Belgium: The Heart of Europe That International Students Keep Overlooking  

Belgium has a distinctive higher education landscape, shaped by its three linguistic communities: Flemish (Dutch-speaking), French-speaking, and German-speaking, each operating its own university system. This diversity gives international students access to several top universities to study in Belgium, including KU Leuven, Ghent University, Université catholique de Louvain, and Université Libre de Bruxelles, all recognised for their strong research output, international outlook, and academic excellence.

KU Leuven

• QS 2026 Rank: 70 globally
• City: Leuven
• Language: Dutch / English
• Known For: Engineering, Medicine, Sciences, Law, Theology; Belgium’s 1st and one of Europe’s oldest

Ghent University

• QS 2026 Rank: 171st globally
• City: Ghent
• Language: Dutch / English
• Known For: Biosciences, Engineering, Veterinary, Economics, Arts

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

• QS 2026 Rank: 286th globally
• City: Brussels
• Language: Dutch / English
• Known For: Sciences, Engineering, Law, Social Sciences

Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain)

• QS 2026 Rank: 294th globally
• City: Louvain-la-Neuve
• Language: French / English
• Known For: Medicine, Law, Sciences, Social Sciences

Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)

• QS 2026 Rank: 296th globally
• City: Brussels
• Language: French / English
• Known For: Sciences, Medicine, Law, Social Sciences

University of Antwerp

• QS 2026 Rank: 388th globally
• City: Antwerp
• Language: Dutch / English
• Known For: Business, Law, Sciences, Social Sciences

Hasselt University

• QS 2026 Rank: Top 800
• City: Hasselt
• Language: Dutch / English
• Known For: Engineering, Medicine, Business, Environmental Sciences

Business and Management

Belgium has three notable business schools worth knowing:

• Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (ULB) is one of the most prestigious management programmes in Belgium, based in Brussels, with strong connections to EU institutions and the business community.
• Vlerick Business School (dual campuses in Ghent and Leuven) holds AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA triple accreditation, putting it in the top 1% of business schools globally. Its MBA and master’s programmes are well-regarded across Europe.
• Antwerp Management School (AMS) is fully accredited and AMBA-recognised, offering MBAs and specialised master’s in a city that is Europe’s second-largest port and one of the world’s diamond trading capitals.

NOTE: KU Leuven at 70th globally is one of Europe’s most consistently respected research universities and at €1,200–€4,000/year for non-EU students depending on programme, it delivers world-class research education at a fraction of what comparable UK or US institutions charge. Belgium’s academic output per capita is among the highest in Europe, driven in large part by KU Leuven’s research intensity.

Over 1,500 programmes are offered in English in Belgium, following the ECTS system that allows credit transfer and dual-degree options across Europe.

Most bachelor’s programmes in Belgium are taught in Dutch or French, the language of the region where the university is based. However, the majority of master’s and doctoral programmes, particularly in STEM, business, law, and social sciences, are now fully taught in English across all major universities.

For international students entering at postgraduate level, Belgium’s English-medium landscape is broad and genuinely accessible. KU Leuven, Ghent University, and VUB all offer extensive English master’s catalogues. French-speaking universities like UCLouvain and ULB offer a growing number of English programmes at postgraduate level.

NOTE: If you are targeting an undergraduate programme in Belgium, check the language of instruction carefully. Most undergraduate programmes remain in Dutch or French, though some English-medium bachelor’s options exist, particularly in business and engineering. The postgraduate English offering is significantly wider and is where most non-native speakers of Dutch and French successfully enter the Belgian system.

Brussels is referred to as the “Capital of Europe”, and for students in certain fields, this is not just a tourism slogan. It is a career in geography.

The European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the EU, European External Action Service (EEAS), and dozens of other EU agencies are all based in Brussels. NATO headquarters is here. The World Customs Organisation, Eurocontrol, and over 1,000 international NGOs and think tanks operate from Belgian soil.

For students in these specific fields, what this creates is direct:

International relations and political science:

Brussels is where EU policy is actually made. Internships at the Commission, Parliament, and Council are real and accessible for students enrolled at Belgian universities. The European Parliament and Commission both run structured traineeship programmes (Schuman Traineeships, Blue Book Traineeships) that are far more accessible from a Brussels address than from anywhere else in the world.

Business and economics:

Belgium’s position as one of Europe’s major trading hubs through the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the world’s second-largest port by cargo volume, creates a genuine business and logistics job market. Antwerp is also the world’s diamond capital and a major pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing centre.

Law and public policy:

The volume of international legal work, regulatory practice, and public affairs consulting concentrated in Brussels is significant. EU law, competition law, and international trade law graduates from Belgian universities enter one of the most concentrated legal job markets in Europe.

