Belgium might be one of the best places to pursue higher education for many reasons. The country has a long university tradition, strong research universities, and medical education that is often connected to university hospitals, research centers, and clinical training.
Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French, and German. English is not an official language, but it is frequently spoken and is used in many higher education programs, especially at the master’s, advanced master’s, and exchange levels. For medicine, however, full degree programs are generally taught in Dutch or French, so students should carefully check each university’s language and entrance exam requirements. In this article, we will be looking at the top medical schools in Belgium.
Top Medical Schools in Belgium
1. KU Leuven
KU Leuven, also known as Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, traces its origins to 1425. KU Leuven is one of Belgium’s strongest universities for medicine and health sciences. Its Faculty of Medicine is one of the university’s oldest faculties and is closely connected with the Biomedical Sciences Group and University Hospitals Leuven.
The university is located in Leuven, a lively student city with historic architecture and good transport links to Brussels and other parts of Europe. This gives students the chance to experience Belgian student life while remaining close to many major European destinations.
The Faculty of Medicine offers programs in both Dutch and English, but students interested in the full medicine program should note that KU Leuven’s bachelor’s and master’s degrees in medicine are taught in Dutch. Some master’s, advanced master’s, and continuing medical education options are available in English. University Hospitals Leuven is an important part of the university’s medical education and research environment, giving students and researchers access to a major clinical setting.
2. Ghent University
Ghent University was founded by King William I in 1816 and inaugurated in 1817. It became Belgium’s first Dutch-speaking university in 1930 and is now one of the country’s major public research universities.
The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences is one of Ghent University’s 11 faculties. The university works closely with Ghent University Hospital, where medical education, research, and clinical practice come together. The faculty also has research and support units such as the Biostatistics Unit, which provides statistical advice and services to researchers in the faculty and hospital.
3. Catholic University of Louvain
One of the prominent medical schools in Belgium is the Catholic University of Louvain (Université catholique de Louvain), now commonly branded as UCLouvain. The university traces its origins to 1425 and has about 40,000 students, including around 19% international students.
UCLouvain offers medical education through its Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. Its bachelor’s degree in medicine is a three-year, 180-credit program taught in French at the Brussels Woluwe campus. Students may continue into master’s and specialized medical training according to the requirements of the French-speaking Community of Belgium.
4. University of Antwerp
The University of Antwerp has roots dating back to 1852, while the modern University of Antwerp was created in 2003 after the merger of three university institutions. Today, it has more than 25,000 students and is one of the major universities in Flanders.
The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences focuses on education, research, innovation, and healthcare services. Its academic structure consists of 11 departments, each of which includes one or more research groups. The faculty encourages students and researchers to apply medical knowledge in practical, evidence-based ways.
5. Université libre de Bruxelles
The Université libre de Bruxelles was founded in 1834 as the Free University of Brussels. The university later split along linguistic lines, creating the French-speaking Université libre de Bruxelles and the Dutch-speaking Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
Medical studies at this top medical school in Belgium are organized into a bachelor’s and master’s pathway. The Bachelor in Medicine is taught in French, lasts three years, and is conditional on passing the medical and dental entrance examination organized through the Académie de Recherche et d’Enseignement Supérieur. The Master in Medicine is also taught in French and has a theoretical duration of three years, with training based at Erasme and UMONS.
6. Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Vrije Universiteit Brussel became a separate Dutch-speaking university in 1970 after the split of the Free University of Brussels. It is a research university in Brussels and has a Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy at the VUB Health Campus in Jette, together with UZ Brussel.
The Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy provides education and research in medicine, pharmacy, and biomedical sciences. Its study programs include Medicine, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Gerontology, and Health Care Management and Policy, as well as advanced master’s programs in these fields. Students interested in medicine should check the language of instruction and the Flemish entrance exam requirements before applying.
7. University of Liège
The University of Liège was officially established in 1817, making it one of Belgium’s long-established public universities. Its Faculty of Medicine trains health professionals through education and research and is closely connected with the university hospital environment in Liège.
