Contents
Hasselt University admission at a glance
If your diploma is not Flemish, you ask Hasselt University for admission by submitting an online admission dossier, with a deadline of 1 May if you need a visa and 15 August strongly advised for everyone else. Hasselt University prints both dates without an academic year, and its English admission page says the requirements for 2027-2028 are not yet available.
Hasselt University judges a foreign diploma by one principle: the diploma must give you access to (similar) university studies in the country where it was issued. This is the real bar for holders of a diploma obtained abroad.
Students with an international diploma who choose a Dutch-taught programme must prove sufficient knowledge of Dutch. Hasselt University's English-taught programmes follow separate admission requirements, covered in the English-taught chapter.
Rules that catch applicants out
- The Dutch language requirement applies as soon as you pick a Dutch-taught programme, whatever country your diploma comes from.
- For Medicine (geneeskunde) you must first pass the toelatingsexamen arts, the admission exam for doctors.
- Biomedical sciences, industrial sciences, biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics require a compulsory starttoets (verplichte ijkingstoets, a compulsory orientation test). Computer science and rehabilitation sciences and physiotherapy join that list from academic year 2027-2028.
Which academic year do the rules name?
Hasselt University's Dutch admission page names the academic year 2027-2028 only for the two new starttoets programmes. The admission requirements for the 2027-2028 academic year are not yet available on the English application page for international students. The fee amount above comes from the page for the academic year 2026-2027, the latest published; 2027-2028 is not yet published there.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Route | An admission dossier (toelatingsdossier) for anyone without a Flemish diploma or study certificate |
| Deadline | 1 May with a visa, 15 August for all other candidates |
| Language | Sufficient Dutch for any Dutch-taught programme |
| The bar | A diploma that gives access to (similar) university studies in the country that issued it |
| Cost for an EEA student, 2026-2027 | 1181,40 euro in total for a full study year of credits |
Hasselt University rankings and reputation
Hasselt University reports on its own facts-and-figures page that it sits in the 351-375 section of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2026-2027), out of 2,297 institutions. Every ranking below is a claim by the university: confirm each one on the ranking publisher's own site.
| Ranking | What Hasselt University says | Edition named |
|---|---|---|
| Times Higher Education World University Rankings | Section 351-375 out of 2,297 institutions from 118 countries | 2026-2027 |
| QS World University Rankings | 639th out of 1,504 listed institutions | Not named |
| Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai) | Section 701-800 | 2024 |
| U-Multirank (European Commission) | Among the best 10 higher education institutions | Not named |
Hasselt University describes itself in these words: young, but its education and research are well-regarded worldwide. Read the table as the university's own account of its standing. Two of the four entries do not say which edition they refer to, so compare them only with the matching edition on the ranking publisher's site.
Students, staff and programmes
Hasselt University reports 8,410 students enrolled in academic year 2026-2027, as counted from 1 October 2026, and 800 PhD students enrolled in the same year. It lists 1,871 staff members in academic, administrative and technical roles, of whom 14.5% come from abroad. The page gives no number or share of international students.
The same page counts 18 Bachelor programmes and 36 Master programmes, including 6 English-taught programmes. For an applicant from abroad this is the useful split: the bachelors are the Dutch-taught part of the offer, covered in the Dutch language chapter.
Campuses
Hasselt University teaches on 2 campuses: Campus Diepenbeek and Campus Hasselt. Hasselt University does not state its founding year on the facts-and-figures page.
Is Hasselt University hard to get into? Open admission, exams and learning credit
Hasselt University does not publish applications, admits or an admit rate for its bachelors; what it publishes is the entry route for each programme. For a bachelor you need a secondary education diploma (a vocational bso certificate is not enough), Medicine adds a ranked admission exam, and the compulsory starttoets that some bachelors carry is not an admission exam.
| Route | What Hasselt University requires |
|---|---|
| Bachelor with a qualifying diploma | A secondary education diploma from the list on the admission page |
| Medicine (geneeskunde) | Pass the admission exam and be favourably ranked before you start |
| Bachelors with a starttoets | Sit the starttoets; the result is non-binding and is not an admission exam |
| Diploma conditions not met | An admission investigation (toelatingsonderzoek) if you are 21 years old on 31 December of the academic year of enrolment |
Admit rate
Hasselt University does not state how many people apply to its bachelors, how many are admitted or what share that is. The requirements on its admission pages are the only guide to how selective a route is.
