Studying in Belgium: a complete guide for francophone families

Belgium is the most discreet and most strategic destination in European higher education for a francophone family. No flashy university marketing, no headline rankings, but a reality many families discover too late: a high-quality university system, in French, at European fees, 1h30 from Paris by high-speed train, with no visa, no IELTS, and no equivalence to apply for.

And above all, an advantage almost no other destination offers: access to medical, dental, veterinary, and physiotherapy studies without the ruthless filter of the French PASS/LAS system.

1. The system in brief

Belgium has three linguistic communities, and therefore three higher-education systems:

Wallonia-Brussels Federation (francophone)

This is the system that interests 95% of French families. It includes:

• 6 universities: UCLouvain (Louvain-la-Neuve), ULB (Brussels), ULiège, UNamur, UMons, Université Saint-Louis Brussels
• ~20 hautes écoles: non-university higher education institutions, oriented towards specific professions (paramedical, arts, pedagogy, technical)
• Arts schools (La Cambre, ENSAV, conservatories)

All courses are in French. Fees are regulated. The degree is recognised in France.

Flemish Community (Dutch-speaking)

KU Leuven (world top 50), Universiteit Gent, VUB, Universiteit Antwerpen. Courses mainly in Dutch, with some English-taught Master’s. Less relevant for francophone families unless the child is bilingual FR/NL or targets a specific English programme.

German-speaking Community

Very small, near-inexistent for higher education. Can be ignored for this guide.

2. Why Belgium attracts so many French students

a. Health studies: the alternative to PASS/LAS

This is the topic. In France, access to medical, dental, pharmacy, and midwifery studies goes through PASS or LAS, with a first-year pass rate of 15-30%. Many French families experience this selection as an unfair guillotine.

In francophone Belgium, access to medical and dental studies works differently:

• An entrance exam (not a competitive exam): the EXMD (Entrance Examination for Medicine and Dentistry), held twice a year (summer and autumn). The exam tests scientific knowledge and reasoning ability, not the ability to survive a year of intense competition.
• There’s no strict numerus clausus as in France, and the number of places is larger.
• The exam pass rate is about 20-30%, comparable to the French PASS, but the difference is that the exam takes place before starting studies, not after a lost year.

For veterinary and physiotherapy studies, it’s even more favourable: access is by lottery among non-resident candidates (students who haven’t lived in Belgium for at least 15 months). The lottery may seem random, but it offers a real chance to students who would have no chance in the French system.

b. European fees

In the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, registration fees are regulated by decree:

Status	Annual fees
EU student (scholarship holder)	€0
EU student (non-scholarship)	€835
Non-EU student	~€4,000 to €6,000

€835 per year. That’s 5 times the French rate (€178), but 30 times less than the UK and 60 times less than the USA. Across a 3-year Bachelor’s, total tuition is €2,500, less than a single month’s rent in Paris.

c. Cultural and linguistic proximity

For a French family, francophone Belgium is the easiest foreign country to integrate into:

• Same language, same university culture (inherited from the Napoleonic model)
• 1h20 from Paris by Thalys/Eurostar (Brussels), 2h from Lille (Louvain-la-Neuve)
• No culture shock, no language barrier, no visa
• Possibility of coming home every weekend if needed

d. Academic quality is real

UCLouvain and ULB are regularly ranked in the world top 200 (QS, Times Higher Education). KU Leuven (Flemish side) is in the top 50. These aren’t second-tier universities: it’s solid, Europe-recognised education.

3. The lottery trap (must understand)

The Belgian system has implemented a non-resident quota for certain fields heavily demanded by foreign students (mainly French). These fields are called « contingented »:

• Medicine and dentistry → entrance exam (no lottery)
• Physiotherapy → lottery among non-residents
• Veterinary → lottery among non-residents
• Speech therapy → lottery
• Audiology → lottery

The lottery works as follows: non-residents submit their application, and a random draw determines who gets the reserved places (~30% of total places are open to non-residents). The selection rate varies year to year: in veterinary science, roughly 15-20% of non-resident applicants are drawn positively.

