🇧🇪 Universities in Belgium
3 universities evaluated for international families.
Belgium offers top continental research universities at very low public tuition, split along its language line: Flemish (Dutch-medium) institutions — KU Leuven, Ghent — and French-medium ones — UCLouvain — with English-taught master's the practical entry door for internationals. KU Leuven is one of Europe's strongest research universities (repeatedly Reuters' most innovative in Europe) and anchors the Leuven deep-tech/imec ecosystem; Ghent is a life-sciences and biotech powerhouse; UCLouvain leads the French-speaking community. Undergraduate teaching is overwhelmingly in Dutch or French, so non-speakers concentrate at master's level. Bilingual Brussels and a 12-month post-study search year aid graduate retention. Best for research-focused and STEM/biotech students who value EU-low cost and proximity to EU institutions over a single dominant global brand.
Post-Study Work
Student residence permit; 12-month 'search year' (zoekjaar / année de recherche) post-study job-seeking permit for non-EU graduates
Application System
Direct to each university; Dutch-medium (Flanders) or French-medium (Wallonia/Brussels) bachelor's, with English-taught master's the main international route
Avg. International Fees
EUR 835–1,200/year public (EU/EEA); EUR 2,000–12,000+/year for non-EU, varies by program
| University | Network | Employability | Teaching | Curriculum | Institutional | Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghent University | B | B | A | A | A | A |
| KU Leuven | A | A | A | A | S | A |
| Université catholique de Louvain | B | B | A | A | A | B |