Medicine and the non-binding starttoets
For Medicine you must first pass and be favourably ranked in the toelatingsexamen arts, the admission exam for doctors. This sentence appears on the page for applicants without a Flemish diploma; the exam itself is covered in the admission exam chapter.
Some bachelors require a starttoets (verplichte ijkingstoets, a compulsory orientation test). Hasselt University says the result arrives by email and is non-binding: whatever your score, you will be able to enrol, and it is not an admission exam. After the test, you can enrol and everyone can start the programme. That sentence belongs to the starttoets programmes, not to every bachelor.
Learning credit (leerkrediet)
Hasselt University explains learning credit as follows: at the start of your programme you begin with a balance of credits, and that balance is the learning credit you use to enrol in an initial programme at a university college or a university under a diploma or credit contract.
Admission without the diploma conditions (afwijkende toelating)
If you do not meet the diploma conditions, you can still be admitted through an admission investigation, but only if you reach or will reach the age of 21 on 31 December of the academic year in which you want to enrol. The Associatie Universiteit-Hogescholen Limburg (AUHL) provides a Procedure Afwijkende Toelating (pAT), the procedure for deviating admission, for these candidates.
Hasselt University admission tests: the Medicine and Dentistry exam and the starttoets
Hasselt University uses two tests: the toelatingsexamen arts for Medicine, which you must pass first and which the Department of Education of the Flemish Community organises every year, and the starttoets (verplichte ijkingstoets), a compulsory but non-binding orientation test for science and engineering bachelors. In 2027 the starttoets is held on 1 July 2027 and 21 August 2027.
The Medicine and Dentistry admission exam
For Medicine, the Flemish exam is a gate before enrolment. On the page for applicants without a Flemish diploma, Hasselt University says you must pass and be favourably ranked in the toelatingsexamen arts. The exam has two parts: a science part (Kennis en Inzicht in de Wetenschappen, KIW) on biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics, and a generic-competences part (Generieke competenties, GC) on skills that matter for a future doctor.
Hasselt University's page prints the 2026 sitting: 2 July 2026, with registration from 2 March until 18 May 2026 at toelatingsexamensvlaanderen.be. All of these dates are past. The 2027 sitting is covered in the Medicine chapter. Hasselt University also says: to prepare you for the exam, we offer coaching.
The starttoets (verplichte ijkingstoets)
The starttoets is compulsory if you plan to enrol in the bachelor of biomedical sciences, industrial engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science or rehabilitation sciences and physiotherapy. The page marks computer science and rehabilitation sciences and physiotherapy on that list from academic year 2027-2028, which covers September 2027 entry. On the page for applicants without a Flemish diploma, everyone who wants to start biomedical sciences, industrial engineering, physics or mathematics must take the test.
Taking part is free, but you must register at starttoets-ijkingstoets.be, and the page says the registration period closes two weeks before each date. The 2027 list prints 15 June 2027 and 15 August 2027 as the registration deadlines, so plan around the printed dates. After the test you receive a participation certificate, which you need to enrol and which stays valid for five years.
The result reaches you by email and is non-binding: whatever your score, you can enrol, and it is not an admission exam. If you do not pass, you must follow compulsory remediation when you enrol.
If you miss the starttoets
If you cannot take part, the exceptions committee decides. With the required evidence, it grants an exemption from taking part in listed cases, among them taking part in the admission exam for doctors, dentists or veterinarians.
SAT, ACT, interview and motivation letter
Hasselt University does not publish an SAT, ACT, interview or motivation-letter requirement for its bachelors. Medicine uses the Flemish admission exam, and the starttoets does not decide admission.
Hasselt University admissions step by step: the admission dossier and deadlines for 2027
If you hold a non-Flemish diploma, you apply to Hasselt University in seven steps, and the deadline is 1 May if you must apply for a visa and 15 August, strongly advised, for every other candidate. The page prints both dates without naming an academic year, so treat them as standing dates and confirm them on the page when you apply for September 2027.
The admission dossier
If you do not hold a Flemish diploma or study certificate, you ask for admission by submitting an admission dossier (toelatingsdossier). The application has two parts: you complete the online dossier, and you hand in the requested documents in person after an appointment via toelatingbama@uhasselt.be, or send them by post.
