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 strong readability in France thanks to the Bologna framework.

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, and Université Saint-Louis (now integrated into UCLouvain since 2024, but retaining its own campus in 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 benefits from strong readability in France thanks to the Bologna framework.

Flemish Community (Dutch-speaking)

KU Leuven, regularly ranked in the world top 50 (QS, THE), 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:

• Since 2023, it’s officially a competitive entrance concours: the number of places is fixed in advance and candidates are ranked. The concours is organised by ARES in a single annual session, end of August (for the 2026 intake: August 27, 2026, at Brussels Expo; online registration from May 18 to July 5). The former “entrance exam” with two sessions (summer and autumn) no longer exists: miss the single session and you wait a year.
• Among admitted candidates, the share of non-residents (including French students) is capped at 15%. In 2025: 219 non-resident laureates out of 1,462 admitted in medicine. For a French candidate, the real competition happens inside this quota, and it’s considerably tougher than the overall pass rate suggests.
• The concours tests scientific knowledge and reasoning ability. The big difference with PASS/LAS remains true: selection happens 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. Note: a reform voted on June 5, 2026 by the FWB Parliament raises the minerval from the 2026 intake:

€1,194 per year at the full rate for a 2026 or 2027 intake (most French expatriate families fall under the full rate). That’s about 7 times the French rate (€178), but still more than 10 times less than the UK and 40 times less than the USA. Across a 3-year Bachelor’s, total tuition is roughly €3,600, a few months’ 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 → competitive entrance concours, single session, with a 15% non-resident quota among admitted candidates
• 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

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.

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

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, with strong readability across the EU thanks to the Bologna framework, at €835/year in 2025-2026 and €1,194/year full rate from 2026-2027 (reform voted in June 2026).
• It’s the destination for health studies when the French PASS/LAS is an obstacle. But since 2023, medicine goes through a competitive concours with a single session at the end of August, with a 15% non-resident quota among admitted candidates: real selection, to be prepared seriously.
• 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: enrolment
• ULB: international students
• Medicine and dentistry entrance concours (ARES)

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.