KU Leuven is Belgium’s oldest and largest university. It was founded in 1425 in the Flemish city of Leuven, about 25 kilometres east of Brussels, and today also has campuses in Brussels, Kortrijk, Ghent, Antwerp and other Flemish cities. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 59th in the world, the best result a Belgian university has ever had in that ranking, and the highest-ranked university in Belgium. It’s known for engineering, medicine, the life sciences, economics, law, theology and philosophy.
Most of KU Leuven’s bachelor’s programmes are taught in Dutch, but it offers a handful of English-taught bachelor’s and a large choice of English-taught master’s programmes. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on KU Leuven’s own guidance and official Belgian and EU information.
1. Choose an English-taught programme, or learn Dutch
KU Leuven’s English-taught bachelor’s programmes include Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies, European Studies, Business Administration, Business Engineering and Engineering Technology. Its other bachelor’s programmes are taught in Dutch, and most of its English options are at master’s level, across fields such as engineering, science, economics, business, law and the social sciences. Check the language of teaching and the admission requirements on each programme’s page before you apply. KU Leuven: applications.
2. Check your programme’s own deadline
KU Leuven doesn’t have a single deadline. For Dutch-taught programmes, non-EEA applicants must apply by 1 February, while many English-taught programmes have their own fixed deadlines, which you can look up in KU Leuven’s application-window tool. For example, the Faculty of Economics and Business lists 1 May for non-EEA citizens and 1 July for EEA citizens for its master’s programmes. The application tool doesn’t block late submissions, so it’s up to you to make sure your deadline hasn’t passed, and the absolute final date for applications for 2027-28 is 22 September 2027. Apply well before your deadline, because non-EEA students also need time for a visa.
3. Meet the admission requirements for your programme
Each programme sets its own admission requirements, so check which degrees, subjects and grades it accepts. For bachelor’s programmes, you need a secondary school diploma that gives access to university, and some programmes also ask for SAT, ACT, AP Calculus or SOWISO OMPT maths test results. For master’s programmes, you need a bachelor’s degree in a related field, and some programmes ask for a GMAT or GRE score. Practise with our free SAT, GRE and GMAT practice tests.
4. Prepare your documents and motivation letter
Every application needs your diplomas and transcripts (intermediate transcripts are fine if you haven’t graduated yet), official translations if they aren’t in an accepted language, an English test certificate that can be verified online, your passport, a CV and a motivation letter of about one A4 page. Some programmes also ask for recommendation letters. Use your motivation letter to explain why you’ve chosen this programme at KU Leuven and how your studies have prepared you for it. See our 50 sample SOPs for ideas. KU Leuven: requested documents.
5. Prove your English
English-taught programmes ask you to prove your English, usually with IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT or a Cambridge English qualification, although applicants who studied in English in certain countries may be exempt. Minimum scores are set by each programme, so check yours, and book your test early so your results are ready when you apply. Practise with our free IELTS and TOEFL practice tests. Many of KU Leuven’s business and economics master’s programmes ask for at least IELTS Academic 7 or TOEFL iBT 94.
6. Pay the €120 application fee
You apply through KU Leuven’s online application web app, and you must pay a non-refundable application fee of €120 for each application before it is assessed, unless you qualify for an exemption. You’ll be told by email whether you’ve been admitted, admitted on condition that you graduate, or rejected. An admission can’t be deferred to the next year, so you’d have to apply again. KU Leuven: application instructions.
7. Understand the fees
EEA students pay the standard Flemish tuition fee, which is about €1,200 a year for a full 60-credit year. Students from outside the EEA pay a higher fee that depends on the programme. After the Flemish government cut funding for non-EEA students in late 2025, KU Leuven raised its non-EEA fees by about 20% across its fee groups, so use its tuition fee calculator to check the fee for your programme for 2027-28. Some students from developing countries and scholarship holders can pay a reduced fee. KU Leuven tuition fee calculator.
8. Apply for a scholarship early
KU Leuven’s scholarship database lists the funding open to international students. For example, the Science@Leuven Scholarship gives new master’s students in the Faculty of Science €12,000 a year for up to two years, plus a partial fee waiver for non-EEA students. To be considered for 2027-28, you must submit a complete application to an eligible master’s programme by 15 February 2027, and winners are told at the beginning of May. The Flemish government’s Master Mind scholarships also fund a small number of outstanding international master’s students. KU Leuven: Science@Leuven Scholarship.
9. Apply for your student visa early
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens don’t need a visa, but they must register with their local town hall within a few months of arriving. If you’re from outside the EU/EEA, you need a long-stay student visa (type D) from the Belgian embassy or consulate in your country, which you apply for once KU Leuven has sent your letter of admission or enrolment. You must prove that you can support yourself: for the 2026-27 academic year the minimum is €1,062 a month, which you can show with a blocked account holding twelve months’ worth (€12,744), a scholarship certificate or a sponsor’s formal undertaking (Annex 32). Processing can take three months or more in summer, so apply as soon as you’re admitted, and don’t enter Belgium on a short-stay Schengen visa, because it can’t be converted. After you arrive, you register at your town hall to get your residence card. EU Immigration Portal: studying in Belgium.
10. Plan for work during and after your studies
International students can work up to 20 hours a week during term, with no limit in the official school holidays, as long as the work doesn’t interfere with their studies. Many part-time jobs need Dutch or French, so don’t count on them to pay your tuition or living costs. After you graduate, non-EU students can apply for an orientation year: a 12-month residence permit with full access to the labour market, so you can look for work or set up a business. You must apply while your student residence permit is still valid. KU Leuven’s career services can help you find internships and thesis projects with companies. EU Immigration Portal: studying in Belgium.
Applying for a PhD at KU Leuven?
Most PhD students at KU Leuven apply for an advertised, funded position or agree a research project with a supervisor first, and many are paid as doctoral researchers. Start by contacting potential supervisors in your field. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
Apply to more than one programme to give yourself options. Read our guides to Ghent University, UCLouvain, the University of Antwerp and ULB. Our guide to studying in Belgium explains how the Belgian system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from KU Leuven’s official admissions, documents and scholarship pages, Belgian and EU government sources and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and immigration rules can change, so always confirm the details on KU Leuven’s admissions website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with KU Leuven.