Even though Belgium has three official languages (Dutch, French, and German), there are English universities in Belgium where you meet students, professors, and researchers that communicate in English. In fact, there are universities in Belgium where most of their master’s degrees are done in English.
But, if you feel like learning one of the official languages of Belgium, that is Dutch, French, or German languages before going to the university. That’s fine, and it even puts more programs at your disposal, and you get to interact with lots of people, especially outside the school environment.
You can learn any of these languages online and even for free. In fact, we have an article on free online French language courses and another on German language courses, that are also online and free. Both of them are official languages in Belgium and learning one of them should see you through while in the country.
In reality, learning the language of the country you are about to travel to comes with lots of benefits, at least you won’t be confused when they are interacting in their native language. In addition, English universities in Belgium are not the only universities in Europe that teach in English, some universities in Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands also teach in English.
Belgium is known for its multilingual and multicultural life, but what makes this country extraordinary is how they are excelling in Science and technology. As it may stand, it is sitting at the heart of Europe, which means, any foreign influence that is benefiting other countries will also benefit Belgium.
If you’re a fan of beer, chocolate, or waffles, get ready to see them in different varieties. Actually, Belgium holds the record of being the no.1 beer country in the world, there are so many beers to taste and so many local beers all around Belgium.
So if you’re a beer-lover then Belgium will shower you with lots of them, but be warned, some of these beers can knock you off, and you should also minimize it for your studies.
Furthermore, most of these English universities in Belgium offer more English-taught master’s programs than bachelor’s programs. That is, there are few English-taught bachelor’s programs in these universities.
Moreover, there are universities in Europe that have decided to make their tuition fee very affordable, and some European countries even went on to offer fully-funded Scholarships to international students.
Before we see some of these English universities in Belgium, let’s see some reasons why you should study in Belgium.
Benefits of studying in Belgium
Loved by Lots of International Students
According to QS Top Universities, Belgium provides high-quality education to their local and international students, and 256 students rated them an overall score of 8.6 out of 10.
Cultural Attraction
There are lots of places to visit, and their nightlife is lively and top-notch.
Heart of Europe
There are popular countries that share the same boundary with Belgium, countries such as Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg share the same boundary. And, you can easily travel to these countries. Imagine easily traveling to Paris to enjoy some French Cuisine.
Exposed to Major Languages
Belgium, being a country that majorly speaks Dutch and French, then a little German will expose you to major languages in the world. Making friends that speak these languages can expose you to “a little of this, a little of that.”
Friendly and Excellent Teachers
Most students from English universities in Belgium mention that their teachers are knowledgeable in their fields, and they know how to bring their knowledge to students in a friendly manner. They are also open-minded, and ready to receive questions.
Top-notch Laboratories and Libraries
Belgium is one of the countries that have amazing scientific labs and Libraries.
Amazing Alumni
Some of the Alumni from these English universities in Belgium have won lots of prizes, including the Nobel Peace Prize, Fields Medal, Abel Prize, etc.
Requirements to study in Belgium
The fact that Belgium has multiple official languages also means their academic requirements will differ a little bit. But since we are focusing on English universities in Belgium, we’ll list the general requirements for English-taught programs in these universities.
- English Certificate: you might need to submit one of these
- A TOEFL certificate
- An IELTS certificate
- A TOEIC certificate
- A certificate of a university language center: minimum level B2
- A proof that you are a native speaker of English
- For Bachelor’s Program
- Foreign diploma in secondary education
- Successfully completed secondary education in your country
- For the Master’s Program
- at least a (foreign) bachelor’s degree
There will be additional requirements based on the university, the degree, and the program you intend to study.
English universities in Belgium
1. Universite Libre de Bruxelles
ULB is one of the English universities in Belgium that has achieved reputable awards in their research, lots of its alumni have won the Nobel Peace Prize. Recently, Denis Mukwege together with Nadia Murad won it in 2018 for “efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.”