Practical consequence: if your child targets physiotherapy or veterinary in Belgium, you need a plan B. The lottery is by definition uncertain. Applying only to Belgium without a Parcoursup backup is risky.

4. Flagship universities

University	City	Known for
UCLouvain	Louvain-la-Neuve	Sciences, engineering, medicine, law. Dedicated student campus (university town).
ULB (Université Libre de Bruxelles)	Brussels	Political science, international relations, philosophy, sciences. Very cosmopolitan.
ULiège	Liège	Sciences, veterinary medicine, engineering, HEC Liège (management).
UNamur	Namur	Sciences, computer science, environment. More intimate atmosphere.
UMons	Mons	Sciences, engineering, translation. Small size, personalised supervision.
KU Leuven (Flemish)	Leuven	World top 50. Sciences, engineering, economics. English programmes available.

Special case — Louvain-la-Neuve: it’s a town entirely designed for students. No classical city centre: everything is pedestrian, everything is calibrated for student life. Probably the most pleasant setting for an 18-year-old living their first year away from home.

5. Cost of living

Belgium is slightly cheaper than France for student life, especially outside Brussels.

Item	Brussels	Louvain-la-Neuve / Liège / Namur
Housing (student kot)	€450-700	€350-500
Food	€200-300	€180-250
Transport	€50 (STIB pass)	€30-50
Leisure	€100-150	€80-120
TOTAL monthly	€800-1,200	€640-920
TOTAL yearly (10 months)	€8,000-12,000	€6,400-9,200

The « kot » (student room) is the Belgian equivalent of a student residence. Kots are often cheaper and easier to find than student housing in Paris, especially outside Brussels.

6. Who is Belgium right for?

In our experience, it’s the right choice for families whose child:

• Wants to study medicine, dental, veterinary, or physiotherapy and wants an alternative to the PASS/LAS filter
• Prefers staying in a francophone environment while having an « abroad » experience
• Has a limited budget — it’s the cheapest international destination after France itself
• Wants a solid university framework without the crushing size of Sorbonne or Saclay
• Lives close geographically (northern France, Île-de-France) and wants easy return trips

Conversely, it’s not the right destination for:

• A student wanting English immersion (except Flemish or international programmes)
• A student wanting the prestige signal of an Anglo-Saxon diploma
• A student wanting an ultra-international environment (the Netherlands are more diversified)

7. Standard timeline for a September 2027 intake

Period	Step
January-March 2026	Identify target universities + understand contingented fields
March-April 2026	Register for lottery (physio, vet, speech therapy) if applicable
April-June 2026	Prepare for the medical entrance exam (if applicable)
July-August 2026	EXMD exam (medicine/dentistry) — summer session
August-September 2026	Lottery / EXMD results
September 2026	Direct administrative registration at the university
September 2027	Start of term

Note: for non-contingented fields (law, sciences, humanities, economics, civil engineering), registration is direct, with no exam or lottery. Just register at the university before the deadline (usually end of September, sometimes end of August for non-residents).

Key takeaways

• Francophone Belgium offers quality education, in French, at €835/year, recognised across the EU.
• It’s the destination for health studies (medicine via entrance exam, veterinary and physio via lottery) when the French PASS/LAS is an obstacle.
• The lottery for veterinary and physio is real — always have a plan B.
• UCLouvain and ULB are in the world top 200 — confirmed academic quality.
• Cost of living is lower than France (especially outside Brussels).
• Proximity (1h20 from Paris by Thalys) makes round trips easy — it’s « the closest abroad ».

Going further

• Wallonia-Brussels Federation — higher education
• UCLouvain — admissions
• ULB — international students
• Medical and dental entrance exam

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Fact sheet written by Constantin Mardoukhaev, co-founder of Axiom Academic. Constantin supports francophone families with their international study projects, with particular expertise on alternatives to contingented fields in France.