Ghent University (UGent) was founded in 1817 in the Flemish city of Ghent and is one of Belgium’s largest universities. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 150th in the world, up 12 places on the year before, and the second-highest-ranked university in Belgium. It’s known for the life sciences, bioscience engineering, veterinary medicine, engineering, medicine and economics.
UGent teaches its bachelor’s programmes in Dutch, so most international students come for one of its English-taught master’s programmes. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on Ghent University’s own guidance and official Belgian and EU information.
1. Know that bachelor’s programmes are taught in Dutch
All the bachelor’s programmes you can take at UGent in Belgium are taught in Dutch, and you need to prove Dutch at level B2 (C1 for Applied Language Studies) before you can enrol. The one exception is the English-taught Bachelor of Social Sciences, which is run with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and applied for through VUB. UGent also teaches English-taught bachelor’s programmes at Ghent University Global Campus in Incheon, South Korea. If you’d like a Dutch-taught bachelor’s in Ghent, you can first take a preparatory year of Dutch. Ghent University: language requirements.
2. Choose an English-taught master’s programme
Many of UGent’s master’s programmes are taught in English, in fields such as bioscience engineering, engineering, the sciences, economics and business, and the social sciences, as well as advanced master’s and Erasmus Mundus joint master’s programmes. Use the Study Guide on studiekiezer.ugent.be to check each programme’s admission requirements: the faculty decides whether your degree is close enough to the Flemish degrees that give direct access. Ghent University: admission requirements.
3. Apply by 1 April if you need a visa
If you need a visa to study in Belgium, you can start your online application from October and must submit it, complete, before 1 April. If you don’t need a visa, the deadline is 1 June. A complete application includes a verified degree, so don’t leave it until the last weeks. If your programme has its own application procedure, such as an Erasmus Mundus programme, follow its deadlines instead. Ghent University: application deadlines.
4. Have your degree verified
UGent works with Qualification Check, a global verification service, to check that your degree and documents are genuine, and you must use UGent’s own Qualification Check link so the results reach the university. You’ll also upload your diploma, transcripts, diploma supplement or course descriptions, sworn translations if needed, and your passport. If you haven’t graduated yet, you can apply with your latest transcript and an official letter giving your expected graduation date. Ghent University: how to apply.
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. At UGent, most English-taught master’s programmes require English at level B2, and you must show your proof at the latest when you enrol.
6. Take the GRE or GMAT if your faculty asks for it
Non-EEA applicants (based on where your degree is from, not your nationality) need a GRE score for master’s programmes in the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture and for several master’s in the Faculty of Sciences, including Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, and Bioinformatics. For the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, they need a GMAT or GRE score. Scores are valid for up to five years. Practise with our free GRE and GMAT practice tests.
7. Understand the fees
There’s no application fee at UGent. EEA students pay €1,229.70 for a 60-credit year in 2027-28. New non-EEA master’s students from 2027-28 pay €12,557.70 for 60 credits, a big rise from the €2,297.40 or €7,079.40 that non-EEA students paid in 2026-27. Students from the countries in the two lowest categories of the OECD DAC list of developing countries, and some scholarship holders, pay the EEA rate. Ghent University tuition fees.
8. Look for scholarships
UGent has only a limited number of scholarships, which are competitive. The Flemish government’s Master Mind scholarships give outstanding international master’s students up to €10,000 a year and a reduced fee, but you can’t apply directly: your master’s programme coordinator nominates candidates from students who applied by 1 April, and only about six are awarded at UGent each year. Students from developing countries can also look at VLIR-UOS scholarships for international course programmes. Ghent University: funding your studies.
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 Ghent University 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. Ghent University’s career services can help you find internships and thesis projects with companies. EU Immigration Portal: studying in Belgium.
Applying for a PhD at Ghent University?
At UGent, the PhD application is always started by your PhD supervisor, so first find a supervisor and agree your research project, often through an advertised, funded position. Doctoral schools at UGent work in English. 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 KU Leuven, 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 Ghent University’s official admissions and fee 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 Ghent University’s admissions website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with Ghent University.