About
Basic information and contact details for KU Leuven
Founded in 1425, KU Leuven is home to brilliant minds set free to wonder, following their curiosity and putting their ingenuity to the test. Our 15,000+ international students from 150+ different nationalities can choose from amongst 100 bachelor’s and master’s programmes taught in English. Classroom material is based on the work of more than 7,000 world-class researchers carrying out cutting-edge work in thoroughly modern facilities.
The pull to study at KU Leuven is strong, as the University enjoys a world top-50 ranking and a global reputation as a premier academic destination. But that education is made available to just about everyone willing to accept the challenge.
Students at KU Leuven pay some of the world’s lowest tuition fees for a university of its calibre, ensuring that deserving talents from all economic backgrounds have access to a superb education. As a result, students form more than 150 countries now constitute a full 20% of the student body, with no one country dominating the international representation. This inclusive excellence has transformed the University into a global institution well positioned for success in the past and next 600 years.
What sets us apart as a university?
Leuven is a green city, where parkland, medieval cloisters, and bicycles are the norm. The KU Leuven campus is interspersed throughout the city, with students making up about half of the city’s 100,000 residents. You can see it in the evening on the Oude Markt, one of Leuven’s main public squares, where an uninterrupted line of cafes host students at sidewalk tables. You can hear it in the chimes from the carillon in the tower at the University Library. You can feel it in the many bookstores and cinemas that mark this as the quintessential university city.
Other KU Leuven campuses offer the benefits of life in a larger city. This may be reflected in the dynamism of multilingual Brussels, the relaxed life along the picturesque canals of Ghent, or the eclectic charms of fashion and shipping capital Antwerp. Whichever campus you call home, you will find that locals generally speak English quite well, putting all of Belgium’s cultural heritage at your disposal. So whether your tastes run to music and theatre, history and architecture, or perhaps the best waffles, fries, beer and chocolate in the world, Belgium has something for every taste.
Student life comes with its share of tough times too, and KU Leuven provides a variety of resources to help students cope with the stress of studying and living abroad. Every campus has its Stuvo student services centre to help with all aspects of student life, from finding student associations and health insurance to counseling and advice on mental well-being. And the Pangaea international student centre is always there to help you connect with other students, whether through volunteering, catching up at the Meeting Centre, or connecting with a local student through their Buddy Programme.
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