Best 10 Tuition Free Universities in Belgium (2023)

How Can I Study For Free In Belgium?

Tuition free universities in Belgium– Belgium is one of Europe’s most vibrant countries and an amazing place to study. It provides students affordable tuition and even free tuition.

Due to this, we did a good research and compiled a list of tuition free schools in the European country. This list of the tuition free universities in Belgium serves as a guide to help you make a great choice of free and high quality schools to study in Belgium.

Best 10 Tuition Free Universities in Belgium

Below is a carefully selected list of the 10 tuition free universities in Belgium. These universities are for both national and international students

1. University of Namur


The University of Namur also known as Université de Namur (UNamur), located in Namur, Belgium is a Jesuit, Catholic private university in the French Community of Belgium.

It has six faculties where teaching and research are carried out. This University is known for excellence in the fields of Philosophy and Lettres, Law, Economic, Social, and Management Sciences, Computer Sciences, Sciences and Medicine.

This University was established in 1831, it is a free university, state-funded with about 6,623 students and numerous staff.

However, it has 10 faculties and an enormous research and documentation library. Not excluding its notable alumni and several rankings.

It is indeed a tuition free university for international students, as it is supported and run by the state.

2. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

KU Leuven university also known as the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is a Catholic research university in the city of Leuven, Belgium.


However, It mostly conducts various teaching, research, and services in computer science, engineering, natural sciences, theology, humanities, medicine, law, canon law, business, and social sciences.

Nevertheless, it was founded in the year 1425 and established in the year 1834. It has a student number of 58,045 and an administrative staff number of 11,534.

However, it has several faculties and departments that teach various courses ranging in arts, business, social and science.

This Institute is one of the tuition free universities for international students and it has several notable alumni and rankings.

3. Ghent University

It was founded and established before the state of Belgium itself, by the Dutch King William I in 1817.

Ghent University comprises of 11 faculties and over 130 individual departments.

The University is one of the largest Belgian universities, consisting of 44,000 students and 9,000 staff members.

Ghent University has several rankings, it is consistently ranked among the top 100 universities in the world and one of the best tuition free universities in Belgium for international students.

However, In the year 2017, it was ranked 69th by the Academic Ranking of World Universities and 125th by QS World University Rankings.

4. UC Leuven-Limburg

The university of Leuven-Limburg also abbreviated as UCLL is a Flemish Catholic university and a member of the KU Leuven Association.

Moreover, it was established in 2014 through the merger of the former Katholieke Hogeschool Limburg (KHLim), the Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven (KHLeuven) and even Groep T.

This institution organizes higher education on 10 campuses, spread over five cities, the UCLL has approximately 14,500 students and several staff.

However, the UC Leuven-Limburg offers 18 professional bachelor’s programs/courses and 16 graduate programs/courses in the five main areas of interest: Teacher Education, Welfare, Health, Management and Technology.

Nevertheless, In addition to these, there are 14 banaba courses, even so, in association with other educational institutions, the university of applied sciences also offers the HBO5 nursing course.

5. Hasselt University

Hasselt University is a public research university with campuses in Hasselt and Diepenbeek, Belgium. It was established in the year 1971.

However, it has more than 6,700 students and over 1,500 academic and administrative staff.

This university was officially established in 1971 as the Limburg Universitair Centrum (LUC) but eventually changed its name to Hasselt University in the year 2005.

UHasselt has several rankings and notable alumni’s. It has seven Faculties and three Schools, delivering 18Bachelor’sr and 30 Master’s programmes, not excluding 5 English-taught programmes.

However, it also has 4 research institutes and 3 research centres. Indeed, this university is one of the best universities in Belgium and a tuition-free university for international students.

6. Vrije Universiteit Brussel

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel, also known as the VUB is a Dutch and English-speaking research university located in Brussels, Belgium. 

It was established in 1834 and is one of the tuition free universities for international students. However, it has an estimated number of 19,300 students and over 3000 academic and administrative staff.

Moreover, it has four campuses namely: Brussels Humanities, Science and Engineering Campus in Elsene, Brussels Health Campus in Jette, Brussels Technology Campus in Anderlecht and Brussels Photonics Campus in Gooik.

Furthermore, it had 8 faculties, several notable alumni and numerous rankings. It is a profitable choice for any student.

7. University of Liege

The University of Liège known as ULiège is the major public university of the French Community of Belgium established in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.

However, Its official language is French. In the year 2020, ULiège had several rankings according to Times Higher Education and QS World University Rankings.

However, the university has over 24,000 students and 4,000 employees. Nevertheless, it has 11 faculties, notable alumni, honorary doctorates and numerous rankings.

It is among the tuition free universities in Belgium for international students.

8. University of Antwerp

The University of Antwerp is a major Belgian university located in the city of Antwerp. It is abbreviated as UA.

However, this university has over 20,000 students, which makes it the third-largest university in Flanders.

This university is known for its high standards in education, internationally competitive research and entrepreneurial approach.

Nevertheless, It was founded and established in 2003 after the merger of three smaller universities.

The University of Antwerp has 30 academic bachelor programmes, 69 master programmes, 20 master-after-master programmes and 22 postgraduates.

Moreover, amongst these 26 programmes are completely taught in English:1 bachelor’s, 16 masters, 6 master-after-master and 3 postgraduate programmes. However, all of these programmes are divided into 9 faculties.

9. Vesalius College

Vesalius College, also known as VeCo, is a college situated in the heart of Brussels, Belgium.

This college is regulated in association with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. The university is named after Andreas Vesalius, which is one of the first and foremost pioneers in the study of Anatomy.

Nevertheless, the college was founded and established in 1987 and offers a three-year Bachelor’s degree programs in accordance with the Bologna process.

However, Vesalius College is one of the few educational institutions in Belgium which teaches exclusively in English.

As it is a young university, it has an estimate of 300 students and several staffs. It is one of the tuition free universities in Belgium for international students.

10. Thomas More University of Applied Sciences.

Thomas More University of Applied Sciences is a private university based in Antwerp, Belgium. The university was founded in 2002 as a branch of the Thomas More Institute, which was founded in 1991. It has three campuses: one in Antwerp, one in Mechelen and one in Leuven.

In 2019 the QS World University Rankings ranked Thomas More University of Applied Sciences as the 38th best university in Europe and the 77th best university worldwide.

Thomas More University offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration, economics, law and engineering. The university also offers an MBA programme taught entirely in English. According to its website, its research focuses on science policy and energy technology.

Benefits of Tution Free Universities in Belgium

1. Affordability

Free universities are often perceived as more affordable than traditional universities. This is particularly true for international students who might otherwise be paying high fees in another country. However, it also applies to Belgian students who are often required to pay high tuition fees at public universities.

2. Global Reach

Free universities allow students from all over the world, regardless of their financial situation, to access quality education without having to worry about paying back student loans after graduating with a degree from a reputable university. These institutions attract many foreign students because they offer them a chance to improve their education while living abroad at little or no cost.

3. Quality Education

Free universities also tend to offer high-quality education, which is why many people prefer them over other types of institutions such as private colleges and community colleges. Since these schools don’t charge tuition fees, they can spend more money on improving facilities and hiring better instructors so that students receive an excellent learning.

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