The Kingdom of Belgium is a densely populated country in Europe. The main languages spoken are Dutch (in the Flanders region) and French (in the Wallonia region), with a small minority of German speaking citizens. As the headquarters of NATO and the European Union, Belgium is a local and international political powerhouse. As a developed country with a high standard of living, Belgium consistently ranks among the top 15 countries in the world based on the Human Development Index.
Belgium has many characteristics that make it the ideal higher education destination: a highly cosmopolitan population, dedicated student cities, international exposure opportunities, and a vibrant youth culture. Its capital Brussels is a worldwide centre of international diplomacy, and the other large cities are multilingual and accepting of diversity. The population of the kingdom is over 11 million, with 300,000 students enrolled in various higher education courses.
Belgium is highly ranked on several important indices for students and residents. Some highlights include:
Belgium has different University frameworks in the Dutch and French speaking regions of the country. The Flemish Community has the following higher education structure:
The French speaking portion of Belgium has the following higher education structure:
A diploma is a certificate given to students who successfully complete predetermined coursework in a particular subject, field, or industry.
Bachelor’s courses in Belgium have an expected duration of three years, or 180 credits under the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. The different Universities in the country offer almost a hundred different undergraduate programs, with international relations and business management courses being especially sought after due to the Kingdom’s status as a major player in European and World Affairs.
Belgian Universities also offer Bachelor's courses in fields as diverse as linguistics, artificial intelligence, journalism and media, tourism, humanities, psychology, mathematics, natural sciences, biomedical engineering, economics, and finance. All applicants to undergraduate courses in Belgium need to have completed a secondary school degree; some disciplines may require candidates to appear for an entrance test.
Master’s programs in Belgium are of two types: most students join Initial Master’s courses, which require completion of 120 ECTS credits, and last for two years, including a postgraduate thesis or dissertation. There are also Advanced Master’s degrees, where applicants who have already completed a postgraduate degree and candidates who have extensive relevant work or research experience complete their program in one year. Applicants to all postgraduate courses in Belgium must hold a Bachelor’s degree from a recognised international university.
Postgraduate students in Belgium can choose from a wide range of Master’s programs, with nearly 400 degrees on offer in fields like Advanced Financial Markets, European Social Security, Biotechnology, Sustainable Land Management, Rocket Science, and Computer Science with Machine Learning.
Belgium is renowned for the quality of research output from its universities, and PhD students form a key part of this output. Most PhD programs take 4 years to complete, though certain courses in the French speaking part of the country can last up to 6 years. An essential part of the doctoral degree application process is contacting a potential research supervisor and creating a thesis plan. Most universities in the Kingdom also require 2-3 Reference Letters, a CV, and a statement of purpose.
For students who do not want to spend 3 years in a Bachelor’s program, the higher education system of Belgium offers many other routes to professional employment, including University Colleges and Institutes of Higher Education. Many of these focus on specific disciplines, and companies recruit directly from these Institutes after 1-3 years of study. In the French speaking part of Belgium (Wallonia), most non-University institutions teach courses in art and architecture. They focus on imparting skills that are used in the professional world and increasing employability.
The country has various universities that offer approximately all the disciplines of study. Some of the popular disciplines available in Belgium are-
| International Relations | Medicine | International Finance |
| Biotechnology | Dentistry | Business Economics |
| Fine Art | Life Sciences | Psychology |
| Foreign Languages | International Business Management | Design (Graphic, Architectural) |
| Engineering | Natural Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, etc.) | History (European, World, American, Slavic) |
| Philosophy | Humanities | And many more. |
The following table shows the distribution of popular universities in Belgium.
| The name of the city | No. of Universities |
| Brussels | 19 |
| Ghent | 6 |
| Namur | 5 |
| Liège | 5 |
| Antwerp | 4 |
| Mons | 3 |
| Brugge | 2 |
| Hasselt | 2 |
| Leuven | 1 |
The main contributor to living costs for international students in Belgium is accommodation. Most Universities have associated halls of residence located nearby. The monthly cost of living in these Halls starts at 250 Euros, and can go up to 600 Euros. Students are free to live in private apartments as well; the cost for a small single apartment can range from 400 to 1,000 Euros depending on the city and location. Other living costs add up to a few hundred Euros per month, including food, transport within the city, entertainment, healthcare, and shopping for personal items.
Tuition fees for international students in Belgium are between 3,000 and 5,000 Euros per year without a scholarship.
Students need to satisfy two main requirements to obtain a student visa for the duration of their course at a Belgian institution of higher education:
In the busy summer months, the Belgian Embassy can take up to three months to process student visas and send them to applicants; therefore, it is recommended that candidates apply early in the cycle and submit visa documents well before their course is scheduled to begin.