You do not have to wait for your results. You can already start an admission dossier if you still have to earn your diploma or take the language test, the entrance exam or a starttoets. Hasselt University warns that it cannot guarantee that dossiers submitted after 15 August are processed before the academic year starts.
Legalisation of your diploma
Legalisation is done by the Belgian embassy in the country where the diploma was issued. There are two shortcuts. If the issuing country signed the 1961 Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, the Apostille is enough. And a certified copy is enough for diplomas from Denmark, Germany, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, which are exempt from legalisation.
Processing and final enrolment
The online dossier shows where you stand: additional information is requested when the dossier is incomplete, the status is under consideration while the decision is made on the complete dossier, and a positive or negative decision is sent through the online dossier and by email.
Students must enrol definitively before the academic year starts, and definitive enrolment is possible only once you have been officially admitted through your online dossier and by email. International students have a further duty: international students must enrol on campus.
Application fee and start of the year
The English application page for international students, which covers the English-taught master's programmes, says applying at Hasselt University is free of charge and you do not pay an application fee. The Dutch bachelor page names no application fee. For the English-taught master's, applications for 2027-2028 open on November 15; that date is not a bachelor deadline.
The new academic year always starts on the third Monday of September; for academic year 2025-2026 the page gives Monday 15 September. All first-year students must attend the introduction day, which the faculties or programmes organise just before the year starts.
Hasselt University Dutch language requirement for bachelors
Students with an international diploma who choose a Dutch-taught programme must show that they have sufficient knowledge of Dutch, and Hasselt University tests it through the AUHL language test or accepts a listed certificate instead. The test costs 105 euro for level B2 and 125 euro for level C1 on the admission requirements page, and it is held twice a year.
The rule reaches further than "international" suggests: it also applies to students with a diploma from Wallonia or the German-speaking Community. Underneath it sits the general rule that only students with sufficient knowledge of Dutch are admitted to a first enrolment in a programme taught in Dutch. The university itself, or an institution or organisation it recognises, tests that knowledge.
Hasselt University's requirements page does not print one named minimum level for bachelors. It prints the AUHL test at B2 and at C1, and it lists the ITNA certificate at B2 as an exemption (ITNA, level B2).
The AUHL language test
The Dutch language test is organised by the Associatie Universiteit-Hogescholen Limburg (AUHL) twice a year; participation costs 105 euro for level B2 and 125 euro for level C1. You can take the test only once in the period May to September. Hasselt University's page for applicants without a Flemish diploma prints a different amount for the same test: 75 euro. The two pages disagree, so check the fee on the test registration page before you pay.
To prepare, Hasselt University points to a course: you can follow a preparatory series of lessons at PCVO Moderne Talen to get ready for the Dutch language test.
Hasselt University does not offer a preparatory year to learn Dutch. Other universities in Flanders do offer this preparatory programme. Plan the language step before you submit the admission dossier.
Who does not need to prove Dutch
| You have | What the page says |
|---|---|
| Dutch-language secondary school | At least one year of Dutch-language secondary education completed successfully |
| Dutch-taught higher education | Passed a programme or course units worth at least 60 credits taught in Dutch in higher education |
| Medicine or Dentistry exam | Passed the admission exam for doctors or dentists organised by the Flemish government |
| Dutch state exam | Passed the Dutch state exam NT2 programme II, organised by the Nederlands College voor Toetsen en Examens |
| CNaVT certificate | CNaVT, Educatief Startbekwaam (STRT), issued by the Taalunie; the earlier profile PTHO counts until 2014 |
| ITNA certificate | Interuniversitaire Taaltest Nederlands voor Anderstaligen, ITNA at level B2 |
Where Dutch at C1 applies
The page names level C1 for one group, and it is not a bachelor group: students who enrol under a diploma contract in an educational master must have knowledge of Dutch at level ERK-C1 before the programme starts. Exchange students have a separate rule: at least level B1 of the Common European Framework in the language of instruction.
English at Hasselt University: which programmes are taught in English
Hasselt University's English-taught programmes are master's programmes: its English application page opens with a list of its English Master's programmes, and the bachelors in its programme finder are Dutch-taught. Across the university the facts-and-figures page counts 6 English-taught programmes among its master's offer.
