Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 6 November 2026.

About the Vrije Universiteit Brussel

The Brussels university was founded in 1834, when the Université Libre de Belgique, later Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), opened its doors on 20 November 1834. VUB describes ULB and VUB as sharing this origin.^[11] On 28 May 1970 King Baudouin signed a law that gave VUB the status of a legal person. Since then VUB has been a separate entity from ULB.^[8] VUB celebrated its 50th anniversary in the academic year 2019–2020, together with ULB’s 185th.^[8]

VUB has nine faculties.^[9] Its Main Campus is in Etterbeek and its Health Campus in Jette, next to the university hospital UZ Brussel; other sites include the Photonics Campus in Pajottegem, the Usquare campus and the Brussels City Campus.^[6][9]

How is VUB ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, VUB remains around 295th in the world, according to the Brussels Times. Among Belgian universities it follows KU Leuven (59th), Ghent University (150th), UCLouvain (196th), the Université libre de Bruxelles (248th) and the University of Antwerp (277th).^[2] The article gives the VUB position as approximate.

Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at VUB?

VUB has nine faculties, among them Medicine and Pharmacy, Engineering, and Languages and Humanities.^[9]

Many programmes are taught in Dutch, as the tariff list for non-EEA students shows.^[4] The university names three English-taught bachelor’s programmes in its cost overview: Social Sciences, Business Economics and Linguistics and Literary Studies.^[10] Several master’s programmes are taught in English as well; the tariff list marks the language of each programme.^[4] For the country overview see universities in Belgium and the Study in Belgium guide.

How much does VUB cost in 2026–27?

The EEA and doctorate amounts are from the university’s tariff for Belgian, EEA and PhD students 2026–27.^[3] The non-EEA amounts are from its 2026–27 tariff list for non-EEA students, which sorts programmes into three tracks; the list also shows lower amounts for some inter-university programmes, so look up your programme in the PDF.^[4] For the Bachelor in Social Sciences the fixed amount is €2,200, and 60 credits at €52 add €3,120, which makes €5,320 for one academic year.^[4]

What counts as the EEA rate?

The fee depends on the number of credits, your nationality, the programme and the type of contract. EEA and non-EEA students are charged differently, and some advanced master’s programmes cost more.^[10] Non-EEA students who hold a VLIR-UOS or ENABEL (BTC) scholarship, a Master Mind scholarship, who come from the two lowest categories of the OECD/DAC list, or from the ICP partner nations Ethiopia, Tanzania, Vietnam, Indonesia and South Africa, pay the EEA rate.^[4] A transitional measure keeps students who began a programme before 2026–27 on the 2025–26 rate.^[4]

Tuition is only part of the bill: VUB advises foreign students to budget about €1,000 a month for living costs, excluding tuition and course materials.^[10] See also our Study in Belgium guide.

How do you apply to VUB?

VUB has separate application routes for applicants with a Belgian diploma and applicants with a foreign diploma. Its application page also links to the required documents, the admission requirements and the application deadlines.^[12] To start, you check the academic requirements: a secondary school diploma that is equivalent to a Flemish one for the bachelor’s, and a bachelor’s degree or equivalent for the master’s. Each programme can have specific requirements on its programme page.^[5]

We give no deadlines here because they change every year and differ by programme. Check the application deadlines on the university’s site before you start.

Which language level do you need?

You must show sufficient knowledge of your programme’s language of instruction when you apply. Applicants with a Flemish secondary diploma do not need this proof for Dutch or English programmes; applicants with a Walloon secondary diploma do not need it for English programmes.^[5]

For English, accepted proofs include a diploma of secondary or higher education in which English was the only language of instruction, and tests at CEFR level B2 (the European scale from A1 to C2; B2 is upper-intermediate): IELTS Academic with an overall band score of at least 6.5 and at least 6.0 in each of the four components, ITACE at B2 in at least four of five components, or Cambridge B2 First with a score of at least 170. VUB updated its TOEFL iBT rule for exams taken from 21 January 2026, so read the current scores on its page. Test results may not be older than five years. For Dutch, proof at level B2 is required for Dutch-taught programmes, for example by a CNaVT test. A faculty may require a higher level, which the programme description states.^[5]

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

• Ghent University
• KU Leuven
• UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain)
• University of Antwerp