Belgium is the perfect study environment for university students struggling with deadlines and the amount of research work to do. The beautiful weather, tourist attractions, and natural landscapes ease away the study-related stress. What’s more, Belgium also offers attractive scholarship offers to international students, giving students the chance to study the growing discipline of computer science.
Computer science is taught in almost every university, yet facilities, philosophical diversity, and industry partnership all make a difference in the quality of education you receive. As an international hub for education, innovation, and societal impact, Belgium delivers some of the world’s most advanced computer science programs.
Below, we organized a list of the best computer science schools in Belgium.
Top Universities for Computer Science in Belgium
1. Catholic University of Leuven
The Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) is a leading institute for higher education in Belgium. It is a consistent placeholder in the top 100 university rankings, and researchers under KU Leuven’s wing successfully file more patents than any other research facility. KU Leuven’s academic reputation holds as it delivers a top-notch computer science program.
KU Leuven’s Department of Computer Science oversees admissions and ongoing education of computer science students. Computer science in KU Leuven is exclusively offered at the graduate level only, where the students can choose to specialize in either artificial intelligence or digital humanities. The department’s dedication towards deep research witness research initiatives where students and faculty collaborate. Core research areas include human-computer interaction, secure software, and artificial intelligence.
2. Ghent University
Ghent University is among the largest universities in Belgium. It was also the first educational institution to adopt Dutch as the main language of instruction. Ghent, internationally recognized for its academic reputation and an esteemed research funding beneficiary of the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO), also offers an excellent program for computer science.
Ghent Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, and Mathematics is an outstanding computer science school in Belgium and handles the formal training and education of computer science students. Both undergraduate and graduate programs for computer science require proficiency in Dutch, as the classes are only taught in Dutch. If you are up for learning computing theory and database management while polishing your language skills. Ghent University is your best bet.
3. Université Catholique of Louvain
The Université Catholique of Louvain (UCLouvain) is Belgium’s largest university with French as the main language of instruction. UCLouvain is a center of excellence for a broad range of academic disciplines, including computer science.
Among the best computer science schools in Belgium, Louvain School of Engineering organizes computer science course offerings for undergraduate and graduate students. Fortunately, English is the language of instruction. UCLouvain students train to sharpen their analytical thinking skills in preparation for job offers in data analytics, database management, and information systems. The school also presents students the option to continue immediately with their Master’s studies right after completing their undergraduate degree.
4. Universite libre de Bruxelles
The Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) is the French-speaking half of the once Free University of Brussels. ULB welcomes international students with open arms, giving them the privilege to study a globally competent computer science program in a prized foreign university.
The ULB Faculty of Sciences is one of the top computer science institutes in Belgium and supervises the computer science curriculum. Like most Flemish universities, undergraduate universities are taught in either French or Dutch. Undergraduate students can take this opportunity to study the foundations of computer science while getting to know and understand a foreign language. The Master’s program entices students from overseas with English-taught classes. Graduate students can opt to focus among specialized modules for software, algorithms, or optimization after completion of the mandatory computer science modules.
5. Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is ULB’s Dutch-speaking half. A university highly dedicated to publishing impactful research, it regularly ranks among the world’s top universities. It also offers a credible computer science program.
It is typical of Flemish universities to offer undergraduate degrees in either French or Dutch; VUB in this case offers Bachelor’s, programs in Dutch. Graduate programs are taught in English, where international students can easily assimilate regardless of their origin. The Master’s Program in Computer Science equips students with higher-level of computer science fundamentals in theory and application. Specializations are what sets graduate degrees apart from undergraduate programs. VUB offers computer science students the choice to specialize in either artificial intelligence, multimedia, software languages, and engineering, or data management. Students have free reign in the university’s laboratories specifically for AI, software languages, and information systems.
6. University of Antwerp
The University of Antwerp is one of the best computer science schools in Belgium, being internationally renowned for its rigorous academic programs and competitive entrepreneurial spirit. UAntwerpen is Flanders’ third-largest university, with a cutting-edge computer science program to offer Flemish and international students.
Dutch-only undergraduate programs do not stop UAntwerpen from attracting a foreign audience. The Department of Computer Science also facilitates three English-taught graduate programs. International students have the opportunity to advance their studies at lower costs but with greater educational quality with the department. After completing the mandatory advanced computer science concepts, students can specialize in any of the following: computer networks, software engineering, and data science, and artificial intelligence.
7. University of Mons
The University of Mons provides tertiary education through cooperative efforts with the Université Libre de Bruxelles. UMONS also offers an internationally acclaimed computer science program.
The UMONS Computer Science Department caters to enriching graduate students’ scientific knowledge and practical skills in computer science. The graduate program offers a professional track preparing students in this top computer science school to join the workforce, and research tracks focusing on doctoral degree opportunities. The department offers a range of topics in which students can choose to specialize, such as software development and optimization.
We hope this article on Belgium’s best computer schools was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Computer Science Programs for International Students!
