KU Leuven is the highest-ranked university in Belgium and a top 50 university worldwide. As one of Europe’s oldest universities, KU Leuven boasts a 600 year tradition of ground-breaking research and high-quality education.KU Leuven ranks among the best 50 universities worldwide!
KU Leuven is an institution for research and education with international appeal. All programs at this University are based on the innovative research of its scientists and professors.
KU Leuven ranks among the best 50 universities worldwide!
From Renaissance philosophy to cutting-edge nanotechnology: as one of Europe’s oldest universities, KU Leuven boasts a long tradition of ground-breaking research and high-quality education.
Prospective Students
As one of Europe’s leading research universities, KU Leuven offers a range of research-based programs of study. A degree from KU Leuven is highly valued around the world, giving you a competitive edge.
Current Students
No matter which campus you’re on, you have quite a few facilities available to you. Our services for students advise you on housing, studying, and scholarships. They also offer sports and cultural activities.
KU Leuven is one of Europe’s highest-ranked and most renowned universities. It boasts a long tradition of pioneering research and high-quality education. But KU Leuven has quite a few other strengths as well.
KU Leuven offers various types of programs, including bachelor’s and (advanced) master’s programs, continuing education courses, and bridging programs.
Education is organized by 15 faculties, divided into three groups: Humanities and Social Sciences; Science, Engineering and Technology; and Biomedical Sciences. Several faculties offer programs in various locations in Flanders and Brussels.
KU Leuven appeals to the student's idea of the future. The University contributes to the students’ personal development and to how they want to help shape society.
KU Leuven is dedicated to education and research in nearly all fields. Its fifteen faculties offer education, while research activities are organized by the departments and research groups. These faculties and departments, in turn, are clustered into three groups: Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, Engineering and Technology (SET), and Biomedical Sciences. Each of these groups has a doctoral school for its doctoral training programs.
KU Leuven boasts fourteen campuses, spread across 10 cities in Flanders.
What sets us apart as a university?
A highly-ranked university
KU Leuven is among the best 100 universities in the world according to both Times Higher Education World Rankings and QS World University Rankings. All of KU Leuven’s disciplines proudly belong to the top 100 of their field.
Research-based education
Education at KU Leuven is research-based, which means students will learn from the same professors who are performing the ground-breaking research you read about in the press. New insights are instantly integrated into classes and students are encouraged to perform their research. In our FabLab, students can use several high-tech machines to create whatever they want – all free of charge.
Affordable tuition fees
Higher education is highly valued in Belgium and therefore subsidised by the government. This allows KU Leuven to keep tuition fees relatively low, which gives you a price/quality ratio very few top-100 universities can match. We take pride in keeping our programs as accessible as possible to allow the brightest students from around the globe to join our courses.
International student life with respect for diversity
According to Times Higher Education, KU Leuven is in the top 50 of most international universities worldwide with staff and students from over 150 different nationalities. For all our international students, the Pangaea student center is their home away from home. Our university also strives for diversity and inclusion and wants to work together on a pact for more respect.
KU Leuven: An international trendsetter
Founded in 1425, KU Leuven will celebrate its 600th anniversary in 2025, making it one of Europe’s oldest universities.
Our institution has the double honor of being the oldest university in the Low Countries and the oldest extant Catholic university in the world.
KU Leuven is among the best 100 universities in the world according to both Times Higher Education World Rankings and QS World University Rankings. All of KU Leuven’s disciplines proudly belong to the top 100 of their field.
This step-by-step guide will take you through the entire process of applying to KU Leuven as a degree-seeking student.
1. Check admission requirements
Make sure to read the detailed admission requirements of the specific study programs available at the various KU Leuven campuses, to see if you are eligible. If you want to apply for a bachelor's program, you can check whether your secondary qualifications meet the minimum eligibility criteria.
All applicants who have not obtained a previous diploma in a program taught in English in Australia, English-speaking Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America must submit a certificate proving their proficiency in English.
The English proficiency test scores accepted by KU Leuven are the TOEFL iBT certificate, IELTS Academic certificate, Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) or C2 Proficiency (CPE) certificate, and the ITACE for Students C1 or C2 certificate. More information on English Proficiency tests.
2. Check the application window for your program
Our admissions process works on a rolling basis but applies in time to start in the following academic year. Some specific programs have strict deadlines. You can check the specific deadline of your program by using our application window tool.
3. Check the tuition fees and scholarship options for your program
You can check the tuition fee and scholarship options for your program for the current and next academic year using our tuition fee calculator and scholarships database.
4. Collect the required documents
The required documents depend on the program you applied for. Some programs request additional documents, if so, they are mentioned in the admission requirements.
5. Start your application
To start your application at KU Leuven, log in to the web app via your browser complete your data, upload the required documents, and pay the application fee. You will be notified by email when a decision about your application has been taken.
A timeless university town in the heart of Europe
KU Leuven Campuses
KU Leuven's main campus is situated in Leuven, about 30 kilometers from Brussels, the capital of Belgium and Europe. Studying in Belgium offers easy access to the best of European culture, with Paris, London, and Cologne all accessible by a two-hour train ride. Furthermore, the University has campuses in nine other Flemish cities, including Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, and Bruges.
Housing
Most students choose to rent a room (‘not in Dutch) in a privately owned student house with shared common spaces and facilities. If you need any help with this, the KU Leuven Housing Service can offer assistance. The university owns and manages several student residences. A limited number of rooms in these residences is reserved for international students. You can also browse the Housing Service’s online database. Will you be studying at one of our other campuses? There are databases for housing in each of the KU Leuven campus cities.
Whether as a student or researcher, you’ll discover in Belgium a country full of surprising contrasts. A country rich in art, history, and architecture. You’ll be treated to its local specialties in a friendly atmosphere. Belgian cities have so much to offer to students: a cosmopolitan lifestyle, great sports facilities, libraries, bookshops, restaurants, cafés, and a dynamic cultural scene
As an international guest, you might find Belgians initially reserved – an impression that will only last until you share a round of beers at an outdoor café or make your first visit to a Belgian home, where you will be warmly welcomed and well fed. Belgium is also an ideal base for exploring the rest of Europe. London, Paris, Cologne, and Amsterdam are all a proverbial stone’s throw away. It is the headquarters of many international organizations and companies and the beating heart of the European Union.
Why not take a virtual tour before you arrive?
As an internationally oriented university, we aim to support our international students the best we can. When coming to Belgium, you may need a visa or entry document. Which specific documents you need, and how to apply for them, depends on your situation. Once you are admitted to study at KU Leuven, you will receive specific information and guidance for your situation from our international expert services.
With its alumni, KU Leuven can build on a dedicated community that is deeply engaged in society. Around the world, the university has some 320,000 ambassadors. Even long after graduation, KU Leuven can still be a great source of value for them, and vice versa.
Our mission is to create space for lasting and meaningful relationships between KU Leuven and its graduates. We do this by pursuing a current and modern alumni policy that is part of a broader relationship policy within the university. As such, we turn former students into engaged and involved alumni.
