VUB Brussels: Tuition, English Programs & How to Apply (2027/28)

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is a public Dutch-speaking university in Brussels that teaches a large set of programs in English, and its published 2027/28 non-EEA fees start at €5,340 per 60 credits. That makes it one of the most affordable Flemish universities for non-EU students, and one of the few with English-taught bachelors.

Here are VUB's fee tracks, the English programs, language scores, deadlines and an honest look at the downsides.

Why VUB is good value

• Fees published early: the 2027/28 non-EEA fee table is already online, so you can budget before applying.
• English-taught bachelors: Business Economics, Social Sciences, and Linguistics and Literary Studies.
• Broad master range: law, business, computer science, biology, physics, chemistry, political science and more.
• Brussels location with links to the European institutions, and a modest €90 application fee.

VUB tuition fees for non-EEA students

In Flanders each institution sets its own non-EEA fees; Study in Flanders gives a general range of €5,300 to €12,000 per year for 2026/27. VUB charges a fixed amount plus a price per credit. For the 2027/28 academic year, VUB's non-EEA fee table shows:

VUB notes that not all 2027/28 amounts are posted yet, and inter-university programs may follow the partner's rules, so confirm your program in the official fee tables. For 2026/27, VUB gave the BSc in Social Sciences as an example at €5,320.

English-taught programs at VUB

The FindUniPath database counts 3 English-taught bachelors and 37 English-taught masters. Some masters are inter-university, and the Bruface engineering masters are applied for through ULB.

• Bachelors: Business Economics; Social Sciences; Linguistics and Literary Studies.
• Business and economics masters: International Business; Management; Business Engineering: Business and Technology.
• Science and computing masters: Applied Computer Science; Computer Science; Applied Informatics; Biology; Molecular Biology; Chemistry; Physics and Astronomy; Biomedical Engineering.
• Social sciences and law masters: Political Science: European and International Governance; Communication Studies; Educational Sciences; Law and Technology.

Admission and language requirements

• Bachelor: secondary-school credentials that give access to a bachelor's in your home country, plus an entrance exam certificate if your country requires one.
• Master: a bachelor's degree, screened program by program; some programs ask for two recommendation letters.
• English: IELTS Academic 6.5 (min 6.0 per part), TOEFL iBT 79 (min 18 per part), Cambridge B2 First 170, ITACE B2, or a degree fully taught in English. Programs may ask for more.
• Documents: passport, photo, diploma with certified translation, transcript, motivation letter and language proof.

After conditional acceptance, VUB verifies your diploma. For more on recognition, see our Belgium admission requirements guide.

Deadlines

For the 2026/27 intake, non-EEA applicants with a foreign diploma had to apply before 1 April 2026 (last day 31 March) at apply.vub.be. Screening can take up to 10 weeks. The 2027/28 deadlines are not published yet. Exceptions in 2026/27 included the Brussels School of Governance (before 1 September) and Urban Studies (7 February for non-EEA).

Scholarships

• Master Mind Scholarship (Flemish government): €10,225 plus a tuition waiver for master's students of all nationalities except Russian, with GPA 3.5/4 and IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL 94. The 2026/27 call is closed and the 2027/28 modalities are under review.
• VUB international scholarships: VUB lists its own programs; you apply after conditional acceptance.
• Erasmus Mundus: EU-funded scholarships for joint masters, open to all nationalities.

Read more in our scholarships in Belgium guide.

Living in Brussels as a VUB student

Study in Flanders estimates student living costs at €800 to €1,000 per month, with rent of €450 to €600, but the first month costs more because of deposits. For the visa you must prove €1,062 net per month for 2026/27; the 2027/28 amount is not published yet. With a residence permit you can work up to 20 hours per week during term. See cost of studying in Belgium.

Is VUB right for you?

VUB is a strong choice if you want to start with a bachelor's taught in English, or if your nationality is not on the French Community exemption list, so French-speaking universities would charge you €5,369 anyway. In that case VUB's €5,340 track costs about the same, and you get the English-taught bachelor option on top.

It is a weaker choice if you come from a country on the ARES list (such as Afghanistan, Pakistan or Nigeria): at UCLouvain, ULB or ULiège you would pay €1,194 for a comparable English-taught master's.

Honest downsides

How to apply to VUB step by step

1. 1

   Choose a program

   Check the program page for specific admission rules or prescreening on another platform.

2. 2

   Take an English test

   Aim for IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 79 unless your degree was fully taught in English.

3. 3

   Apply at apply.vub.be

   Upload your documents before the deadline and pay the €90 fee by card within 30 days.

4. 4

   Receive a conditional acceptance

   Then complete the diploma verification VUB asks for. See our documents guide.

5. 5

   Apply for your student visa

   Prove your means with a blocked account, guarantee or scholarship. Follow the Belgium student visa guide.

6. 6

   Sign your study contract

   In 2026/27 this ran from 1 July to 8 October.

Get reminders when VUB opens its 2027/28 applications: track deadlines for free on FindUniPath. Compare all universities in the Belgium hub.