The faculty offers study options in medicine and related health sciences and emphasizes training professionals who are competent, autonomous, efficient, and open to changes in healthcare. Students can build a strong foundation in medical science while benefiting from the university’s clinical and research setting.
8. Hasselt University
Hasselt University is a young public research university with campuses in Hasselt and Diepenbeek. It was officially established in 1971 as Limburgs Universitair Centrum and later became Hasselt University. Today, it has more than 8,000 students and a strong international orientation.
Medicine-related research at Hasselt University is closely connected with the Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences and research centers such as the Biomedical Research Institute (BIOMED) and the Limburg Clinical Research Center (LCRC). LCRC is a collaboration between Hasselt University, Jessa Hospital, and Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, focusing on patient-oriented clinical research and innovative care.
9. University of Namur
The University of Namur, or UNamur, is a Jesuit university in Namur. It was founded in 1831 and now trains more than 7,000 students of 63 nationalities across seven faculties and an interfaculty department.
The Faculty of Medicine is organized around four departments: medicine, pharmacy, biomedical sciences, and psychology. UNamur offers a bachelor’s degree in medicine; after completing it, students may continue to a three-year master’s degree in medicine at other universities in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, such as UCLouvain, ULB, or the University of Liège. UNamur also offers programs in biomedical sciences and pharmacy, including master’s-level options in those fields.
10. University of Mons
The University of Mons was created in 2009 after the merger of the University of Mons-Hainaut and the Faculty of Engineering of Mons. It is a French-speaking university located in Mons, Belgium.
The Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences offers bachelor’s programs in medicine, pharmacy, and biomedical sciences. These bachelor’s programs are taught in French and carry 180 ECTS credits. Since the 2024-2025 academic year, UMONS has also offered a master’s degree in medicine for the first time, in co-diploma with the Université libre de Bruxelles. The faculty is active in biomedical and pharmaceutical research, with fields such as oncology, genetics, neuroscience, toxicology, physiology, pharmacology, molecular imaging, and medical physics.
FAQs: Studying Medicine in Belgium
Can International Students Enroll in Medical Schools in Belgium?
Yes, international students can enroll in medical studies in Belgium, but the process is selective and depends on the language community and university. For example, KU Leuven welcomes international medical students for certain theoretical courses and medical clerkships, but its full medicine program is taught in Dutch. In Flanders, students who want to begin medicine must pass and rank favorably in the Flemish entrance examination for medicine or dentistry, which is held in Dutch.
In French-speaking Belgium, admission to medicine and dentistry requires the Wallonia-Brussels Federation entrance examination. Non-resident students should also be aware that only a limited share of admission certificates may be issued to non-resident candidates. Scholarships are available in Belgium, including programs for international students, but eligibility depends on the scholarship, level of study, nationality, and program. Students should check the official scholarship and university pages before applying.
What is the Medical Curriculum Like in Medical Schools in Belgium?
Belgian medical education usually begins with basic medical training made up of a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. At Ghent University, for example, the medicine program lasts six years and is divided into a three-year bachelor’s cycle and a three-year master’s cycle. UMONS also describes medical training in Belgium as a six-year pathway made up of a bachelor’s and master’s cycle.
After the basic medical degree, additional residency training combined with advanced master’s education is required to practice independently as a physician in Belgium. Students should also remember that full medicine programs are generally taught in Dutch in Flanders and in French in French-speaking Belgium. English-taught options are more common in biomedical sciences, public health, advanced master’s programs, exchange courses, and postgraduate study than in the full basic medicine pathway.
By studying in Belgium, students have the opportunity to experience a multilingual country in the center of Europe. Diplomas from Belgian universities are widely recognized, and the country is convenient for students who want to travel around Europe. Belgium is not always the cheapest study destination, but students can explore scholarships for international students and compare the cost of living before applying.
We hope that this article on the top medical schools in Belgium was helpful. To learn more, check out the Study in Belgium and Available Programs in Europe for International Students pages for more informative articles.
