Belgium is a historical place and home to the world’s best heritage sites. It is also a diverse country hosting most of Europe’s most prominent modern bilingual universities that offer degree programs taught in French, Dutch, German, and English. Belgian cities are also well-known as the most welcoming places in the world for international students and tourists.
Studying in Belgium will provide students with the highest quality of higher education unique to the region and the most beautiful experience of living with the Belgian people and their culture. In this article, we will look at the best English-taught schools in Belgium!
Top Universities for English-taught Programs in Belgium
1. KU Leuven
KU Leuven, locally known as Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, is Belgium’s most highly recognized and largest research university. Established in 1425, it is the country’s first higher education provider and an excellent English-taught institution. It is also known as one of Europe’s oldest and top-ranking universities. Though it’s a Catholic school mainly focusing on theology and Catholic heritage, it accepts students of different faiths and backgrounds.
The university also offers various research and academic programs in computer science, engineering, natural sciences, humanities, medicine, law, business, and social sciences. KU Leuven is dubbed one of the most innovative research schools and is widely known for offering a range of competitive interdisciplinary degree programs. Above all, it is a proud co-founder of the League of European Research Universities (LERU).
In addition to an innovative learning and teaching approach, the institution offers a very international community with several thousands of international students from over 140 countries worldwide. Though the institution’s primary language of instruction is Dutch, it provides a wide range of degree programs and courses entirely taught in English at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels of studies.
2. Ghent University
Ghent University is a significant public research institution, a top English-taught school in Belgium, and one of the leading schools in Europe. It consistently ranks among the top 150 best global universities. Founded in 1817, way earlier than the state of Belgium itself, UGhent has undergone many changes and challenges throughout its operation.
In 1930, it became the first Dutch-speaking university in Belgium. However, Latin was the school’s primary language of instruction during its establishment. As a world-class institution specializing in innovative research, it receives the most prominent annual endowment from the Flemish Research Council. UGhent is also known for its prestigious international community, welcoming thousands of international students of different cultures and traditions.
The university is also in one of the most stunning locations in its host city. It houses state-of-the-art facilities that cater to students’ needs, especially for start-up technology companies and marine research. Although its undergraduate degree programs (except for a Bachelor’s in Social Sciences) are taught in Dutch, many of its offered postgraduate courses are taught in English.
3. Catholic University of Louvain
Catholic University of Louvain, or UCLouvain, is one of Belgium’s top-leading comprehensive academic institutions that offers English-taught programs. It is also the most prominent French-speaking and oldest school in the country. Its roots trace back to its predecessor, the University of Louvain. Established in 1425, it has faced many challenges throughout its operation.
When UCLovain was partitioned into two universities in 1968, they separated as French-speaking Université Catholique de Louvain and its sister university, the Flemish or Dutch-speaking KU Leuven. It is also one of Europe’s most renowned universities, topping many academic league tables in philosophy, theology, and religious studies.
The school offers extensive academic and research programs in law and criminology, management, architecture, and more. Moreover, it has a dynamic and culturally diverse learning community that welcomes many international students worldwide. Although it’s a French-speaking institution, it surprisingly offers a range of academic programs and courses entirely or partially taught in English.
4. Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a top-leading Dutch and English-speaking university in Belgium that was established with the vision of a higher institution that focuses on providing education with no known ideological, political, cultural, or social boundaries. It was founded in 1834 with the French-speaking Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) but was eventually split into two academic institutions.
VUB provides high-quality education with an international focus and cutting-edge research. It also operates with the mission to serve the community. This Belgian institution receives more than average national and international research citations than any other Flemish university.
Moreover, this school is well-regarded for offering a range of award-winning academic programs in natural sciences, classics, life sciences, social sciences, humanities, and engineering. All degree programs and courses here are internationally recognized with interdisciplinary and interactive approaches. Both undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs at UVB are taught in English or Dutch and English.
5. University of Antwerp
The University of Antwerp is one of Belgium’s top-ranking research universities and a recognized English-taught institute. Its roots trace back to 1852, but it was officially established in 2003 as the current school. UA was built by merging three smaller academic institutions with the same mission to provide high-quality education and cutting-edge research for the benefit of society. It offers one undergraduate degree program and a range of master’s and Ph.D. degree programs taught in English.
The university is known in major academic league rankings as one of the world’s top-rising young schools under 50. UA also offers a range of award-winning educational programs and is highly recognized for its research breakthroughs in drug discovery and development, ecology and sustainability, transport and logistics, imaging, infectious diseases, materials characterization, neurosciences, etc.
If you plan to study in Belgium as an international student, you won’t have to worry as much because many of this country’s best universities offer English-taught programs at all degree levels. So, consider the universities we listed above and learn more about them with the links provided in each school.
We hope this article on the best English-taught universities in Belgium was helpful. For more information about studying in Belgium or Europe, make sure to check out the Belgium Page and the Available Programs in Europe for International Students!
