UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain): Admission, Fees and Deadlines

UCLouvain is Belgium's largest French-speaking university, with about 38,500 students, a main campus in Louvain-la-Neuve south of Brussels and a joint 205th place in the THE World University Rankings 2027. Bachelor's programmes are taught in French, while almost forty master's programmes are available in English. For 2026/27 the annual fee for most non-EU nationals is a flat $6,100 (€5,369), whatever the programme. The main trap for non-EU school leavers is that the application, due by 31 March, must already include a final decision recognising their school diploma.

UCLouvain and Dutch-speaking KU Leuven are different universities. Both trace their roots to the University of Louvain founded in 1425, which split in 1968; the French-speaking half moved to Louvain-la-Neuve, a town built for it.

Who UCLouvain suits

Louvain-la-Neuve is a rare European example of a town built specifically for a university; Belgium's first science park opened there in 1971. It suits students who want campus life without a big city. Strengths include economics and management (the Louvain School of Management), engineering, medicine at Brussels Woluwe with Saint-Luc University Hospital, philosophy and theology. Nobel laureate in medicine Christian de Duve (1974) worked at the university.

UCLouvain is particularly good value for engineering and economics, since one fee covers every programme. In Flanders these fields cost more: at KU Leuven, $10,780 (€9,493.92) a year.

Consider another university if:

• you want an English-taught bachelor's: UCLouvain has none, so look at KU Leuven or the two Solvay programmes at ULB;
• you are a current school leaver who wants to start straight after graduation: the final-equivalence rule makes this almost impossible (see below);
• you want to live in the heart of the capital: Brussels is closer to ULB, although UCLouvain also has three Brussels campuses.

UCLouvain is sometimes described as a private university. Like other universities in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, it is publicly funded, and the Federation sets the maximum fees students can be charged.

Bachelor's admission: timing of diploma recognition

For non-EU nationals who are not assimilated to Belgian students, UCLouvain applies strict conditions:

The practical consequence: in Russia the school attestat is issued at the end of June, while the deadline for visa applicants is 31 March. A current final-year student cannot hold a final equivalence decision by then, so the realistic path is to request equivalence in the summer after school (the Federation accepts requests from 15 November to 15 July) and apply to UCLouvain the following year, which the three-year rule allows. ULB is different: final-year pupils only need to prove they requested equivalence by 15 July.

For the 2026/27 cycle the Federation charged a non-refundable $450 (€400) per equivalence request, or $170 (€150) for diplomas from certain countries.

Entrance exams.

• A first-cycle entrance exam for applicants without a qualifying school diploma; passing it opens bachelor's study at any institution in French-speaking Belgium.
• A special entrance exam for the engineering bachelor's, run by the Louvain School of Engineering; admission to those programmes depends on it.
• Medicine and dentistry: the ARES entrance exam, with limited places for non-residents allocated by results.

If you have already studied in a bachelor's or master's programme in French-speaking Belgium and want to change programme, a derogation procedure applies: an average of at least 13/20 across previous studies, a motivation letter and a successfully completed current year.

Master's admission and English-taught programmes

To enter a master's, you need a bachelor's degree that the faculty judges comparable in level and field. Holders of a 60-credit master's may have at least 45 credits recognised when entering the corresponding 120-credit master's.

According to the university's latest published figures, 37 master's programmes are taught fully in English. Each programme page in the catalogue lists its teaching language and its English or French requirements under "Conditions d'accès". French requirements vary: the master's in languages and literature, for example, requires French at C1, proven with DALF or TCF.

The $230 (€200) fee applies to each application for a bachelor's, master's or certificate programme. It is not charged for international joint degrees or Erasmus Mundus programmes.

Application deadlines

UCLouvain publishes 2027/28 dates on the same page; for visa applicants, expect the end of March 2027.

A plan for a master's starting in September 2027:

1. October–December 2026: choose the programme, check its teaching language and admission conditions, take a language test.
2. January–March 2027: apply online and pay $230 (€200) when you confirm the application.
3. Spring 2027: receive the decision; if admitted, pay the balance of the fee and prepare financial documents for the visa.
4. Spring–summer 2027: apply for housing with LOGE and for a D visa at the visa centre.
5. September 2027: arrive, register with the local commune and obtain your residence permit.

Tuition fees in 2026/27

Wallonie-Bruxelles International scholarship holders, assimilated students and some other groups are also exempt from the supplement. Russia and Kazakhstan are not listed in the ARES annexes.

If you are admitted, the $230 (€200) application fee is deducted from your tuition. The fee belongs to a specific application: if you apply twice and enrol in one programme, only that application's fee is credited.

The 2026/27 visa threshold is $1,210 (€1,062) for each month of study, so a first year adds up to roughly $20,570 (€18,113): tuition of $6,100 and $14,470 of proven living funds. Legal payment routes for students in Russia are covered in our guide to paying tuition abroad from Russia.

