Among the reasons why Belgium is ranked among the top universities worldwide is its multilingual education system (French, Dutch, and German). That is also one of the reasons why there are so many students completing their studies in Belgium.
If you want to study medicine in Belgium, check out our complete guide to studying medicine in Belgium.
Here are the top 10 universities in Belgium along with their official websites.
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Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven)
Firstly, KU Leuven ranks among the top 50 universities worldwide and the top 20 in Europe. It is also one of the oldest universities, as it was founded in 1425. The university is located in the city of Leuven and has campus throughout 11 cities in Belgium, including Brussels, Ghent as well as Antwerp.
The university also has 15 faculties where subjects as diverse as Renaissance philosophy, law and criminology as well as nanotechnology are provided. Moreover, as a leading European research institution, KU Leuven provides numerous programs in English for international students.
Visit the official KU Leuven website to learn more.
Ghent University
Next in our top 10 universities in Belgium is Ghent University. This institution ranks among the best 50 universities in Europe and the top 100 worldwide. It was founded in 1817 and is located in the beautiful, medieval and multicultural city of Ghent.
The university includes many fields of study in its 11 faculties. Ghent University also provides international students to conduct research in both exact and social sciences. Moreover, the institution mainly offer programs in Dutch, at the undergraduate level, except for the Bachelor of Social Sciences which is in English.
The language of instruction for most masters is also Dutch. However, you can find a few courses taught partly in Dutch and in English. The best subjects to study at Ghent University include business and management, engineering and technology and environmental studies and earth sciences to name just a few.
Visit the official Ghent University website.
Université Catholique de Louvain (UC Louvain)
Thirdly, UC Louvain. This university is essentially the French version of KU Leuven. Both have the same date of establishment, which is 1425. They also share the same location. Furthermore, UC Louvain ranks 3rd in Belgium and belongs in the top 200 universities worldwide.
The faculty is known for the following specialties: medicine, humanities, social science, and technology. Additionally, the university has 14 faculties and 21 research institutions. Besides, the number of student in UC Louvain is 28,000.
Learn more about UC Louvain.
Université libre de Bruxelles
Fourthly, the Université libre de Bruxelles. Established in 1834, the university ranks 101-150 worldwide. The university has a few Nobel Prize, Wolf Prize and Fields Medal winners among its alumni. This testifies about the university’s longstanding history of merit, providing students with a solid foundation in critical thinking and research. Additionally, the institution offers 40 undergraduate programs, 250 graduate programs, with 23 master’s courses in English.
Visit the official website of the Université libre de Bruxelles.
University of Liège
The University of Liège is a public university in the French-speaking community of Belgium, which origins date back to 1817. Being a member of the Academic Pole Liège-Luxemburg, the institution prides on its pursuit of excellence in teaching, research and innovation.
Study programs are student-centered and are provided at the university’s 4 campuses and 11 faculties. Moreover, the university offers diverse subjects of studies, in almost all knowledge areas, in English or in French. Besides, the university has 9 full specialties: philosophy, medicine, veterinary medicine, architecture, applied sciences, psychology and economics.
Visit the official website for University of Liège.
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Sixth, Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Established in 1971, The free university in Brussels is one of the modern universities in Belgium. Also, being mainly a Brussels’university, all its 4 campuses are located in and around Brussels.
Additionally, there are currently 135,000 students at the university, with 21% of them being international students.
Learn more about Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
University of Antwerp
The seventh institution of our best universities in Belgium is the University of Antwerp. It is located in one of the 10th best cities in the world for economic potential, making of the University of Antwerp, one of the most modern institutions on our list.
Another distinctive feature of the university is its international profile. The university hosts around 21,500 students, and 18% of them are foreign students from 116 nationalities. Lastly, the University of Antwerp is a leading institution for medical studies in Belgium.
Visit the official website for the University of Antwerp.
University of Namur
The eighth institution on our list is the University of Namur. Founded in 1831, the University of Namur is a catholic university. Additionally, the university features the following faculties:
- Arts
- Law
- Economic, Social Sciences, and Business Administration
- Computer Sciences
- Sciences
- Medicine
Learn more about the University of Namur.
Hasselt University
Lastly, Hasselt University. Established in 1971 and originally named the Limburgs Universitair Centrum, the university became known as Universiteit Hasselt (Hasselt University) in 2005. This university features many specialties which include: medicine and life science, biology, technology, business, law, architecture, and art. Lastly, it should be noted, the programs in the university are taught in Dutch.
Visit the official Hasselt University website.
University of Mons (UMONS)
Established in 2009, the University of Mons is a merger between the University of Mons-Hainaut and the Faculty of Engineering of Mons. As for this faculty, its year of foundation was in 1837. It’s a French-speaking university in the province of Hainaut, near the French-Belgian border. The university is also among the best universities in Belgium if you want to study computer science, natural sciences and engineering.
Moreover, the institution provides study programs through its 9 faculties and institutes:
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy
- Polytechnic Faculty of Mons
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences
- Faculty of Sciences
- Warocqué Faculty of Economics and Management
- Faculty of Translation and Interpretation
- Institute of Human and Social Sciences
- Juridical Sciences Institute
- Institute of Language Science
Learn more on the website of the University of Mons.