If you want a bachelor, plan for Dutch: Hasselt University's English application page answers the question directly, all Bachelor programmes are taught in Dutch. The programme finder describes the Bachelor of Architecture as an academic bachelor's programme on Campus Diepenbeek, 180 credits, taught in Dutch, and the Bachelor of Business Engineering and the Bachelor of Computer Science carry the same description: 180 credits, Dutch and 180 credits, Dutch. The Dutch requirement itself is covered in the Dutch language chapter.
English proof for the English-taught master's
If you want to enrol in an English-taught master's programme, you must show sufficient knowledge of English, both written and oral. The minimum depends on the programme. The English application page currently prints these two examples.
| Programme | Accepted proof and minimum |
|---|---|
| Master of Interior Architecture | TOEFL iBT minimum 89, or IELTS Academic minimum overall band 6.5, or Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) or C2 Proficiency (CPE) |
| Master of Transportation Sciences | TOEFL iBT 79, or IELTS Academic overall band 6.5, or DuoLingo English Test 120 |
On the same page, the admission requirements for the 2027-2028 academic year are not yet available, so read the minima above as the current statement, not as the 2027-2028 rule. The Interior Architecture entry also lists who is exempt: holders of a Belgian, Dutch, Luxembourg or German higher education degree, native speakers, and holders of a degree fully taught in English, with a medium of instruction attestation.
Exchange students
Exchange students follow a different rule. They must reach at least level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in the language in which the course unit is taught, or in which they do an internship or research.
Entry requirements at Hasselt University: which diplomas give access to a bachelor
To enrol in a bachelor at Hasselt University you need a secondary education diploma; a bso certificate (vocational secondary education) is not enough, or a qualification that law, a European directive or an international agreement recognises as equivalent. The documents you hand in depend on the diploma you hold, and Hasselt University prints no grade or subject threshold per diploma.
A qualification recognised as equivalent by a legal norm, a European directive or an international agreement also gives access. If you hold neither a Flemish diploma nor a Flemish study certificate, you must first submit an admission application, and the next section explains how Hasselt University judges your diploma.
How Hasselt University judges a foreign diploma
Hasselt University assesses the level of a diploma on the principle that it gives the student access to (similar) university studies in the country where the diploma was issued. Some programmes add extra admission conditions, for example the admission exam for Medicine and the start and calibration tests.
| If you hold | What Hasselt University says |
|---|---|
| Dutch VWO diploma and a Dutch-language propedeuse | Students from the Netherlands can enrol directly in a bachelor |
| Dutch HAVO or MBO diploma | You cannot be admitted to any of the bachelors |
| Secondary diploma of the French or German-speaking Community, or the International Baccalaureate from Geneva | A separate procedure for a Dutch-taught bachelor: online registration and a legal copy of the diploma on paper |
| European Baccalaureate from a European school | Online registration, a legal copy of the diploma on paper and proof of sufficient Dutch |
| Any other qualification from outside the Flemish Community | A separate procedure, except for the Dutch VWO and propedeuse |
Documents by diploma
For the French or German-speaking Community diplomas, the International Baccalaureate and the European Baccalaureate, you hand in a legal copy of the diploma on paper, proof of sufficient Dutch, extra certificates (participation in the starttoets or a favourable ranking for the dentistry exam) and an identity card or residence permit.
For any other foreign diploma, the list is a legalised copy of the diploma on paper, a sworn translation into Dutch, French, English or German, proof of sufficient Dutch, the extra certificates and an identity card or residence permit. Legalisation and the Apostille are explained in the how-to-apply chapter.
If you do not meet the diploma conditions
If you do not meet the diploma conditions but are 21 years old on 31 December of the academic year in which you want to enrol, you can be admitted on the basis of an admission investigation (toelatingsonderzoek).
Grades and subjects
Hasselt University does not publish a minimum grade or a required school subject for any diploma. The only extra bars are the Medicine exam and the starttoets named above.
Applying to Hasselt University from your country
Hasselt University sorts bachelor applicants by diploma and by whether they need a visa, not by country, with a few country rules: Dutch students with a VWO diploma and a Dutch-language propedeuse can enrol directly in a bachelor, and a list of countries is exempt from legalisation. The deadline of 1 May is tied to needing a visa, not to a country or to EEA status.
