KU Leuven

General information

• Location: the main centre is Leuven, Belgium (Flanders). KU Leuven also has campuses in other cities, for example Brussels and Kortrijk.
• Founded: 1425 – the oldest university in the Low Countries
• Language of instruction: most bachelor's programmes are taught in Dutch. Only a few are entirely in English, among them Business Administration and Business Engineering (both in Brussels), Engineering Technology, Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies, and European Studies.
• Main fields: medicine and biomedical sciences, engineering, economics and business, law, psychology, natural sciences, humanities and theology. The university has 15 faculties and offers 49 bachelor's programmes. In September 2026 it had 66,306 students, 17,738 of them international.
• Length of a bachelor's degree: usually 3 years, 180 ECTS
• Fee for EU/EEA students: for 2026/27 the tuition fee is a fixed amount of 305.40 euros plus 14.60 euros per credit – 1,181.40 euros for a full year of 60 credits. The fee for 2027/28 has not been published yet; KU Leuven notes that the amounts may be indexed each year.

Deadlines

Applications are made online through KU Leuven's own application system. For 2027/28 the key dates are:

• Dutch-taught bachelor's programmes – EEA applicants are not subject to a deadline. The university still recommends applying as early as possible, because the application is evaluated before you can register.
• English-taught bachelor's programmes – each has its own strict deadline. For 2027/28, Engineering Technology has published 15 June 2027 for EEA applicants. For 2026/27 the deadline was 1 July for Business Administration and Business Engineering, and 1 June for Philosophy and for Theology and Religious Studies.
• Medicine and dentistry – registration for the Flemish entrance exam runs from 1 March to 17 May 2027.
• Registration – once admitted, you register at the start of the academic year. For 2026/27 the registration period was 17 August – 16 September.

Requirements when applying from Bulgaria

Your Bulgarian secondary school diploma has to give access to university studies, and KU Leuven assesses it as part of your application. You apply online, upload the requested documents and pay the application fee.

Language: for Dutch-taught programmes you need at least B2 in Dutch; some programmes require C1. KU Leuven accepts, for example, ITNA B2, CNaVT Educatief Startbekwaam, Staatsexamen NT2 II, or proof that you completed one full-time year of secondary or higher education in Dutch. For English-taught programmes you need an English certificate such as IELTS or TOEFL; the minimum score depends on the programme.

Medicine and dentistry: in Flanders you can start these programmes only if you pass the entrance exam for medicine or dentistry (toelatingsexamen arts / tandarts), organised by the Flemish government, and are ranked favourably. In 2027 the exams take place on 2 July (medicine) and 3 July (dentistry). The exam has two parts: Knowledge of the Sciences (mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology) and Generic Competences. The number of places is limited: after the 2026 exams, 1,881 candidates were ranked favourably for medicine and 280 for dentistry across all Flemish universities.

Bachelor's programmes in English

• Business Administration – 3 years, 180 ECTS, in Brussels
• Business Engineering – 3 years, 180 ECTS, in Brussels, a joint degree with UCLouvain Saint-Louis – Bruxelles
• Engineering Technology – 3 years, 180 ECTS, in Leuven
• Philosophy – 3 years, 180 ECTS, in Leuven
• Theology and Religious Studies – in Leuven
• European Studies – in Leuven and at partner universities

Medicine, law, psychology and engineering science (ingenieurswetenschappen) are taught in Dutch at bachelor's level.

Programmes – bachelor's

Medicine (Geneeskunde)

• Duration: bachelor's 3 years, 180 ECTS; the full medical degree takes six phases (bachelor's plus master's)
• Location: Leuven or Kortrijk
• Start: in September
• Language: Dutch
• Fee: for 2026/27 – 1,181.40 euros a year for 60 credits

Entrance exam: compulsory for everyone. Register from 1 March to 17 May 2027; exam on 2 July 2027. The favourable ranking is valid only if you obtain your secondary school diploma by 30 September of the same year.

Requirements:

• a diploma that gives access to comparable studies in your country
• Dutch at B2 level – candidates ranked favourably in the entrance exam are exempt from an extra language test
• a favourable ranking in the toelatingsexamen arts

Business Engineering

• Duration: 3 years, 180 ECTS
• Location: Brussels, a joint degree with UCLouvain Saint-Louis – Bruxelles
• Start: in September
• Language: English
• Deadline: 1 July for EEA applicants (2026/27)

Requirements:

• a secondary school diploma that gives access in your country to a programme equivalent to Business Engineering
• English: IELTS 6.5 (no sub-score below 6.0), TOEFL iBT 90 (sub-scores of at least 20), or CAE/CPE
• applicants with an EEA diploma do not need a separate mathematics test, but a sound basis in mathematics is expected

Engineering Technology

• Duration: 3 years, 180 ECTS
• Location: Leuven
• Start: in September; a compulsory introductory course begins three weeks before the academic year
• Language: English
• Deadline: 15 June 2027 for EEA applicants (2027/28), applied strictly

Requirements:

• a secondary school diploma that gives access in your country to an equivalent programme
• English: IELTS 6.5 (sub-scores of at least 6), TOEFL iBT 85 (sub-scores of at least 20), or CAE/CPE 176
• mathematics and science: an OMPT-G test result of at least 60%; applicants with an EU diploma may instead take part in the compulsory starting test on campus in Leuven at the beginning of July
• KU Leuven may also invite you to a free online assessment (STIS); if you are invited, taking part is compulsory