In the ranking of all universities, Eindhoven holds third place, after Wageningen and the Dutch Open University. Close on sixty Dutch academic Bachelor's programs are rated by the Guide as ‘top programs’. At TU/e both Chemical Engineering and Applied Mathematics are entitled to carry this hallmark of quality.

The latest Guide also names twenty university Bachelor's programs that have appeared on this elite list for five consecutive years - ever since the compilers devised this category. With eleven of the twenty programs to its name, Wageningen University & Research dominates; Eindhoven is not included in this list of persistent toppers.

In the comparison with the Dutch TUs, Eindhoven scores 'clearly higher than Delft and Twente', observe the compilers. 'The lecturers receive much praise, as does the considerable attention paid to skills. The departments have got their affairs very much in order. And unlike at the other TU's, at Eindhoven the study program is "reasonably doable" - although this cannot be said of all TU/e's programs.'

Whether Eindhoven will come away with first place in the TU rankings again next year is highly debatable. Wageningen, regarded by the Guide as successful and formally a member of the federation of Dutch technical universities (4TU.Federation) since May 2016, was not included in this year's comparison. That may change next year. 

Eindhoven is also described by the editors as an international hotspot for innovation and design. Student life is sociable here, the city has hip bistros, and the entrepreneurial spirit at Strijp-S  gets a mention. About TU/e itself, the Guide reports that entrepreneurship is encouraged here.

The comparative guide (intended primarily for prospective students) is compiled each year by the Center  for Higher Education Information (CHOI) in Leiden.