Institutes / Universities
Tio Business School
Established in
1969Famous For
Practice-led business and hospitality degrees
- Overview
- Services
- Rankings
- Accommodation
- Location
- Courses
- Scholarships
Overview
Tio Business School is a private Dutch university of applied sciences, also known as Tio University of Applied Sciences and, in Dutch, Hogeschool Tio. Founded by the business community in Hengelo in 1969, it now runs six campuses in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven, Hengelo, and Groningen, with its head office in Hilversum. English-taught bachelor's programmes are offered at four of these: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and Eindhoven.
Programmes sit within three fields: business and entrepreneurship; hospitality, events, and tourism; and marketing, sales, and communication. Popular bachelor's routes include International Business Management, Hotel and Event Management, International Tourism Management, and Business Management. Specialisations such as Digital Business & Generative AI, Luxury Management, and Festival Management are available within the relevant programmes.
Pace is what sets Tio Business School apart. Bachelor's degrees can be completed in three years on a fast-track route rather than the standard four, with students choosing their track after the first year. Full-time master's programmes take one year, including the MBA and specialist routes such as Data Strategy & Business Intelligence and Hospitality Management. Tio's degrees are accredited by NVAO, the Dutch-Flemish accreditation body. This supports international recognition and eligibility for the Netherlands' post-study Orientation Year visa.
Teaching is small-scale and practice-oriented, and every student is assigned a personal study coach. Tio Amsterdam, the largest campus, has a restaurant classroom, cooking studio, boardroom, and quiet study booths. Real clients feature in the curriculum too: International Tourism Management students have developed a new travel concept with tour operator Corendon.
Services
Support at Tio Business School starts well before you arrive. A dedicated visa team prepares and reviews your documents, submits your student visa application, and liaises with the IND on your behalf. The school reports a 99% visa acceptance rate. For non-EU/EEA students, Tio arranges housing and insurance for the first academic year, after which students take over both.
Once you've enrolled, you can draw on:
- Personal study coach: One-to-one academic and personal guidance
- Foundation Programme: Intensive English training for students with IELTS scores of 5.0 to 6.0 (or equivalent), combined with introductory business modules, in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, and Eindhoven
- Student ambassadors: Current international students who chat with applicants before enrolment
- Cognatio: Tio's national student society, with more than 500 members across all six campuses, a no-initiations motto of "No obligations, always a good time", an annual gala, and a winter sports trip
Rankings
The Keuzegids (Higher Education Guide) is the independent Dutch guide to universities of applied sciences. In its 2026 edition, all five of Tio Business School's listed programmes ranked first in their categories: international business, marketing, hotel management, tourism, and real estate. Utrecht led for International Business and marketing, Hengelo for Hotel and Event Management, and Groningen for International Tourism Management. It's the fifteenth consecutive year Tio programmes have led their fields, and the school carries the guide's Excellent in its Field label.
Tio also holds a 4-star QS Stars rating, with 5 stars for Teaching, Global Engagement, and Employability.
Accommodation
Tio Business School guarantees housing for international students, which is a real advantage in Amsterdam and Utrecht, where rooms are scarce. Its flagship option, the Tio Tower in Amsterdam Noord, offers fully furnished two-room apartments of around 36 to 39 m². Each has a private kitchen, bathroom, and washer/dryer, and the building has rooftop gardens and is a five-minute journey from Amsterdam Centraal. Xior manages rentals on minimum 12-month contracts, allocated first come, first served, so apply before 1 July.
Alternatives include Cityscape Residence apartments in central neighbourhoods, Heritage Housing in historic buildings, and lower-cost Suburban Living in Alkmaar and Zaandam.
Location
Getting around is easy, as every Tio Business School campus is within a ten-minute walk of its local train station.
Tio Amsterdam, on Tempelhofstraat, is three minutes on foot from Amsterdam Sloterdijk station, which has direct trains to Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam Centraal. The city offers the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, canal-side cafés, and events such as King's Day and Amsterdam Dance Event.
In Rotterdam, the campus sits on Weena, the central boulevard running from Rotterdam Centraal, in Europe's largest port city. Tio Utrecht, on Oudenoord, is close to the historic centre and the country's busiest rail hub. Tio Eindhoven, at Begijnenhof, places you in a city known for technology, design, and the annual Dutch Design Week.
Courses offered at Tio Business School
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