UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain) is a university with its main campus in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, and sites in Brussels, Mons, Tournai and Charleroi. It reports about 40,000 students, 19% of them international.[1] It ranks 196th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, five places lower than the year before.[2][3]
For 2026–27 the full registration fee is €1,194. Students of non-EU nationality who are not exempt pay an additional contribution of €4,175 on top, which gives €5,369.[4] UCLouvain requires a good command of French, except for programmes taught entirely in English.[5][6]
Key facts
| Official name | Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) |
| Location | Louvain-la-Neuve, Wallonia, Belgium[1] |
| Campuses and sites | Eight locations: Louvain-la-Neuve, Brussels (Saint-Louis, Woluwe, Saint-Gilles), Mons, Tournai, Charleroi and Namur (university hospital)[1] |
| Type | Private university, subsidised by public authorities[7] |
| Founded | 1425 as the University of Louvain; since 1968 a separate university from KU Leuven[8] |
| Students | About 40,000 (57% female), 19% international[1] |
| Staff | About 7,000 staff members[1] |
| Study programmes | 73 bachelor’s and 207 master’s programmes, including 37 master’s programmes in English[1] |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | 196th[2] |
| Main language of teaching | French (a good command of French is an admission requirement); 37 master’s programmes are offered in English[5] |
| Registration fee 2026–27, full rate | €1,194 (Belgian, EU and assimilated students)[4] |
| Registration fee 2026–27, non-EU students (not exempt) | €1,194 plus an additional contribution of €4,175 = €5,369[4] |
| Language requirement | Good command of French; DELF, DALF, TCF or other official proof if previous studies were not in French[6] |
| Official website | uclouvain.be |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 6 November 2026.
About UCLouvain
UCLouvain traces its history to the foundation of the University of Louvain on 9 December 1425. After Waterloo the university was re-founded in 1816 as a state university and was reborn in 1834 as a free university under the name Université catholique de Louvain. In 1968 the Université catholique de Louvain and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven became two distinct universities, and UCLouvain moved to the newly built town of Louvain-la-Neuve while its faculty of medicine settled in Woluwe in Brussels.[8] In 2023 UCLouvain merged with Université Saint-Louis Bruxelles.[8]
The university describes itself as a multi-campus university with eight locations: Louvain-la-Neuve, three sites in Brussels (Saint-Louis, Woluwe and Saint-Gilles), Mons, Tournai, Charleroi and Namur (university hospital).[1] It has two university hospitals, Saint-Luc in Brussels-Woluwe and UCL Namur.[1]
How is UCLouvain ranked?
In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, UCLouvain is 196th in the world, five places lower than in the previous edition.[2][3] Among Belgian universities it follows KU Leuven (59th) and Ghent University (150th) and precedes the Université libre de Bruxelles (248th).[2]
In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027, reported on 1 October 2026, UCLouvain is 205th, down from 184th.[10] The two lists use different methods, so the positions differ. How we compile rankings.
What can you study at UCLouvain?
UCLouvain offers 280 programmes of instruction, including 73 bachelor’s and 207 master’s programmes. 37 of the master’s programmes are taught in English.[1] Check the language of instruction in the course catalogue before you apply. For the country overview see universities in Belgium and the Study in Belgium guide.
Some courses are subject to an entrance exam or limited places for non-residents of Belgium: civil engineering (entrance exam), medicine and dentistry (entrance exam), and veterinary medicine, physiotherapy and rehabilitation, psychology and education, and speech therapy (limited places for non-residents).[5]
How much does UCLouvain cost in 2026–27?
| Student group | Registration fee 2026–27 |
|---|---|
| Belgian, EU and assimilated students, full rate | €1,194.00 |
| Same group, intermediate financial category | €835.00 |
| Same group, low-income category | €374.00 |
| Same group, with a Wallonia-Brussels Federation grant | €0.00 |
| Non-EU students, not exempt (full rate plus additional contribution of €4,175) | €5,369 |
The amounts are from the university’s registration fee page and its 2026–27 fee schedule, which carries the note “validated by the council of 10.06.2026”. The English fee page still says that the 2026–27 amounts are pending approval by the Government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, so check the current status.[4][11] The reduced rates require an application to the Student Grants Department of the Federation.[4]
Who is exempt from the additional contribution?