Also, some of their Alumni have won the Fields Medal, Abel Prize, Wolf Prize, Balzan Prize, and Francqui Prize.
Amongst their 250 graduate programs, 23 of them are fully taught in English. Which includes;
- Master in Biomedical Civil Engineering
- Master in Electrical Civil Engineer
- Master’s degree: electromechanical civil engineer
- Master’s degree: civil engineer in computer science
- Master in Computer Science
- Master in Business Engineering
- Master in Environmental Science and Management
- Master in Economics, econometrics orientation
And many more
2. Ghent University
Ghent University is one of the English universities in Belgium that was founded in 1817, where its 11 faculties offer more than 200 courses. They are outstanding in scientific research in lots of domains, and they are the first European college in Songdo, South Korea.
The major language teaching at Ghent is Dutch, which makes all of their bachelor’s degree programs to be taught in the Dutch language, except bachelor of Social Sciences, which is taught in English. But they have lots of international courses offered in the English language.
Moreover, the commonly taught language in their doctoral program is English. Ghent University is one of the English universities in Belgium that offer 282 bachelor’s, master’s, and postgraduate programs in the English language.
They offer 13 postgraduate programs such as
- Postgraduate Studies in Algology
- Postgraduate Studies in Blue Resources for the Blue Economy
- Postgraduate Certificate Computer-Assisted Language Mediation
- Postgraduate Studies in Fire Safety Engineering
- Postgraduate Certificate Dutch and Translation
- Postgraduate Curatorial Studies
3. UCLouvain
UCLouvain is one of the English universities in Belgium that helps other school buildings strive for carbon neutrality by 2050, and they do this through one of the online tools designed in their lab. That said, UCLouvain has amazing labs that help to improve scientific growth.
In addition, all EPL Master courses are offered in English. In truth, 95% of their master’s programs are organized by EPL, which means, 95% of their master’s programs are offered in English.
They offer English-taught master programs such as;
- Masters in Engineering
- Master in Computer science
- Master in Data Science
- Specialized Master in Nuclear Engineering
- Master in Economics
- Master in Management
- Master in Business Engineering
- Advanced Master in Nanotechnology
- Master in Linguistics
While the remaining 5% are offered by other UCLouvain faculties and might teach you in French. Furthermore, ESPO (Economic and Social-Political Science) is the only bachelor’s degree faculty that has some courses taught in English.
Most importantly, UCLouvain is one of the English universities in Belgium that sends their EPL Master’s students to MIT or Yale University labs for their research internship. They will be learning about recycling smartphones, the control of autonomous robots, the development of algorithms, and a lot more.
You would be needing English Proficiency Certificate from one of these TOEFL, IELTS, CAE, CPE, or a statement from an English language teacher.
4. University of Antwerp
This is one of the English universities in Belgium that recently launched a trustworthy vaccine research center at Campus Drie Eiken called Vaccinopolis. In this center, vaccines for all kinds of pathogens will be tested.
As of the 2021-2022 academic year, only the faculty of Social Sciences offers a Bachelor’s program in English. But, they have 24 Master’s Programs in 8 faculties taught in English. These faculties include;
- Pharmaceutical, Biomedical, and Veterinary Sciences (3)
- Medicine and Health Sciences (2)
- Arts (2)
- Social Sciences (1)
- Law (1)
- Business and Economics (4)
- Applied Engineering (1)
- Science (9)
The University of Antwerp is one of the English universities in Belgium that also offers 14 Advanced master’s programs, 3 postgraduate, 2 Ph.D. and so many other programs. In reality, they offer 75 English-taught programs.
5. Vrije Universiteit Brussel
VUB is one of the English universities in Belgium that has helped build a better world through its innovation for over 180 years. VUB is one of the universities that promote service to the world, where they help you to fight one or more disasters happening in our world.