| Country or diploma | What applies |
|---|---|
| Netherlands, VWO and Dutch-language propedeuse | Direct enrolment in a bachelor, by online pre-enrolment, bringing the original diploma at enrolment |
| Netherlands, HAVO or MBO | No admission to any of the bachelors |
| Wallonia or the German-speaking Community | The Dutch language rule applies to you as well |
| United Kingdom | Admitted with a GCE diploma with 3 A-levels passed; you always submit an admission application |
| United States | A high school diploma with a transcript of records that lists at least 4 AP exams passed; you always submit an admission application |
| Denmark, Germany, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands | Exempt from legalisation; a certified copy of the diploma is enough |
| A country that signed the 1961 Convention | The Apostille is enough |
| Any other country | The Belgian embassy in the country that issued the diploma legalises it |
Applicants from the Netherlands
Students from the Netherlands can enrol directly in a bachelor at Hasselt University with a VWO diploma and a Dutch-language propedeuse. The page for non-Flemish diplomas adds the practical step: students with a Dutch VWO diploma or a Dutch-language propedeuse pre-enrol online directly and bring their original diploma when they enrol. With a HAVO or MBO diploma, you cannot be admitted to any of the bachelors.
Applicants from Wallonia or the German-speaking Community
A Belgian diploma from another community does not skip the language step. The Dutch rule also applies to students with a diploma from Wallonia or the German-speaking Community, so these applicants prove sufficient Dutch for a Dutch-taught programme, as set out in the Dutch language chapter.
Applicants from the United Kingdom and the United States
Hasselt University's page for non-Flemish diplomas names two English-speaking systems. Students with a UK diploma always submit an admission application, and they can be admitted with a GCE diploma with 3 A-levels passed. Students with a US diploma also always submit an admission application, and Hasselt University asks for a high school diploma with a transcript of records that lists at least 4 AP exams passed. For a Dutch-taught bachelor, the Dutch language step in the Dutch language chapter still applies.
Legalisation, certified copy and Apostille
Denmark, Germany, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg and the Netherlands are exempt from legalisation, and a certified copy is enough. For other countries the first question is the treaty: if the issuing country signed the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (1961), the Apostille is enough. In all remaining cases, the Belgian embassy in the country where the diploma was issued does the legalisation.
EEA and non-EEA applicants
On the bachelor page, the deadline depends on the visa: 1 May if you must apply for a visa. For the English-taught master's, Hasselt University says: if you are an international student already residing in the EEA, including Belgium, you can follow the EEA application deadlines.
On fees, the page for the academic year 2026-2027, the latest published, prints an EEA rate: a fixed part of 305,40 euro plus 14,60 euro per credit, 1181,40 euro in total for 60 credits. The tuition chapter sets this against the non-EEA categories.
What to study at Hasselt University: the bachelor programmes
Hasselt University's programme finder lists 18 bachelor programmes, and every one of them is an academic bachelor of 180 credits taught in Dutch. Laws, Social Sciences and Transportation Sciences are taught on Campus Hasselt and the rest on Campus Diepenbeek; the English-taught programmes in the finder are master's programmes.
Plan your language first, then your subject: the Dutch language requirement comes before any programme choice. Hasselt University also offers a filter in its Dutch finder for English-only programmes.
All bachelor programmes, campus and credits
| Programme | Campus | Credits and language |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Diepenbeek | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Biology | Diepenbeek | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Biomedical Sciences | Diepenbeek | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Business Administration | Diepenbeek | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Business and Information Systems Engineering | Diepenbeek | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Business Economics | Diepenbeek | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Business Engineering | Diepenbeek | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Chemistry | Diepenbeek | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Computer Science | Diepenbeek | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Engineering Technology | Diepenbeek | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Interior Architecture | Diepenbeek | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Laws | Hasselt | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Mathematics | Diepenbeek | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Medicine | Diepenbeek | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Physics | Diepenbeek | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy | Diepenbeek | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Social Sciences | Hasselt | 180 credits, Dutch |
| Transportation Sciences | Hasselt | 180 credits, Dutch |
The Bachelor of Engineering Technology has specialisations: Chemical, Civil, Electromechanical, Electronics and ICT, Nuclear and Software Systems Engineering Technology. Several programmes carry an extra entry step: Medicine needs the Flemish admission exam, and biomedical sciences, engineering, the sciences, computer science and rehabilitation sciences use the starttoets. Both are covered in the admission tests chapter.
Programmes run with Maastricht University
For a few programmes Hasselt University works with Maastricht University: Rechten (Law), Informatica (Computer Science), Biomedische wetenschappen (Biomedical Sciences), Statistics and the Educatieve Master in Gezondheidswetenschappen (educational master in health sciences). The fee page for the academic year 2026-2027 lists them under the label tUL programmes.
