Catholic University of Leuven

Established in 1425, the Catholic University of Leuven is a Catholic research university located in the city of Leuven, Belgium. KU Leuven is the oldest university in Belgium as well as in the Low Countries. Also, it is the largest Dutch-language university in the world.

For KU Leuven admissions, international students must meet the English proficiency requirements as well as the entry requirements. Also, the KU Leuven acceptance rate stands at 34%, which indicates that securing admission to this university is challenging. While staying true to its reputation, the institute offers world-class programs to its international students.

Things to Know about KU Leuven

Check out the below videos of the Catholic University of Leuven for more information:

For KU Leuven admissions, students are advised to apply within the application deadlines listed below:

• Bachelor's programs: Varies as per the choice of course
• Doctoral programs: Rolling

Established in 1425, the Catholic University of Leuven is a Catholic research university located in the city of Leuven, Belgium. KU Leuven is the oldest university in Belgium as well as in the Low Countries. Also, it is the largest Dutch-language university in the world.

For KU Leuven admissions, international students must meet the English proficiency requirements as well as the entry requirements. Also, the KU Leuven acceptance rate stands at 34%, which indicates that securing admission to this university is challenging. While staying true to its reputation, the institute offers world-class programs to its international students.

Things to Know about KU Leuven

Check out the below videos of the Catholic University of Leuven for more information:

Catholic University of Leuven offers a variety of generous scholarships for its international students. In order to avail financial aid, students are required to submit a scholarship application within the deadline. Listed below are some of the most popular KU Leuven scholarships for international students:

• Marc Vervenne Fund PhD Scholarship Program;
• Science@Leuven Scholarships;
• Wilfried Martens Scholarships;
• Roger Dillemans Fund;
• Erasmus Mundus Master of Science in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology; and
• PhD Scholarships for Researchers from the South.

With three academic faculties in its ambit, the Catholic University of Leuven offers an extensive portfolio of nearly 100 degree programs on the undergraduate and postgraduate levels of study. As per the historical data of the university's alumni, some popular streams of study at KU Leuven include Law, Economics, Mathematics, Business Administration & Management, Psychology, European Studies/Civilization, and more.

Note: In the above pie chart, Others include International/Global Studies, Criminology, History, Business/Commerce, and Business/Managerial Economics.

KU Leuven Belgium has remarkable alumni network of more than 320000 graduates from all over world which further adds to rising popularity. It has proved helpfulin launching the dreams of so many famous personalities. Some well known names are -

Alumni Name	Profession/Designation	Image
Hosur Narayan Murthy	An Indian Clinical Psychologist, Writer, Philosopher, Sanskrit Scholar and Teacher
Otto von Habsburg	The Last Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary from 1916 until the dissolution of the empire in November 1918
Simon Luc Hildebert Mignolet	A Belgian Professional Footballer
Abdul Qadeer Khan (also known as A. Q. Khan)	A Pakistani Nuclear Physicist and Metallurgical Engineer He is colloquially known as the "father of Pakistan's atomic weapons program"
Selah Sue	A Belgian Musician and Songwriter
Herman Van Rompuy	A Belgian Politician He served as the Prime Minister of Belgium from 2008 to 2009, and then as the First Permanent President of the European Council from 2009 to 2014
Gloria Álvarez Cross	A Guatemalan Radio and Television Presenter, Author, and Libertarian Political Commentator

Catholic University of Leuven placements are one of the major attractions for international students and offer a huge return on investment to graduates of the university. Also, the university has its Careers and Employability Centre that focuses on supporting students throughout their careers by providing advice and opportunities to them. Some of the services offered at the are as follows:

• Explore career options;
• Vacancies for part-time jobs and internships;
• Prepare CV, cover letter, and application forms;
• Prepare for interviews and assessments; and
• Develop a personal statement and elevator pitch.

KU Leuven Alumni Statistics: Sectors Placed

According to the data sourced from the web, the alumni of KU Leuven are currently working with some of the top organizations in the world across multiple industries. Listed below are the details:

• Catholic University of Leuven Belgium alumni members are working at the university campus and in organizations such as Conférence Olivaint Genootschap, European Commission, ING, Solidaris Vlaanderen, Ghent University, etc.
• Graduates are working in industries such as Education, Business Development, Healthcare Services, Operations, Community & Social Services, etc.
• Some of the courses preferred by the alumni are Law, Economics, Mathematics, Business Administration & Management, Psychology, European Studies/Civilization, etc.

A presentation of the sectors where the alumni of the Catholic University of Leuven are currently working is as follows:

Note: In the above pie chart, Others include Arts & Design, Consulting, Administrative, Information Technology, and Human Resources.

Catholic University of Leuven Fees for Indian Students: Studying at the college can be considered affordable for Indian students as the first-year KU Leuven fee for postgraduate courses is approximately EUR 1.1K - 7.7K (INR 1.1 L - 7.5 L).

KU Leuven Cost of Attendance

Based on the candidate's choice of accommodation and lifestyle, the cost of living varies. On average, the monthly Catholic University of Leuven cost of living for international students is around EUR 1,000 - EUR 1,350 (INR 97.1 K - 1.3 L). Note that this amount is inclusive of study materials, housing costs (rent, heating, water, electricity, etc.), food, clothing, laundry, medical & insurance costs, and other expenses (leisure, groceries, transport, etc.).

Listed below is the average monthly cost of living in Belgium for international students:

Conversion Rate: 1 EUR = INR 97.17

For KU Leuven admissions, students are advised to apply within the application deadlines listed below:

• Bachelor's programs: Varies as per the choice of course
• Doctoral programs: Rolling

To get admission to Catholic University of Leuven, Indian students should apply through Official Application Portal. Catholic University of Leuven admission requirements, which comprise previous scores, required GPA, standardised test scores, essays, resumes, SOPs and LORs must be submitted to complete the application process by all Indian applicants. Also, Indian students also have to submit scores of entrance or English language proficiency exams, such as TOEFL, IELTS, GMAT and GRE, must also be submitted by students.

The Catholic University of Leuven is considered to be one of the top universities nationally. According to Shiksha Popularity Ranking, Catholic University of Leuven ranking stands at #1 in 2026 at national level. Also, the university is ranked #43 in the world by Shiksha Popularity Ranking 2026. Moreover, a few of the Catholic University of Leuven courses are also ranked by Shiksha Popularity Ranking as mentioned below-

By Other Ranking Bodies

Apart from Shiksha Popularity ranking, QS has also ranked the university globally. It ranks Catholic University of Leuven at #60 in 2026. Catholic University of Leuven ranking stood at #50 as per US News in 2025 and #46 by THE in 2026, globally.

Located in the heart of the vibrant city of Leuven, Belgium, the Catholic University of Leuven Campus is one of the best campuses around the globe. With seven campuses in its spectrum, the university offers facilities such as clubs & organisations, housing, campus dining, health & wellness, fitness & recreation, civic engagement, arts & culture, athletics & e-sports, and more. KU Leuven is known for offering state-of-the-art facilities and providing its students with an experiential learning environment. Students get to study in a very safe, affordable and welcoming environment.

KU Leuven Campus Location

Catholic University of Leuven operates on seven campuses, namely the Leuven Campus, Ghent Campus, Brussels Campus, Antwerp Campus, Geel Campus, De Nayer Campus and Bruges Campus. Listed below are the details of the address: