Université libre de Bruxelles
Brussels' French-speaking university of free inquiry, with four science Nobel Prizes and very low fees.
- Students
- 37,936
- International
- 31%
- of students
- Tuition
- €1,194
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1834
About ULB
The Université libre de Bruxelles traces its history to 1834, when the Free University of Brussels was founded on the principle of free inquiry: independent reasoning and the rejection of dogma. In 1969-70 the university split along language lines into the French-speaking ULB and the Dutch-speaking VUB, and ULB has kept the original motto, Scientia vincere tenebras. Its main campuses are Solbosch and La Plaine in south-east Brussels and Erasme, home to the medical faculty and teaching hospital.
ULB describes itself as truly multicultural, with a third of its students and researchers coming from abroad. It has 13 faculties and schools, including the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, the Brussels School of Engineering and the Faculty of Architecture La Cambre Horta, offering nearly 40 bachelor's and around 250 graduate programmes, 23 of them master's degrees taught fully in English. Bachelor's teaching is in French, and ULB runs French courses before and during the academic year to help international students.
ULB counts four Nobel Prizes in the sciences, one Fields Medal and three Wolf Prizes among its community, and has won 49 European Research Council grants in recent years. Its Institute for European Studies is a Jean Monnet European Research Centre. ULB suits independent, politically curious students who are comfortable studying in French and want Brussels on their doorstep, at a fraction of the cost of most European capitals.
Scientia vincere tenebras
“Conquering darkness through science” — university motto
Why students choose ULB
Very low fees: EU students pay at most 1,194 euros a year for a bachelor's in 2026-27, and less if their household income is modest.
Science pedigree: Nobel laureates Ilya Prigogine and François Englert studied at the university, as did Fields Medallist Pierre Deligne.
Brussels location close to the EU institutions, with a Jean Monnet European Research Centre in ULB's Institute for European Studies.
Around sixty recognised student societies, from folklore guilds that keep traditions like Saint-Verhaegen day to political and cultural groups.
Admissions
2027-28 entry
Selectivity
ULB does not publish an admission rate. Most bachelor's programmes are open to anyone holding a qualifying secondary diploma (a Belgian CESS, the European or International Baccalaureate, or a foreign diploma recognised as equivalent). Non-EU applicants are assessed by the bachelor's admission board. Medicine and Dentistry require passing the entrance competition organised by ARES, and several programmes (Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Physiotherapy, Speech and Language Therapy) cap places for non-resident students: 15% of eligible candidates for Medicine and Dentistry, 30% by random draw for Physiotherapy and Speech Therapy, 20% for Veterinary.
Typical entry requirements
| Belgian CESS | Direct eligibility for bachelor's programmes (entrance exams still apply for Medicine, Dentistry and Civil Engineering) |
|---|---|
| European or International Baccalaureate | Accepted as giving access to bachelor's programmes |
| Other foreign diplomas | Must be recognised as equivalent by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation's equivalency office; non-EU applicants are also assessed by the bachelor's admission board |
Deadlines
- Non-EU nationals (not resident in the EU) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~6 months31 March 2027 (window 16 February to 31 March)
Based on ULB's published annual window (16 February to 31 March 2026 for the current year). Non-EU nationals residing in an EU member state apply on the European dates.
- Belgian, EU, EU-resident and Swiss students: first-year bachelor's Non-binding In ~12 months30 September 2027 (window opens end of June)
Except non-resident students applying to Physiotherapy, Veterinary Medicine or Speech Therapy, which have specific dates.
- ARES entrance competition for Medicine and Dentistry Non-bindingSummer 2027 (dates not yet published)
The 2026 edition was held on 27 August 2026 with nearly 5,500 candidates. Register on the ARES website.
ULB's submission deadlines page gives the windows as standing rules (non-EU students 16 February to 31 March; EU students end of June to 30 September for first-year bachelor's); the 2027 dates above apply those rules to 2027-28 entry. Check the ARES website for the 2027 Medicine and Dentistry competition dates.
How to apply
Create a MonULB account and submit the online application form with the required documents during your nationality's application window. Non-EU applicants pay a 200 euro administrative fee before their application is examined. For Medicine or Dentistry, also register for the ARES entrance competition and upload the selection certificate to your ULB file. Enrolment is confirmed by paying at least 50 euros before 31 October.
What admissions looks for
- A secondary qualification that gives access to higher education in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, such as the CESS, the European or International Baccalaureate, or a recognised equivalent.
- For non-EU applicants, a file judged admissible by the bachelor's admission board.
- For Medicine and Dentistry, success in the ARES entrance competition; for Civil Engineering, a pass in the Polytech entrance exam.
- The ability to follow teaching in French, since ULB's bachelor's programmes are taught in French.
Tips for applying to ULB
- 1 Non-EU students: the application window is short (16 February to 31 March), so have your documents and equivalence paperwork ready before it opens.
- 2 Get your diploma equivalence from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation started early if you studied outside Belgium and do not hold an IB or European Baccalaureate.