Master's programmes after the bachelor
The finder lists 36 master's programmes. The English-taught ones are among them, for example the Master of Science in Global Health, an advanced master's programme of 120 credits taught in English. Two further facts shape the path from bachelor to master.
- After a science bachelor at Hasselt University you can move directly into the master's programmes at TU/e, under a cooperation agreement between the two universities.
- Other master's programmes require you to pass a preparatory programme that brings you to the entry level; Hasselt University's examples are the master TEW, the master handelsingenieur, the master mobiliteitswetenschappen and the Master of Management.
Medicine at Hasselt University: the bachelor in geneeskunde
The bachelor in geneeskunde (Medicine) at Hasselt University is a Dutch-taught bachelor of 180 credits on Campus Diepenbeek, and you can only enter it after a favourable result in the Flemish admission exam. According to the Flemish government's admission-exam page, the 2027 exam for doctors is held on Friday 2 July 2027, with registration from 1 March to 17 May 2027.
The programme
Medicine is taught on Campus Diepenbeek. Hasselt University describes the teaching style in one line: no lectures, but interaction classes, with a maximum of 15 hours of contact teaching with the teachers in small interactive groups. It also says that about 45 hours per week are enough to keep up with everything, and that the programme is organised in quartiles.
Placements start early. In the first year you spend one day on an observation placement with a general practitioner, and in the summer holiday you do a nursing placement in a hospital. In the third year you go on a hospital and GP placement, and either follow a care-path placement, tracking the multidisciplinary route of a fictional patient instead of a doctor, or go on an immersion placement in the South.
What it takes to get in
The condition is a favourable result in the admission exam for doctors (toelatingsexamen arts), which the Department of Education of the Flemish Community organises every year and which has two parts. The page for applicants without a Flemish diploma is stricter in its wording: you must first pass and be favourably ranked. The Flemish government says that you must first take the exam for medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine at a Flemish university, and that those who are favourably ranked may start.
The diploma has a deadline too. According to the Flemish government's admission-exam page, to start Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Medicine you must be favourably ranked in the exam for that programme and have obtained your secondary education diploma by 30 September of the year of the favourable ranking at the latest.
The first part is Kennis en Inzicht in de Wetenschappen (KIW), which tests your knowledge and insight in biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics. The second is Generieke competenties (GC), which tests general competences that matter for a future doctor. The Flemish government's page says the exam keeps the parts KIW and GC.
Two cautions. The practical information on the Flemish government's site still refers to the 2026 exam and will be updated later, and Hasselt University's own page still prints the 2026 sitting, which is past. Treat the 2027 dates as the Flemish government's, and check them again before you register. You register for each exam separately and pay a registration fee per exam.
Exam coaching at Hasselt University
Hasselt University runs coaching for the exam. The coaching is spread over the whole school year and gives an intensive preparation in content for the admission exam for doctors, dentists and veterinarians. It is aimed at pupils in the sixth or fifth year of secondary education who are considering studying medicine. The course package costs 150 euro for 1 introductory lesson, 7 KIW sessions with 4 books, 1 GC session with a book and 4 workshops, with no refund.
| Round | Registration | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| First round | From 7 September 2026; closed on 09/10/2026 at 18.00 | 150 euro |
| Second round, for late deciders | From 7 December 2026 at 08.00 until 7 January 2027 at 12.00 | 130 euro, including the 4 KIW books and the GC book |
The KIW sessions are held on 8 Saturday mornings: 10/10/2026 and 17/10/2026 have already taken place, and the next ones are on 24/10/2026, 14/11/2026, 23/01/2027, 30/01/2027, 06/03/2027 and 20/03/2027.
Career prospects: what Hasselt University graduates do next
Hasselt University does not publish graduate outcomes such as employment rates or salaries for its bachelor graduates; what it publishes is where the Medicine bachelor leads next. Graduates of the Medicine bachelor can make a seamless move to the Medicine master at KU Leuven, UAntwerpen, UGent and VUBrussel.
| Next step | What Hasselt University says |
|---|---|
| Medicine master elsewhere in Flanders | A seamless move to the Medicine master at KU Leuven, UAntwerpen, UGent and VUBrussel |
| Health-care innovation, within Hasselt University | Direct continuation to the new master in system and process innovation in health care |
| Research and academia | Scientific research and an academic career are among the possibilities |
These statements are about Medicine graduates only. For other bachelors, Hasselt University's programme finder lists the master's programmes that exist, and the programmes chapter covers the direct entry into the master's programmes at TU/e after a science bachelor and the preparatory programmes some master's programmes require.
