Almost every bigger Belgian city hosts also one or multiple institutions of higher education. In general there are two different kinds of institutions, i.e. “universités / universiteiten” (English : universities) on the one hand, and “hautes écoles / hooge schoolen” (English : universities of applied sciences).
The difference between these two different kind of institutions is in the teaching approach.Whereas universities follow a more traditional academic and hence theoretical approach, the universities of applied sciences follow a more practical approach. No matter for what kind of institution you will decide, be sure that all of them comply with the highest international standards.
Depending on the city and region you opt for the teaching language might be Dutch, French, English or any possible mix.
Institutions of higher education can be found in the following Belgian cities:
Brussels is the Dutch and French speaking Belgian capital and home of no less than three universities and a wide range of universities of applied sciences. French speaking students usually attend the Université Libre de Bruxelles (which has also incorporated the countries most famous business school Solvay Business School) whereas Dutch speaking students usually attend the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Both universities are typical campus universities and yet situated close to the city center.
more information on :
Liège is after Brussels the biggest French speaking city in Belgium. It is home to the Université de Liège, multiple universities of applied sciences as well as the famous business school HEC-ULg.
The students make out a huge part of the overall population of Liège and are omni-present the city. The total population is currently at 200.000 inhabitants, and many bars and cafés in the city center, the so-called carré, create a lovely atmosphere.
The locals, called Liégois, are known in Belgium for their simplicity, their welcoming attitude and their love for the local football club Standard de Liège.
more information on : www.ulg.ac.be
Ghent has about 200.000 inhabitants and is besides Leuven and Louvain-La-Neuve the biggest student cities, meaning the cities with the biggest students-to-total population-ratio. Ghent reminds its visitors of the only 40 km away UNESCO heritage Bruges and has a unique atmosphere.
Ghent is home to the Universiteit van Gent as well as multiple specialized universities of applied sciences. Since recently the Ghent based Vlerick Business School collaborates closely with the Leuven Vlerick branch and creates synergies for its Master and Doctoral research programs.
Gent attracts a vast number of Erasmus students and guest professors from all over the world. As an international student one feels very quickly at home in Ghent.
more information on : www.ugent.be
Antwerp is not only known as the diamant city and for its big port, it is also famous for its numerous cafés, its great shopping opportunities around its “grote markt” and its university. The cozy atmosphere of the “secret capital” and the proximity to the seaside and the Neatherlands attracts every year a vast number of inner-Belgian as well as international tourists and ERASMUS students.
The relatively young university of Antwerpen is known for its innovative teaching methods and counts currently around 14.000 students.
more information on : www.uantwerp.be
The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) counts 41.000 students and is situated in the lovely Flemish city of Leuven. With a reasearch budget of 950 mill EUR in 2013 the oldest and probably most prestigious Belgian university has been one of the most important academic institutions in Europe. In 2013 The KUL has been elected the 58 best university in the world, and the 13th best university of Europe, which means at the same time that it reached the best score among all BeNeLux universities.
Leuven is only some 20km away from Brussels which leads also to the fact that a lot of the big players in Brussels like to recruit from KUL.
more information on : www.kuleuven.be
Louvain – La – Neuve is French and stands for “New Leuven”. This whole city is a university and hence uncomparable to anything else in the world. This university of 27.000 students has been the product of the language dispute between the Flemish and French speaking population in Leuven in the 1960’s at whose end it was decided to found a new French speaking city and university. Since students make out more than 70% of the entire population, everything in the city is adapted to the needs of students, (and so are the prices!) and the entire city-administration is done by so-called KAP’s (Kot à projets), meaning student co-habitaions with different projects (waste management, theater, sport etc…)…
more information on : www.uclouvain.be