Non-EU students do not pay the additional contribution of €4,175 if, among other cases, they are assimilated to Belgian students, are citizens of a country listed in annexes 1 to 3 of ARES Circular No. 2026-001, are enrolled in a doctorate, are enrolled in an AESS programme or a master’s in education replacing it, or hold a scholarship from Wallonia-Brussels International.[4] A transitional regime applies to some students who began a bachelor’s in 2023–24 or 2024–25 and have a nationality listed in annex 1 of ARES Circular No. 2024-001: they pay €2,505 until 2026–27 at the latest, provided they continue in the same programme without interruption.[4]
Application fee and other costs
Students of non-EU nationality who are not assimilated to Belgian students pay a €200 application fee after confirming their application online. It is deducted from the enrolment fees if the application is accepted and is otherwise not refunded; specialised master’s degrees, doctorates, international joint degrees and Erasmus Mundus programmes are excepted.[4] Additional costs such as sports membership come on top of the fees.[4] For rent and living costs see our Study in Belgium guide.
How do you apply to UCLouvain?
Applications are made online through the university’s application portal. You may submit up to two applications per academic year for the general programmes (bachelor’s, master’s, advanced master’s, CAPAES, university certificate); a few exceptions apply.[12] To apply you must meet the admission requirements of the course, have a good command of French and study a course that is fundable.[5]
Master’s applicants must hold a qualification that gives access to the master’s under the rules of the French Community of Belgium. A foreign degree is considered similar if it leads to the same professional qualification or to the same access to further studies in the country where it was awarded.[5] Required documents include a motivation letter for admission applications and, for some programmes, additional tests such as GMAT or TAGE MAGE for the management master’s.[6]
The university gives an application timetable on a separate page. We give no deadlines here because they change every year and differ by programme.
Which language level do you need?
UCLouvain asks for a good command of French.[5] If your previous studies were not conducted in French, you must submit a French certificate such as DELF, DALF, TCF or another official attestation. This is not needed if the programme is taught entirely in English.[6] The pages we read do not state a CEFR level, so check the requirement of your programme in the course catalogue.
For the 120-credit master’s in management sciences or management engineering, applicants whose previous studies were not in English must also provide a TOEFL or IELTS result.[6]
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does UCLouvain cost for international students in 2026–27?
Is UCLouvain the same as KU Leuven?
Do I need to speak French to study at UCLouvain?
Where are the UCLouvain campuses?
The main campus is Louvain-la-Neuve. Other sites are in Brussels (Saint-Louis, Woluwe and Saint-Gilles), Mons, Tournai, Charleroi and Namur.[1]
More about studying in Belgium
- Belgium: best universities
- Study in Belgium: complete guide
- Cost of Studying Abroad
- International Student Scholarships
- University Ranking Methodology
More university profiles in Belgium
Sources
[1] UCLouvain: UCLouvain figures (page without a date; its ranking remarks refer to 2025 editions)
[2] The Brussels Times: Belgian university rises to “highest position ever achieved” (QS World University Rankings 2027; QS publishes the ranking at topuniversities.com, which blocks automated access) (article of 18 Jun 2026)
[3] La Libre (Belga): La KU Leuven se distingue dans le classement mondial QS des universités (article of 18 Jun 2026; names the 2027 edition)
[4] UCLouvain: The amount of the registration fees (page without a date; 2026–27 amounts “pending approval”)
[5] UCLouvain: Application requirements (page without a date)
[6] UCLouvain: Required documents (page without a date)
[7] Wikipedia: Université catholique de Louvain (type of institution)
[8] UCLouvain: 600 ans d’histoire en 60 dates-clés (French) (page without a date)
[9] KU Leuven: History (describes the 1960s split into two sister universities) (page updated 17 Feb 2026)
[10] The Brussels Times: Belgian universities slip down higher education ranking (Times Higher Education 2027) (article of 1 Oct 2026)
[11] UCLouvain: Grille tarifaire 2026-2027 (PDF, French) (validated by the council of 10 Jun 2026)
[12] UCLouvain: Proceed with your application (page without a date)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.