Employability support
On its English page for prospective students, Hasselt University says: we encourage our students to develop academic and employability skills and offer them academic guidance and counselling, including flexible study programmes. Hasselt University does not describe a career service aimed specifically at international students.
Cost of study at Hasselt University: tuition fees and living costs
An EEA student pays Hasselt University 1181,40 euro for a full year of 60 credits in the academic year 2026-2027, the latest published; fees for 2027-2028 are not yet published. The fee is built from a fixed part and a price per credit, so it changes with the number of credits you take.
| Student type | Fixed part | Per credit | Total for 60 credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEA student | 305,40 euro | 14,60 euro | 1181,40 euro |
| Belgian student, non-grant rate | 305,40 euro | 14,60 euro | 1181,40 euro |
| Non-Belgian student in a tUL programme | 305,40 euro | 39,90 euro | 2 699,40 euro |
| Non-EEA student, English-taught master's, category 1 | 305,40 euro | 59,91 euro | 3 900 euro |
| Non-EEA student, English-taught master's, category 2 | 305,40 euro | 105,40 euro | 6 630 euro |
| Non-EEA student, English-taught master's, category 3 | 305,40 euro | 153,14 euro | 9 493,80 euro |
Fees for Belgian and EEA students
As an EEA student you pay a fixed part of 305,40 euro plus 14,60 euro per credit, so 60 credits cost 1181,40 euro in total. The same amounts are printed for a Belgian student at the non-grant rate. Hasselt University's English page confirms the logic: tuition fees are calculated based on the number of selected ECTS credits.
A foreign student can also pay the Belgian rate. You pay the fee of a Belgian student if you receive a study grant from the Flemish Community of Belgium, or if you are subject to the Belgian tax system or the Belgian child-benefit system.
Fees for non-EEA students
For a Dutch-taught bachelor, Hasselt University's fee page prints the Belgian and EEA rates above and no separate non-EEA rate. The non-EEA amounts it does print apply to the English-taught master's: from academic year 2026-2027, Hasselt University uses three fee categories for non-EEA students enrolled in the English-taught master's programmes. The table lists the three categories.
Programmes run with Maastricht University
For a few programmes Hasselt University works with Maastricht University: Rechten, Informatica, Biomedische wetenschappen, Statistics and the Educatieve Master in Gezondheidswetenschappen. For these tUL programmes a non-Belgian student pays a fixed part of 305,40 euro plus 39,90 euro per credit, 2 699,40 euro for 60 credits, while a Belgian student pays the rate of a Hasselt University programme.
Other costs and living costs
Withdrawing from the whole programme has a price: an administrative cost of 139,40 euro is not refunded. For housing, Hasselt University's other-costs page says the average renting price for a student room in Hasselt, Diepenbeek or Genk is € 360 per month, and € 480 for a studio. It adds a limit: these are only target prices, based on the previous academic year, so budget with a margin.
Hasselt University scholarships and funding for bachelor students
Hasselt University names no scholarship for bachelor students from abroad: every scholarship on its incoming-students page is for a master's programme. The page says there are various scholarships for international students, depending on their country of origin and study programme, and the one bachelor-relevant support it describes is the Flemish study grant, which lowers the fee to as little as 139,40 euro for a full year in 2026-2027, the latest published.
Scholarships for international students
The scholarships Hasselt University describes are all at master's level. The MasterMind call for the 2027-2028 academic year is not yet open, and it will be available exclusively to students interested in the Master of Interior Architecture and the Master of Statistics and Data Science. The International Course Programme (ICP) in Statistics is a 2-year international and multidisciplinary training in statistics. The ICP Master of Transportation Sciences is supported by VLIR UOS and has 10 scholarships available each year.
Hasselt University adds a warning that matters for any applicant: an admission letter always comes directly from Hasselt University and from an official e-mail address ending with @uhasselt.be.
