7 best universities in Brussels 2024

Belgium as a whole is famous for its highly developed production and exceptional quality of goods, besides Belgium is also a crossroads of trade routes between France, England and Germany, the transport network is well developed here. For centuries, Flanders (north of Belgium) has been heading for international business, providing great opportunities to graduates of universities in Brussels. Students are also attracted by the quality of education and the opportunity to complete an internship in one of the international organizations which headquarters are located in Brussels.

The multilingual environment of Belgium is unique and is an ideal option for learning foreign languages. English, French, German and, Dutch – all these languages are actively used by residents of the country.

French in Belgium is most widespread in the south and predominates in Brussels. In the eastern part, German is more often heard, but English is used everywhere in Belgium – the vast majority of the country's indigenous population speaks it fluently. So when you go to Belgium to study a foreign language, you can be sure that language practice is guaranteed to you.

The private universities in Brussels offer a large number of programs in English, most of which relate to master's/doctoral programs. Almost all bachelor's degree programs are taught in one of the three national languages. Bachelor's degree programs offered in English mainly relate to the humanities (theology, philosophy) and business areas.

• High quality of education

Despite its small size, Belgium is in no way inferior to major European countries in terms of the quality of teaching disciplines. The PISA International Program rated the academic performance of Belgian students higher than the European average and placed Belgium on the 19th place in the ranking of countries with the highest level of education, and Belgium is on the 21st place in the UN education index.

• Low tuition fee

Belgium ranks 6th in the top 10 European countries with the cheapest education according to THE (Times Higher Education) ranking. Despite the system of additional payment for foreign students, the total cost of studying at a Brussels state university is unlikely to exceed 4,326 USD per year. This is much cheaper than studying in the neighbouring Netherlands and the UK.

• The heart of Europe

Belgium is home not only to a large number of world universities, but also to the main offices of international companies and organizations. The headquarters of NATO and EFTA and the EU meeting room are located in Brussels, which gives Belgian students a unique chance to get an internship in one of these organizations.

• Multilingual culture and multiculturalism

The best universities in Brussels provide unique opportunities for the exchange of cultures. This is due to the existence of three national communities on the territory of the country, also to a fairly high level of immigration. Foreign students who live in Belgium permanently make up almost a quarter of its population. In addition, students from all over the world are attracted by low tuition prices and the participation of Belgian universities in international exchange programs.

• Student life

Brussels ranks 43rd in the top 50 student cities in the world according to QS ranking. Many universities in Brussels have special units to help students during their studies: housing and social services, legal advice departments, employment centres, medical centres, disability assistance centres, foreign student assistance departments and some others.

Sam Jones

Recruitment Director for Partnership with INTO Universities (Europe and Central Asia)

What firstly should be considered when choosing a university? Subjects, employer value, percentage of employment in the first year after graduation?

It depends on the student - everyone determines the most important criteria for himself. I would advise you to take several rankings and compare them with each other, plus take into account the cost of the course, the location of the university and its scale, the percentage of graduates' employment. See where graduates continue their studies or where they go to work.

Universities in Brussels participate in the ERASMUS+, ERASMUS MUNDUS academic mobility programs, which provide an opportunity for exchange studies at universities in Europe and other countries. Grants cover part or all of the cost of tuition, flights and accommodation. Many TOP universities in Brussels offer their students various scholarships, but most of them relate to master's and doctoral programs. For example, Global Minds (PhD) allows students studying at a doctoral program at another university to spend half of their studies at one of the universities in Belgium. Also the MasterMind program not only reduces the cost of studying in the Belgian magistracy, but also pays students up to 8,620 USD per year.

• The Catholic University of Louvain is the 29th in the world ranking of universities. The most popular educational direction in this university is statistics and related disciplines. The cost of studying per academic year is $ 4,500.
• Free University of Brussels (VUB)Vrije Universiteit Brussel is famous for its research activities in the field of humanities and social sciences. It has two branches: French-speaking and Dutch-speaking.
• Leonardo da Vinci High School (HELV).

The university campus is located within Brussels. The educational institution has its own library. Here students do their homework or just have a good time reading an interesting book. The physical health of students is important to the university, so it provides a number of opportunities for sports: sports grounds and various sections. HELV regularly invites international students to participate in exchange programs. For locals, this is a unique opportunity to get in touch with the culture of other countries, get acquainted with representatives of different nationalities and make friends around the world.