Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Brussels' Dutch-speaking university, built on free inquiry, with low Flemish fees and a few English-taught bachelor's.
- Students
- 24,695
- Tuition
- €5,340
- From · 2027-28
- Founded
- 1970
- QS World Ranking
- #295
- 2027 edition
About VUB
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel was formally established in 1970, when the Free University of Brussels, founded in 1834, split along language lines into the French-speaking ULB and the Dutch-speaking VUB. It keeps the founding principle of free inquiry, expressed in its motto Scientia vincere tenebras, conquering darkness through science, and still works closely with its sister university ULB.
VUB had 24,695 students in 2025-26, more than 6,000 of them from abroad, representing 151 nationalities. Teaching is organised in faculties ranging from Medicine and Pharmacy and Engineering to Social Sciences and Solvay Business School. The main campus is in Elsene (Ixelles) in south-east Brussels, and the Brussels Health Campus in Jette houses the medical faculty and the university hospital UZ Brussel.
Most bachelor's programmes are taught in Dutch, so international undergraduates either learn Dutch or choose one of the English-taught bachelor's: Business Economics, Social Sciences, and Linguistics and Literary Studies. Fees are low by international standards because they are set within the Flemish system, even for non-EEA students. In 2025 VUB invested 155.1 million euros in research, with 2,650 scientific staff and 2,326 PhD researchers. It suits independent-minded students who want to study in the political centre of Europe at modest cost.
Scientia vincere tenebras
“Conquering darkness through science” — university motto
Why students choose VUB
Low fees: EEA students paid 1,181.40 euros for a 60-credit year in 2026-27, and non-EEA students pay 5,340 to 6,060 euros for a full bachelor's year in 2027-28.
English-taught bachelor's in Business Economics, Social Sciences, and Linguistics and Literary Studies put you in Brussels, home to the main EU institutions.
A strong science tradition: Fields Medallist Jean Bourgain and wavelet pioneer Ingrid Daubechies both earned their doctorates at VUB.
VUB research led to 52 spin-off companies and 228 active patent families, and a 7 Tesla MRI scanner supports its medical imaging research.
Admissions
2027-28 entry (applications open 15 November 2026)
Selectivity
VUB does not publish an admission rate. Bachelor's admission is based on eligibility rather than competition: you need a Belgian secondary diploma or a secondary qualification that gives access to a bachelor's degree in your home country, proof of the language of instruction, and a positive learning account. Medicine and Dentistry are the exception: you must first pass the Flemish government's entrance exam for doctors and dentists, taught and examined in Dutch.
Typical entry requirements
| Belgian secondary diploma | Direct access (ASO, TSO or KSO; BSO holders need a seventh year preparing for higher education) |
|---|---|
| Foreign secondary diplomas (including European or International Baccalaureate) | A qualification that grants access to a bachelor's degree in your home country, verified by VUB; if your country requires a university entrance exam, you must upload that certificate too |
| Dutch-taught programmes | Dutch at B2, for example NT2 Programma II, CNaVT Educatief Startbekwaam or ITNA B2 |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 79 For English-taught programmes (minimum B2): TOEFL iBT 79 with at least 18 per section for tests before 21 January 2026, or 4.5 with at least 4 per section on the new scale; IELTS Academic 6.5 with at least 6.0 per section; Cambridge B2 First with 170; or ITACE B2. Holders of a Belgian secondary diploma, or of a diploma taught entirely in English, are exempt. Faculties may set higher levels. |
Deadlines
- Foreign diploma: non-EEA citizens (including UK) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~6 months31 March 2027 (apply before 1 April)
Based on the 2026 deadline of 31 March; non-EEA citizens living in Belgium with a valid residence permit may use the EEA deadline.
- Foreign diploma: EEA citizens Non-binding In ~10 months31 July 2027 (apply before 1 August)
Based on the 2026 deadline of 31 July; includes Belgian citizens with a foreign diploma and European or International Baccalaureates obtained in Belgium.
- Belgian diploma Non-bindingLate September 2027
The deadline was 23 September for 2026 entry; the study contract must then be signed by early October.
Applications for 2027-28 open on 15 November 2026. VUB's deadlines page still shows the 2026 dates (non-EEA before 1 April, EEA before 1 August, Belgian diploma 23 September); the 2027 dates above assume the same pattern and should be confirmed on the page once published. The Flemish Medicine and Dentistry entrance exam is held once a year in summer; registration for the 2027 exam was not yet open when we checked.
How to apply
Apply online to VUB directly with the required documents before your deadline, even if you have not yet received your diploma; missing documents can be added until the deadline. After your diploma is verified you sign an online study contract, at the latest by 8 October, to complete enrolment. Non-EEA students must register for at least 54 credits to qualify for a residence permit.
What admissions looks for
- A secondary qualification that gives access to a bachelor's programme in the country where you obtained it.
- Proof that you master the language of instruction: Dutch at B2 for Dutch-taught programmes, or English at B2 for English-taught ones.
- For programmes heavy in maths and science, participation in the required positioning test.
- For Medicine and Dentistry, a favourable result in the Flemish entrance exam.
Tips for applying to VUB
- 1 If you do not speak Dutch, focus on the English-taught bachelor's: Business Economics, Social Sciences, and Linguistics and Literary Studies.
- 2 Non-EEA applicants should apply well before 1 April: visa and residence permit steps take time, and you must register for at least 54 credits.