- 3 If your French is not yet fluent, take ULB Langues' summer intensive courses or French entrance test before your first year.
- 4 Apply early for a room: ULB has more than 2,400 rooms or flats in its own and partner residences, and places in university residences are allocated by lottery.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Since the June 2026 reform, EU students' fees depend on household income, falling to zero for grant holders. Non-EU students from countries on the ARES exemption list pay the same 1,194 euros as EU students. ULB provides financial and psychological support services, and non-EU applicants pay a 200 euro administrative fee for the review of their application.
- 200 euros, paid before the application is examined
- Administrative fee for non-EU applicants
- 50 euros before 31 October; balance before 1 February
- Minimum payment to validate enrolment
Academics
Medicine (Bachelor)
Taught at the Erasme campus; entry via the ARES entrance competition, with non-resident places capped at 15%.
Economics and management at the Solvay Brussels School
ULB's school of economics and management, named after the Solvay family who funded new faculties in Brussels.
Civil Engineering (Brussels School of Engineering)
Requires ULB's own mandatory entrance exam; engineering master's can continue in English through Bruface with VUB.
Architecture (Faculty of Architecture La Cambre Horta)
A dedicated architecture faculty, which ULB has expanded by converting an office building.
Political science and European studies
Backed by the Institute for European Studies, a Jean Monnet European Research Centre, in the capital of the EU.
Research
- Four Nobel Prizes in the sciences, one Fields Medal and three Wolf Prizes are linked to ULB.
- ULB has secured 49 European Research Council grants in recent years, in fields from medicine and mathematics to political science and physics.
- François Englert, who shared the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics for the theory of the Higgs mechanism, worked at ULB.
- About 1,600 PhD students are supported through 20 doctoral schools.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Architecture La Cambre Horta
- Faculty of Human Movement Sciences
- Faculty of Law and Criminology
- Faculty of Letters, Translation and Communication
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Psychology, Educational Sciences and Speech and Language Therapy
- Faculty of Sciences
- Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management
- Brussels School of Engineering
- School of Public Health
Student life
ULB student life is known for its folklore. Faculty and regional societies organise baptisms for first-years, who earn the traditional penne cap, student parties known as TDs, singing evenings (cantus) and Saint-Verhaegen day, named after founder Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen. Around sixty student societies are recognised each year, including socio-cultural and political groups on everything from jazz to ecological transition, and new students meet them at the JANE induction day. The Solbosch and La Plaine campuses sit in Ixelles, a lively student district of Brussels.
- Saint-Verhaegen day (Saint-V), named after the university's founder Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen.
- Around sixty recognised student societies, coordinated by the ACE (folklore) and the AIC (socio-cultural and political).
- JANE induction day for new students.
- More than 2,400 rooms and flats in ULB and partner residences.
Housing. ULB's Housing Office offers rooms in its own and partner residences on the Solbosch, La Plaine and Erasme campuses and in the city (more than 2,400 rooms or flats); university residence places are allocated by lottery, and ULB recommends Housing Anywhere and Studapart for private rentals.
Location
Brussels is Belgium's bilingual capital and home to the main EU institutions, making it one of Europe's most international cities. ULB's Solbosch and La Plaine campuses are in Ixelles, in the south-east of the city, surrounded by student housing, cafés and parks, while the Erasme campus and hospital are in Anderlecht in the south-west. Public transport by STIB connects the campuses.
Nearest airport: Brussels Airport (BRU)
Notable alumni
- IP Ilya PrigogineNobel Prize in Chemistry 1977 for work on non-equilibrium thermodynamics; studied and taught at the Free University of Brussels
- FE François EnglertNobel Prize in Physics 2013 for the Higgs mechanism; studied at the Free University of Brussels
- JB Jules BordetNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1919 for work on immunity
- HF Henri La FontaineNobel Peace Prize 1913; studied law at the Free University of Brussels
- PD Pierre DeligneMathematician, Fields Medal 1978; bachelor's at ULB
- CM Charles MichelFormer Prime Minister of Belgium and President of the European Council; ULB graduate
- PO Paul OtletPioneer of information science and co-founder of the Mundaneum
Frequently asked questions
Is ULB taught in English?
Bachelor's programmes at ULB are taught in French. ULB offers 23 master's degrees fully in English, and French courses before and during the academic year for international students.
How much does ULB cost for international students?
In 2026-27, EU students pay up to 1,194 euros depending on household income. Non-EU students pay 1,194 euros if their country is on the ARES exemption list, otherwise 5,369 euros including a 4,175 euro additional fee.
When is the ULB application deadline for non-EU students?
Non-EU students living outside the EU apply between 16 February and 31 March. EU students can apply for a first-year bachelor's from the end of June until 30 September.
Is there an entrance exam for medicine at ULB?
Yes. Medicine and Dentistry require passing the entrance competition organised by ARES for the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, and non-resident students are limited to 15% of places.
How many Nobel Prizes does ULB have?
ULB counts four Nobel Prizes in the sciences, plus one Fields Medal and three Wolf Prizes, among its community.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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