VUB offers 3 bachelor’s programs which are;
- Social Sciences
- Business Economics
- Multilingual Bachelor In Linguistics And Literary Studies
This is one of the English universities in Belgium that also offer 29 Master’s programs, such as;
- Applied Sciences and Engineering: Applied Computer Science
- Architectural Engineering
- Biology
- Business Engineering: Business and Technology
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Electromechanical Engineering
- Physics and Astronomy
And many more.
Furthermore, they offer 7 advanced Master’s Programs, 12 postgraduate, and Ph.D. in more than 30 fields of study.
6. Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen
Howest is one of the English universities in Belgium that have Student Ambassadors in lots of countries, so you can choose to make inquiries about the school through a student from your country or a student that is offering the same course you intend to study. It would be more fun if you get a student from your country and offers the same course, they would be able to share their school experience with you.
Howest offers 6 bachelor’s, and 4 postgraduate certificates in English-taught programs, which include;
- Bachelor of Digital Arts and Entertainment
- Bachelor of Digital Design and Development
- Bachelor of Applied Computer Science – major in Cyber Security
- Bachelor of Industrial Product Design
- Bachelor of Creative Technologies and Artificial Intelligence
- Advanced Bachelor of Bioinformatics
- Postgraduate Certificate in Cyber Security
- Postgraduate Certificate in Global Business Management
- European Master in Sustainable Energy System Management
- Postgraduate Certificate in Migration and Refugees
In addition, this is one of the English universities in Belgium that offers 23 English-taught semesters for exchange students. These programs are offered to Howest incoming students from their partner universities abroad.
7. Artevelde University of Applied Sciences
Artevelde is one of the English universities in Belgium that offers 5 bachelor’s programs, which include;
- International Business Management
- International Communication Management
- International Graphic and Digital Media
- International Journalism
- International Organization and Management
Moreover, it offers 9 English-taught international semester programs. And, European Clinical Specialization in Fluency Disorders postgraduate program, which is the only English-taught postgraduate degree offered in the college.
8. University of Mons
UMONS is one of the English universities in Belgium that has over 300 international partnerships with more than 50 countries around the world. It’s ranked 3rd in the world of Francophone Belgian universities and 269th in the world for the research criterion by QS World University Rankings.
It offers 5 English-taught master’s programs, which are;
- Master in Biomedical
- Specialized Master in Public Health Methodology
- Master in Electrical civil engineer: Specialization in Electrical Energy and Smart Grids
- Master in Electrical civil engineer: Specialization in Data Science for Dynamic Systems
- Master in Electrical civil engineer: Specialized focus in Artificial Intelligence and Smart Communication
Also, UMONS’ Faculty of Engineering offers some courses in English.
9. Hasselt University
Hasselt University is one of the English universities in Belgium that has lots of exciting opportunities for international students. It was founded in 1971 and it’s one of the youngest universities in Belgium that has achieved a high reputation for academic excellence.
Their research program is top-notch, and their education is another exciting thing, while their degree is well-planned. The school encourages teamwork, and discipline in reading and learning, you are accountable for your progress in the school.
Moreover, at Hasselt University, they have several internet corners where you can browse WiFi, they also have a handful of computers in 15 open computer classes for your use. Their University’s local buses and bikes are free.
Hasselt University is one of the English universities in Belgium that offers 5 English master’s programs, that is;
- Master of Management
- Master of Applied Economic Sciences: Business Engineering in Management Information Systems – Major Management
- Master of Statistics
- Master of Transportation Sciences, Master of Transportation Sciences by distance learning
- Master of Biomedical Sciences
That said, these are the only English-taught programs offered at Hasselt University.
10. University of Namur
UNamur is one of the English universities in Belgium that offers its international program entirely in English. It also offers 5 Master’s Programs in the English language. They are;
- Master in Economics
- Master in Biomedical Sciences
- Master in Molecular Microbiology
- Master in Chemistry
- Specialized Master in International and Development Economics.
English universities in Belgium – FAQs
What is the cost of English universities in Belgium?
The standard Tuition fee to study in English universities in Belgium is €9,619. Besides the tuition fee, there are other study costs.