing the matching activity is required in order to register and enroll in the programme, when deemed admissible to the programme. Applicants who complete the matching activity but are not admitted to the programme cannot enroll in the programme.
• Applicants may still begin the application process and submit all other required documents before the online matching class is offered.

If ever any question about the matching activity process, please send an email to matching.llb rug.nl for more information.  To note, the admissions office does not administer the matching activity and cannot advise about this process - so please contact the matching email address if questions.

If you are experiening problems with starting your application in Studielink, please contact Student Information and Administration . If you have submitted an application and have further questions about processing, applicants with non-Dutch qualifications should contact the Admissions Officers through this form and applicants with Dutch qualifications should contact the International Office at llb rug.nl . Questions specifically about the online matching class requirement can be sent to matching.llb rug.nl .