QS World University Rankings 2021 - Top Universities in Belgium
Rank | University |
1 | KU Leuven |
2 | Ghent University |
3 | Université catholique de Louvain |
4 | Université libre de Bruxelles |
5 | University of Antwerp |
6 | Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) |
7 | Université de Liège |
8 | Hasselt University |
9 | University of Mons |
10 | University of Namur |
1. KU Leuven
It is a catholic research university in Leuven, Belgium which was established in 1425. KU Leuven is the largest university in Belgium and the university’s main campus is in Leuven and it also has campuses in many other places including the capital of Belgium. The primary language of instruction is Dutch and in the initial days the university only offered courses to the students with catholic backgrounds. The motto of the university is “Seat of Wisdom” and more than 65,000 students were enrolled in the university. The full form the KU Leuven is Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven and the translation of the name in English is Catholic University of Leuven.
Courses offered:
- Bachelor degree
- Master degree
- Doctoral degree
- Bridging programme
- Preparatory programme
- Lifelong learning
2. Ghent University
It is a public research university located in Ghent, Belgium which was established in 1817 and the motto of the university is “Dare to Think”. It is one of the largest universities in Belgium and the university has a hospital which is the biggest hospital in Belgium. The university is also known as UGent and the university is the first Dutch speaking university in Belgium. The university library has joined the google books library project and the university ranked in the top universities in the world.
Courses offered:
- Bachelor degree
- Master degree
- Doctoral degree
- Exchange programme
- Lifelong learning
3. Université catholique de Louvain
The official name of the university is University of Louvain and it is the largest french speaking university which was established in 1834. The motto of the “Seat of Wisdom, Seat of Knowledge ” and the university was located in Louvain-la-Neuve. The original establishment of the university was in 1425 and it has been considered as the first university in Belgium and the university hosts Belgium’s largest university museum.
Courses offered:
- Bachelor degree
- Master degree
- Doctoral degree
4. Université libre de Bruxelles
It is a french speaking research university which was established in 1834 and which is located in Brussels, Belgium. It is one of the leading Belgian universities open to Europe and the world and the motto of the university is “Conquering darkness by science”. There are two universities in Brussels where the meaning of the university is Free University of Brussels and they are French speaking Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the Dutch-speaking Vrije Universiteit Brussel. They both use the original name and neither uses the English translation.
Courses offered:
- Bachelor degree
- Master degree
- Doctoral degree
- Continuing education
5. University of Antwerp
The university is the third largest university in Belgium and it is a public research university which is located in the city of Antwerp. The university has more than 20,000 student enrolment and the university is characterized by the education, research and entrepreneurial approach. The university started a new academic program related to coronavirus measures in 2020 which was recommended by the government.
Courses offered:
- Bachelor degree
- Master degree
- Doctoral degree
6. Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
It is an independent and also partly state-funded research university and it is a Dutch and English speaking university which was established in 1834. The university was located in Brussels, Belgium and the founder of the university aimed to establish the university as an independent education which reflects the motto of the university. The motto of the university is “Conquering darkness by science”.
Courses offered:
- Bachelor degree
- Master degree
- Doctoral degree
7. Université de Liège
It is a public university which was established in 1817 and located in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium and the language of instruction is French. The motto of the university is “Excellence through science” and the university has 200 years of history and the university has 11 departments. In the media campus in 2021 the student radio station 48FM has been relocated.
Courses offered:
- Bachelor degree
- Master degree
- Doctoral degree
8. Hasselt University
It is a public research university which was officially established in 1971 and has campuses in two locations Hasselt and Diepenbeek, Belgium. The former name of the university was Limburg Universitair Centrum and in 2005 the name was changed to Hasselt University. The motto of the university is “Knowledge in Action” and it is also called UHasselt. UHasselt has more than 7000 students enrolment and it has been ranked as the top universities in the world.
Courses offered:
- Bachelor degree
- Master degree
- Doctoral degree
- Bridging programme
- Preparatory programme
- Lifelong learning
9. University of Mons
It is a Belgian university which was founded in 2009 and located in the city of Mons. The university was founded by the merging of the Engineering Faculty of Mons and the University of Mons-Hainaut. The university of Mons is the fourth university of the french community in Belgium in terms of the student enrolment over 10,000 students.
Courses offered:
- Bachelor degree
- Master degree
- Doctoral degree
10.University of Namur
It is a catholic university located in Namus, Belgium and it is in the french community of Belgium. Society of Jesus is a religious order for the men in the catholic church headquartered in Rome to reopen a high school and during the year 1831 – 1846 the school developed into a college with the help of the Namurian families. The location of the university is in the heart of the city and capital of Wallonia, Namur.
Courses offered:
- Bachelor degree
- Master degree
- Doctoral degree
