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Ghent University

Ranked
Ghent, Belgium
=112nd in World University Rankings 2025
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About

Basic information and contact details for Ghent University

institution

Ghent University (UGent) in Belgium was founded in 1817 by King William I of Orange. As a Flemish university, most of UGent’s 230 degree programmes are taught in Dutch, although a few of its graduate degrees are offered in English.

With a total of 36,000 students and 9,000 staff, UGent is one of the major research universities in Belgium. Its 11 faculties offer a wide academic portfolio, including courses in every scientific discipline, while its research investment averages around £180million annually.

UGent prides itself on being among the leading universities in the world with a global reputation that attracts talented students and teachers. It boasts associations with several Nobel Prize winners, among them Joseph Guislain, Walter Fiers, Marc Van Montagu and Peter Piot. While its alumni include such notables as Robert Cailliau, who collaborated with Tim Berners-Lee in developing the internet, and the astronaut Dirk Frimout.

The university’s main campus is located close to the city centre. It also has a campus by the sea in Ostend, home to the GreenBridge incubation and innovation center that provides facilities for start-up technology companies, and conducts sustainability research into seas and oceans.

UGent was also the first university in Europe to be accepted as part of the Songdo Global University Campus (SGUC) in Incheon, South Korea, where it provides three bachelor's programmes in molecular biotechnology, environmental technology and food technology to domestic and international students, alongside the 10 other universities it shares a campus with.

Students who live in Ghent can expect to be surrounded by beautiful architecture, unique street art and a large number of pubs, clubs and restaurants.

Good transport links exist throughout the city and Ghent has excellent links to the rest of Belgium by train. Much of Ghent is also navigable by bicycle, which is the most popular mode of transport for students.

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Rankings

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Key Student Statistics

A breakdown of student statistics at Ghent University

gender ratio
Student gender ratio
57 F : 43 M (1)
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International student percentage
11% (1)
student per staff
Students per staff
34.3 (1)
student
Student total
38420 (1)

Based on data collected for the (1) World University Rankings 2025

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Subjects Taught at Ghent University

See below for a range of subjects taught at Ghent University

Life Sciences=48th

  • Agriculture and Forestry
  • Sport Science
  • Veterinary Science
  • Biological Sciences

Law=72nd

  • Law

Education53rd

  • Education

Arts and Humanities84th

  • Languages, Literature and Linguistics
  • History, Philosophy and Theology
  • Archaeology
  • Art, Performing Art and Design

Business and Economics126–150th

  • Economics and Econometrics
  • Business and Management
  • Accounting and Finance

Clinical and Health97th

  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Other Health

Engineering126–150th

  • General Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Social Sciences126–150th

  • Sociology
  • Politics and International Studies
  • Geography
  • Communication and Media Studies

Psychology51st

  • Psychology

Physical Sciences101–125th

  • Chemistry
  • Geology, Environmental, Earth and Marine Sciences
  • Physics and Astronomy
  • Mathematics and Statistics