Scholarships for master's students

The main external award for master's study in French-speaking Belgium is MASTER IN from Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI). It pays $11,380 (€10,020) for the academic year in twelve monthly instalments, removes the $4,740 (€4,175) non-EU supplement and waives the Immigration Office's administrative fee. Any nationality may apply, although WBI gives priority to graduates of universities in 14 countries, a list that does not include Russia or Kazakhstan. Your last degree must be no more than five years old when the programme starts. For 2026/27 the file went to the chosen university by 31 March 2026, the same date as the study application, and a WBI jury selects the winners.

Housing: kots and university flats

UCLouvain rents housing directly through its LOGE service, with no intermediary, and can house more than 5,700 students across its campuses. Average rent in university housing is about $420 (€370) a month.

• Community kots: a private room with shared kitchen and bathroom; utilities are included and the deposit is $170 (€150).
• Individual flats and studios: priority goes to master's and doctoral students.
• Lease terms: 10 or 12 months, or short-term.

Only enrolled students can rent university housing. Applications for Louvain-la-Neuve are made online through LOGE.

Visa, work and life in Belgium

Any study stay beyond three months needs a national D visa, and applicants in Russia file through the VFS Global centre; the VFS student checklist then sends them to the Belgian Embassy in Moscow in person to complete a student questionnaire, before 16:00 on the day of lodging for Moscow applicants. UCLouvain stresses that permission to enrol is no promise that a residence permit will be issued or extended; the Immigration Office and the local commune make that call.

Funds can be shown with a scholarship award letter, money in a blocked account or a sponsor's signed Annex 32 form, covering $1,210 (€1,062) per month. The study D visa itself carries a $280 (€250) consular fee, and the Immigration Office adds an administrative fee, $290 (€251) in 2026. Term-time work is capped at 20 hours a week, with more allowed in holidays, and graduates can request a 12-month job-search permit. See our Belgium student visa guide for details.

UCLouvain, ULB or Ghent University?

Country-level information is on our Belgium page. See universities in Belgium for a full comparison and applying to Belgian universities for the general process.

Common mistakes

• Applying for a bachelor's straight after school. Without a final equivalence decision the application is rejected automatically.
• Waiting until April. For visa applicants the window closed on 31 March.
• Confusing UCLouvain with KU Leuven. They are separate universities with different languages, portals and fees.
• Budgeting with the old $4,740 (€4,175) rate. From 2026/27, new non-EU students pay $6,100 (€5,369).
• Submitting backup applications casually. Each costs $230 (€200), and only the fee for the programme you enrol in is credited.
• Leaving housing until August. University flats go to enrolled students and are taken quickly.

Ranking

How StudyU can help

Checking your eligibility, preparing the equivalence request, the application and the visa paperwork are provided under an agreement with StudyU. Equivalence is granted by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, admission by UCLouvain and the visa by the Belgian Immigration Office.

FAQ

Can I enter UCLouvain straight after secondary school?

For non-EU nationals it is almost impossible: the application due by 31 March must include a final equivalence decision, which cannot be issued before you graduate. Most applicants apply the following year, while their diploma is less than three years old.

How much does UCLouvain cost for non-EU students?

Most non-EU nationals are charged $6,100 (€5,369) for 2026/27, made up of the standard $1,360 (€1,194) registration fee and a $4,740 (€4,175) supplement. The $230 (€200) application fee is credited against tuition if you enrol.

Does UCLouvain teach in English?

Not at bachelor's level. According to the university, 37 master's programmes are taught fully in English; the catalogue filter by teaching language shows the current list.

What is the difference between UCLouvain and KU Leuven?

They were one university until 1968. UCLouvain now teaches in French in Louvain-la-Neuve and Brussels and charges most non-EU nationals $6,100 a year, while KU Leuven teaches in Dutch and English in Leuven and sets fees by programme.

What level of French does UCLouvain require?

The university requires sufficient French, and each programme states the level in its admission conditions. The master's in languages and literature, for example, requires C1 proven with DALF or TCF; see our guide to French language tests.

Does UCLouvain offer student housing?

Yes. LOGE houses more than 5,700 enrolled students, with average rent of about $420 (€370) a month including utilities. Flats and studios go first to master's and doctoral students.

Sources

• UCLouvain: the university in figures
• UCLouvain: press figures
• UCLouvain: 600 years of history in 60 dates
• UCLouvain: application deadlines
• UCLouvain: application requirements
• UCLouvain: international student applications
• UCLouvain: tuition fees 2026/27
• UCLouvain: application processing fee
• UCLouvain: housing
• UCLouvain: example of French requirements for a master's
• Study in Belgium: diploma equivalence
• Study in Belgium: quota programmes
• Study in Belgium: registration fees
• Study in Flanders: work and study
• EMN Belgium: minimum means from 2026/27
• Embassy of Belgium in Russia: visas
• Times Higher Education: World University Rankings 2027
• Times Higher Education: World University Rankings 2026
• Study in Belgium: MASTER IN WBI grants
• Study in Belgium: MASTER IN financial support
• UCLouvain: entrance exams
• Belgian Foreign Affairs: visa handling fees
• Embassy of Belgium: administrative visa fee 2026

All sources checked on 30 September 2026. We converted euro amounts at the ECB reference rate of 29 September 2026, when €1 bought $1.1355, rounding to whole dollars below $100 and to tens of dollars above that.

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