NOTE: The EU traineeship advantage is real but requires strategic planning. The European Commission’s Blue Book Traineeship is very competitive, with thousands of applicants for approximately 1,300 places per year. Being physically enrolled in a Belgian university and already based in Brussels gives you genuine advantages in networking, language exposure, and familiarity with the institutional environment before you apply. Start researching EU traineeships from the first semester of your programme.

International students in Belgium are permitted to work part-time during their studies. The rules vary by region:

• In Flanders and Wallonia: students can work up to 20 hours per week during the academic year and full-time during holiday periods
• In Brussels: similar provisions apply, with some regional variations

Belgium’s minimum wage is among the highest in Europe; the salary threshold in Brussels is €3,703.44 per month for 2025 for highly qualified workers, reflecting the premium placed on qualified professional labour. For students, even part-time work in Brussels or Ghent generates meaningful income relative to the cost of living.

An orientation year is an opportunity for non-EEA citizens to receive a 12-month residence permit to look for a job or start their own business in Belgium after graduation. This gives graduates some breathing room after their studies to apply for jobs, network, or even get their own business started.

The goal of this residence status is to allow both students and researchers to actively look for a job in Belgium after graduation or after the completion of a research project. Looking for a job can mean both finding a job with a Belgian company or setting up a business of your own.

Key points:

• Available to all non-EEA graduates of recognised Belgian higher education institutions
• Duration: 12 months
• During the orientation year, you have unlimited access to the Belgian labour market one year of unlimited access to the Belgian labour market.
• You can apply for jobs, accept employment, or start a self-employed activity.
• At the end of the search year, you can switch to regular residence in Belgium as a non-EU graduate student, provided you meet the right criteria. The most common transfers are to a work permit or combined permit if you find work with a Belgian employer, or to a residence status as a self-employed person if you start your own business.

NOTE: Apply for the orientation year permit before your current student residence permit expires, not after. The deadline for submission is at the latest 15 days before your residence permit expires. Missing this window means you lose your legal basis for staying in Belgium. Start this process as soon as you know your graduation date.

VLIR-UOS Scholarships

• Value: Full tuition + monthly living allowance + travel grant
• Who It’s For: Students from specific developing countries in the Global South applying to selected Flemish master’s programmes. Fully funded.

ARES Scholarships (French-speaking Belgium)

• Value: Full funding of tuition + living allowance + insurance
• Who It’s For: Students from eligible developing countries applying to Walloon university programmes.

Master Mind Scholarships (Flemish Government)

• Value: Up to €8,000/year tuition reduction
• Who It’s For: Outstanding international master’s students at Flemish universities. Applied through individual universities.

KU Leuven Science@Leuven Scholarship

• Value: €9,000 living cost grant
• Who It’s For: Outstanding master’s students in exact sciences at KU Leuven.

Ghent University Doctoral Scholarships

• Value: Full research funding
• Who It’s For: Outstanding PhD candidates. Applied through Ghent research programmes.

VUB Scholarships

• Value: Partial tuition reduction
• Who It’s For: Merit-based. Applied through VUB admission.

Erasmus+

• Value: Travel grant + study support
• Who It’s For: Students from eligible countries on exchange programmes.

Belgian Government ARES / APEFE Scholarships

• Value: Full funding
• Who It’s For: Professionals from developing countries. Check current eligibility.

NOTE: The VLIR-UOS and ARES scholarships are the most fully funded options available for international students from developing countries, covering tuition, living costs, and travel. Both have early application deadlines typically in November–January for the following academic year. Research these early. If you are from an eligible country, these should be the first scholarships you investigate before looking at any other funding source for Belgian study.

Non-EU students staying in Belgium for more than 90 days need a Type D Long-Stay Visa followed by registration and a residence permit issued by their local commune on arrival.

• Visa Type: Long-Stay Visa Type D (study)
• Financial Proof: €800–€900/month recommended (varies by commune)
• Health Insurance: Mandatory
• Work Rights: 20 hours/week during term; full-time during holidays
• Post-Study: 12-month orientation year permit; unlimited labour market access
  
• Schengen Access: Full Schengen zone 26 European countries accessible
• Processing Time: 4–8 weeks; apply 2–3 months before departure

English Requirements

• IELTS: 0–6.5 overall
• TOEFL iBT: 79–90
• Cambridge C1/C2: Accepted at most universities

Multilingualism as a career asset. Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French, and German, and Brussels is a formally bilingual (Dutch/French) city where English is the de facto working language. Living and studying here naturally builds multilingual exposure in a way that monolingual study environments cannot replicate.