- 3 Submit your application with all documents before the deadline even if your diploma is not yet issued; you can finish enrolment afterwards.
- 4 Considering Medicine? The entrance exam is in Dutch and organised by the Flemish government; VUB supports candidates through its ikworddokter.be initiative.
Costs & financial aid
2027-28 · figures in EUR
EEA students who qualify for a Flemish study allowance pay a reduced tuition fee of 139.40 euros. Non-EEA students who meet certain nationality or residence conditions pay the EEA rate. VUB also runs scholarship programmes, mainly aimed at master's students.
- 139.40 euros per year
- Fee for Flemish study-grant holders (2026-27)
- Up to three months' rent (VUB estimates about 1,000 euros)
- Rent deposit to budget for
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (2026-27 academic year starts 14 September)
Business Economics (BSc)
English-taught at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Solvay Business School; non-EEA fee 6,060 euros for 60 credits in 2027-28.
Social Sciences (BSc)
An English-taught bachelor's in Brussels, close to the EU institutions.
Linguistics and Literary Studies (BA)
English-taught, with a non-EEA fee of 5,340 euros for 60 credits in 2027-28.
Geneeskunde (Medicine, BSc)
Dutch-taught at the Brussels Health Campus next to UZ Brussel; entry via the Flemish entrance exam.
Ingenieurswetenschappen (Engineering, BSc)
Dutch-taught engineering bachelor's; the non-EEA fee is 5,340 euros for 60 credits in 2027-28, and VUB's English-taught engineering master's include programmes run with ULB through Bruface.
Research
- In 2025 VUB invested 155.1 million euros in research and published more than 2,600 scientific papers.
- Between 2021 and 2025 VUB won 194 European research projects worth nearly 120 million euros, including ERC and Marie Sklodowska-Curie grants.
- Research has produced 52 spin-off companies and 228 active patent families, supported by the Research Park in Zellik.
- A 7 Tesla MRI scanner gives VUB and UZ Brussel a research facility for medical imaging.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Languages and Humanities
- Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences
- Faculty of Law and Criminology
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Solvay Business School
- Faculty of Sciences and Bioengineering Sciences
- Multidisciplinary Institute for Teacher Education (MILO)
Student life
VUB's main campus in Elsene is a green, self-contained site with teaching buildings, student residences and sports facilities, a short tram or bus ride from central Brussels. Its 1970s modernist buildings, such as the curved rectorate and Willy Van Der Meeren's former student residences, give it a distinctive look. VUB Sport runs sports halls, fitness, competitions and championships. Student life mixes Flemish student traditions with Brussels' international population. On 3 May VUB and ULB hold Difference Day, a joint event on press freedom and free expression.
- Difference Day on 3 May, organised with sister university ULB for World Press Freedom Day.
- VUB Sport: fitness, sports halls on the Etterbeek and Jette campuses, and inter-university competitions.
- More than 6,000 students from abroad, representing 151 nationalities.
- A campus Living Lab in Willy Van Der Meeren's 1970s student residences.
Housing. VUB estimates rent at 500 to 650 euros a month in Brussels; landlords can ask for a deposit of up to three months' rent, so plan temporary accommodation while you search.
Location
Brussels is Belgium's bilingual capital and the seat of the main EU institutions, so the city is international, multilingual and well connected by train to Paris, Amsterdam and London. VUB's main campus is in the south-east of the city and the Health Campus is in Jette in the north-west. Living costs are moderate for a capital city: VUB suggests about 1,000 euros a month.
Nearest airport: Brussels Airport (BRU)
Notable alumni
- ID Ingrid DaubechiesMathematician and physicist known for wavelets; studied and earned her PhD at VUB
- JB Jean BourgainMathematician, Fields Medal 1994; PhD from VUB
- PM Pattie MaesComputer scientist and professor at the MIT Media Lab; VUB graduate
- PR Peter RousseeuwStatistician known for robust statistics and cluster analysis; PhD from VUB (1981)
- CV Christine Van Den WyngaertFormer judge of the International Criminal Court; VUB law graduate
- AR Axelle RedSinger-songwriter; graduated in law from VUB in 1993
- KM Kieran MooreChief Medical Officer of Health of Ontario; MSc in disaster medicine from VUB
Frequently asked questions
Can I study at VUB in English?
Yes, but at bachelor's level only a few programmes are English-taught: Business Economics, Social Sciences, and Linguistics and Literary Studies. Most bachelor's programmes are in Dutch; many master's programmes are in English.
How much is tuition at VUB for international students?
For 2027-28, non-EEA students pay 5,340 euros for a 60-credit year in most bachelor's and 6,060 euros for Business Economics and Social Sciences. EEA students paid 1,181.40 euros in 2026-27.
What is the VUB application deadline for 2027?
Applications open on 15 November 2026. In the 2026 cycle, non-EEA applicants with a foreign diploma had to apply before 1 April and EEA applicants before 1 August; check VUB's deadlines page for the confirmed 2027 dates.
What IELTS score does VUB require?
IELTS Academic 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each section, or TOEFL iBT 79 with 18 per section (4.5 overall on the new scale), for English-taught programmes.
Is there an entrance exam for Medicine at VUB?
Yes. Medicine and Dentistry require the Flemish government's entrance exam for doctors and dentists, which is in Dutch and held once a year.
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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