In Belgium, which is a federal state, the constitution attributes legislative power over higher education to the Communities.[1] The Dutch-speaking Flemish Community, the French Community and the German Community thus determine which institutes of higher education they organise or recognise, and which diplomas may be legally issued by these institutes. Below is a list of recognised institutes of higher education in Belgium sorted by the responsible Community.[2]
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Six Flemish universities issue academic bachelor, master and doctoral degrees:
As a result of an international treaty between the Netherlands and Flanders, a co-operation between the Universiteit Hasselt (Flanders) and the Universiteit Maastricht (the Netherlands) is recognised as the
According to the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities[3] and the THES - QS World University Rankings,[4] four Flemish universities (Universiteit Antwerpen, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Universiteit Gent and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) are among the top-150 universities in Europe and top-300 universities worldwide.
All recognised Flemish University Colleges are associated with a Flemish University. The following university colleges, which issue professional bachelor, academic bachelor and master degrees, are recognised by the Flemish government:
Antwerp University Association: University Colleges associated with the University of Antwerp
Ghent University Association: University Colleges associated with Ghent University
University Association Brussels: University Colleges associated with Vrije Universiteit Brussel
K.U.Leuven Association: University Colleges associated with Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Limburg University Association: University Colleges associated with Hasselt University
Finally, the Flemish government has recognised a number of "registered" institutes of higher education, which mostly issue specialised degrees or provide education mainly in a foreign language:
The French Community distinguishes between universities, colleges (Hautes Ecoles), arts colleges, and institutes of architecture. A list of all recognised institutes is maintained in the Annuaire de l'enseignement supérieur.[5]
According to the Academic Ranking of World Universities, two of these universities (Université catholique de Louvain and Université Libre de Bruxelles) are among the top-200 universities worldwide.
According to Webometrics Ranking of World Universities,[6] two of these universities (Université Libre de Bruxelles and Université de Liège) are among the top-200 universities in Europe and top-400 universities worldwide.
The academy of the Belgian Army is recognised as equivalent to a university by both the Flemish and the French Community:
According to the THE–QS World University Rankings:
| Institution | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic University of Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) | – | 95 | 96 | 61 | 72 | 92 | – | – |
| Boston University | – | 66 | 66 | 47 | 46 | 54 | 64 | 70 |
| Catholic University of Louvain (Université Catholique de Louvain) | 53 | 88 | 76 | 123 | 116 | 126 | – | – |
| Ghent University (Universiteit Gent) | – | 218 | 141 | 124 | 136 | 136 | – | – |
| Antwerp University (Universiteit Antwerpen) | – | 235 | 252 | 187 | 195 | 177 | – | – |
| Free University of Brussels (Université Libre de Bruxelles) | 54 | 76 | 165 | 154 | 183 | 191 | – | – |
| Free University of Brussels (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) | – | 258 | 133 | 229 | 214 | 227 | 238 | 204 |
| University of Liège (Université de Liège) | – | 296 | 201 | 262 | 271 | 291 | – | – |
According to the Academic Ranking of World Universities:
| Institution | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic University of Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) | 102-151 | 101-152 | 101-152 | 102-150 | 102-150 | 101-151 | 101-150 | |
| Catholic University of Louvain (Université Catholique de Louvain) | 201-250 | 101-152 | 101-152 | 102-150 | 102-150 | 101-151 | 101-150 | |
| University of Ghent (Universiteit Gent) | 99 | 101-152 | 101-152 | 102-150 | 102-150 | 101-151 | 90 | |
| Free University of Brussels (Université Libre de Bruxelles/French) | 201-250 | 101-152 | 101-152 | 102-150 | 102-150 | 101-151 | 101-150 | |
| University of Antwerp (Universiteit Antwerpen) | 251-300 | 202-301 | 203-300 | 201-300 | 203-304 | 201-302 | 201-300 | |
| University of Liège (Université de Liège) | 301-350 | 202-301 | 203-300 | 201-300 | 203-304 | 201-302 | 201-300 | |
| Free University of Brussels (Vrije Universiteit Brussel/Dutch) | 351-400 | 302-403 | 401-500 | 301-400 | 305-402 | 303-401 | 401-500 |
According to the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities:
| Institution | Intern. Rank | Europ. Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic University of Louvain (Université Catholique de Louvain) | 81 | 15 |
| University of Ghent (Universiteit Gent) | 275 | 104 |
| Free University of Brussels (Université Libre de Bruxelles/French) | 296 | 113 |
| University of Liège (Université de Liège) | 367 | 154 |
| Catholic University of Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) | 368 | 155 |
| Free University of Brussels (Vrije Universiteit Brussel/Dutch) | 409 | 175 |
| University of Antwerp (Universiteit Antwerpen) | 600 | 264 |
| University of Hasselt (Universiteit Hasselt) | 1130 | 464 |
| University of Mons-Hainaut (Université de Mons Hainaut) | 1526 | – |
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