Size and density. Belgium is approximately the size of Wales. Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp, Leuven, and Liège are all within 60 minutes of each other by train. You can live in Ghent and intern in Brussels three days a week without disrupting your studies. This geographic compactness makes Belgium unusually practical for combining academic study with career building simultaneously.

Cultural richness that goes beyond the obvious. Belgium’s contributions to art (Surrealism, Flemish masters), architecture, design, comics (Tintin, the Smurfs), cuisine (chocolate, waffles, 1,500 beer varieties), and music are disproportionate for its size. The quality of daily life in Ghent, Bruges, Brussels, and Antwerp is genuinely exceptional.

Schengen access from the centre of Europe. Paris is 1.5 hours by Thalys train. Amsterdam is 2 hours. London is 2.5 hours by Eurostar. Frankfurt is 3 hours. No other European country sits so centrally in the continent’s high-speed rail network.

Belgium makes genuine sense for students who are:

• Targeting international relations, EU policy, public administration, or political science. Brussels is the only place in the world where you can intern at EU institutions while enrolled in a degree programme
• Pursuing world-class research in sciences, medicine, engineering, or law at KU Leuven, Ghent, or VUB at a fraction of UK or US costs
• Interested in business, logistics, or trade: Belgium’s port economy and corporate landscape create strong graduate opportunities
• Looking for affordable EU-based education with Schengen access and a 12-month post-study orientation year
• Open to learning Dutch or French alongside their degree, which significantly expands local career options

Consider alternatives if:

• Your target career is not connected to Belgium’s specific institutional or sectoral strengths
• You need a longer post-study work period; Australia (2–3 years) or the UK (2 years) offer more time
• Your primary language concern is avoiding non-English environments at undergraduate level; Germany and the Netherlands offer more English at bachelor’s level.

Planning to study in Belgium involves understanding multiple university systems, scholarship opportunities, visa requirements, and post-study pathways. Choosing between Belgium’s Dutch-speaking, French-speaking, and international university options can feel overwhelming without the right guidance, especially when every institution and region has different structures and processes.

My Study Offers, a free global education platform for students, provides end-to-end support throughout your study abroad journey. From helping you shortlist the right universities and programmes to identifying scholarships, understanding Belgium’s orientation year opportunities, and guiding you through the student visa process, the platform supports students at every stage. With expert guidance and personalised support, students can confidently plan a study experience aligned with their academic goals, career ambitions, and budget.

NOTE: All information is accurate as of May 2026 and subject to change. Always verify current fees, scholarship deadlines, and visa requirements directly with Belgian universities and the Belgian Immigration Office (Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken / Office des Étrangers) before applying.

1. Is Belgium a good study destination for international students?

Yes, particularly for students targeting EU-connected careers, world-class research at affordable costs, or degrees in international relations, business, law, and engineering. KU Leuven (70th globally), Ghent (171st), and VUB (286th) deliver genuine academic quality at fees far below comparable UK or US institutions.

2. How much does it cost to study in Belgium?

Non-EU students pay €1,200–€8,000/year at public universities depending on the programme. Living costs average €850–€1,500/month depending on the city. Leuven and Ghent are the most affordable major student cities; Brussels is the most expensive.

3. Can I study in English in Belgium?

Yes, at the postgraduate level, there are over 1,500 English-taught programmes. Most master’s and doctoral programmes at Flemish and French-speaking universities are available in English. Most undergraduate programmes are in Dutch or French.

4. What is the orientation year in Belgium?

A 12-month residence permit for non-EEA graduates of Belgian higher education institutions, giving unlimited access to the Belgian labour market to find work or start a business. Apply before your student permit expires; the deadline is 15 days before expiry.

5. What scholarships are available for international students in Belgium?

The most fully funded options are VLIR-UOS (Flemish universities) and ARES (French-speaking universities) covering tuition, living costs, and travel for students from eligible developing countries. The Flemish Government’s Master Mind Scholarships offer up to €8,000/year. Early application deadlines are typically November–January.

6. Why is Brussels important for career-building?

Brussels houses the European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the EU, NATO, and over 1,000 international organisations. It is the most institutionally connected city in the Western world for careers in international relations, EU policy, law, and public affairs.

7. How many hours can I work while studying in Belgium?

20 hours per week during the academic term and full-time during official holiday periods. Belgium’s minimum wage and high salary levels mean even part-time work generates meaningful income relative to living costs.

8. Does a Belgian student visa give Schengen access?

Yes, Belgium is a full Schengen member. Your student visa gives you travel access to 26 European countries. Paris, Amsterdam, and London are all reachable in under 3 hours from Brussels by train.