Belgium is one of the smallest countries in Europe but nevertheless it has a huge amount of fascinating and divers places to discover. Situated in Western Europe, Belgium borders the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France as well as the North Sea. Thereby, Belgium not only has urban cities but also beautiful beaches. One remarkable characteristic of Belgium is that most people in the Northern part speak Dutch and the majority in the Southern part French.
The Belgian higher education system is divided into universities and universities of applied sciences. As usual in the European Union, the degree-structure is three-tiered: bachelor, master and doctoral degrees.
There are currently 81 Belgian higher education institutions, of which 30 are private. In 2018, approximately 500,000 students were enrolled at Belgian universities. In general, the study programmes are structured by academic years.
In this section, we highlight the overall performance of Belgian universities on the institutional level per U-Multirank dimension. The table below shows the national breakdown of Belgian universities and how they stand across the spectrum of above average (receiving a score of ‘A’ (very good) or ‘B’ (good)), versus below average (receiving a score of ‘D’ (below average) or ‘E’ (weak)). In doing so, U-Multirank offers a clear picture on the country’s strengths and areas for improvement.
It becomes apparent that in general Belgium’s higher education institutions perform strongest in U-Multirank’s research, international orientation, regional engagements and knowledge transfer dimensions.
In general, the amount of fees depends on whether you are an EU, EEA, and Swiss citizen or a non-EU citizen. As a standard tuition fee in the academic year 2017/2018, a maximum of 835 Euro was charged. Non-EU students have to pay an additional amount of fees between 2,000 and 4,175 EUR per academic year, but not more than five times the amount of the ordinary fee. For more information about the tuition fees in Belgium, click here.
Source: Eurydice
Reference year(s): 2020/2021
In this section we highlight the fees for studying in Belgium. The fees are shown in the national currency and address all fee types: tuition, enrolment (part- or full-time, etc.), certification, or other administrative costs. Students that are exempt from fees are also described, as well as information on international student fees if they differ.
Belgium - French Community
Source: Eurydice. National Student Fees and Support Systems in European Higher Education – 2020/21.
Belgium - German-Speaking Community
Source: Eurydice. National Student Fees and Support Systems in European Higher Education – 2020/21.
Belgium - Flemish Community
Source: Eurydice. National Student Fees and Support Systems in European Higher Education – 2020/21.
In this section we highlight the financial support system implemented in Belgium. The types of support covered in this section include: grants, loans, tax benefits for students' parents (or students themselves) and family allowances. How these terms are defined, are outlined below:
Belgium - French Community
Belgium - German-Speaking Community
Belgium - Flemish Community
If you are coming from an EU country, from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland and have a school-leaving certificate that qualifies you for higher education, it will usually also allow you to study in a bachelor's programme in Belgium, too. To study in a master's programme you need to hold a bachelor's degree. If you are living outside the EU and want to study in a bachelor's programme, you need a school leaving certificate that has to be translated into French or Dutch. Since each university in Belgium has its own regulatory terms, it might be a good idea to have a look at the individual university regulations.
No matter the reason, paying high tuition fees can be a source of stress for many. However, there are many options for financing your studies, including the use of scholarships. There are various scholarship opportunities available for international students looking to study in Belgium. Depending on your country of origin and the level of studies, there are different options for funding. To explore what scholarship options are available, check this scholarship database.
EU/EEA/Swiss citizens are not required to obtain a visa, a residence permit or a work permit but they need to register with the local authorities after their arrival. Generally, all non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens must have a student visa. The visa has to be obtained before traveling to Belgium. For a student visa, you have to fulfill some requirements: Your study has to be your main occupation, you need to have health insurance coverage and you must have enough resources for your stay in Belgium. For more information about the student visa in Belgium and its application process, click here.
Here you can find the current Belgium country report.
15.00 €
4.00 €
2.50 €
11.00 €
Dag - Salut
Tot ziens - Au revoir
Bedankt - Merci
Alstublieft - S'il vous plaît