The Flemish study grant and reduced fees
A study grant (studietoelage) is a contribution from the Flemish government that supports students with their study costs. It changes the fee you pay at Hasselt University. The page for the academic year 2026-2027 prints three levels, calculated for a full study year of 60 credits.
| Level | Fixed part | Per credit | Total for 60 credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-grant rate | 305,40 euro | 14,60 euro | 1181,40 euro |
| Almost-grant rate (bijna-beurstarief) | 305,40 euro | 5,30 euro | 623,40 euro |
| Grant rate (beurstarief) | 139,40 euro | 0 euro | 139,40 euro |
Two conditions follow from the page. If you enrol only with a credit contract, you have no right to the almost-grant rate, and the same holds for the grant rate. Your grant status must also be confirmed: during the academic year the expected grant status has to be confirmed by a certificate from the study grants service, and if no confirmation has arrived by June, the non-grant rate is charged.
The page does not say which international students qualify for a study grant. The tuition chapter covers the one rule it does print: a foreign student who receives a Flemish study grant pays the fee of a Belgian student.
Help from the social service
Housing at Hasselt University
Hasselt University does not house its students: Hasselt University does not have rooms under its own management, so you find a private room yourself. Its housing page prints an average rent of €400 for a room and €510 for a studio, without naming a year, and its free database lists more than 2500 student rooms from private owners.
Because Hasselt University runs no residences, it also has no rooms at a social rate. The Dutch housing page explains the consequence: there are no rooms at a social rate, but your rent can count as a cost for a personal financial contribution from the social service, provided you meet the income conditions.
Finding a room
The housing database is a free website for rooms from private owners in Diepenbeek, Hasselt or Genk. Hasselt University advises on timing: do not start your search too early; March and April is the ideal period to begin looking. Its pre-arrival page for international students adds: it can take quite a while to find a student room, and if you look through a Facebook page that Hasselt University did not start, be alert for scamming or fraud.
If you prefer to search once you are in Belgium, you can stay several days or more in Hostel H in Hasselt. For pre-registered students there is a perk: you can stay there at the Members rate, which gives you a 10% discount.
Rent, contracts and deposits
Hasselt University's other-costs page prints different target prices: € 360 per month for a student room and € 480 for a studio, based on the previous academic year. Treat the two pages as a range, and ask every landlord what the rent includes. If a dispute starts, the housing service gives information and advice and, if needed, mediates in a conflict between you and the room owner.
Student life at Hasselt University: campuses Hasselt and Diepenbeek
Hasselt University teaches on 2 campuses, Campus Hasselt and Campus Diepenbeek, and both are a bus ride from Hasselt railway station: 10 minutes to Hasselt Campus and 20 minutes to Diepenbeek Campus. Its own page warns that the cost of living in Belgium is relatively high.
Getting to the campuses
The local bus company is De Lijn. Buses BP, 44, 45, 20b, 20a and 36a take you from Hasselt railway station to Hasselt Campus in 10 minutes, and buses 44, 45, 20a, 20b and 36a take you from the station to Diepenbeek Campus in 20 minutes. Programmes are split between the campuses: Medicine, Computer Science and most science and engineering bachelors are on Campus Diepenbeek, as the programmes chapter lists.
For trains across Belgium, Hasselt University lists two passes. The Youth Multi covers 10 second-class trips for travellers under 26 and costs 64 euro, or 62 euro via the app. The Standard Multi is similar, but for all ages, at 105 euro, or 102 euro via the app.
Arrival and orientation
Every first-year student has a duty on arrival: all first-year students must attend the introduction day organised by their faculty or programme. For international students, Hasselt University adds a separate event: at the start of each semester, the International Office welcomes international students during the Orientation days. The page names master students and exchange students, not bachelor newcomers, so check with the International Office whether the event applies to you.
Your presence at the Orientation days is mandatory and free of charge, and the programme shown on the page runs from 14 to 18 September, with no year named. The days cover administrative procedures, the electronic learning environment, insurance, Belgian culture, student societies and bicycle renting.
Living in Belgium
Factor those first-month costs into your budget before you arrive. The housing chapter covers deposits and rent, and the tuition chapter covers the fees.
Visa and residence permit for Hasselt University students
If you are a non-EEA student, you apply for the visa at the Belgian Embassy or Consulate in your home country, well in advance, and applicants who need a visa have a deadline of 1 May for the admission dossier, printed without an academic year. Once in Belgium, every non-EEA student must have a student residence permit, and the right of residence is always limited to the duration of the studies.
The visa for non-EEA students
The visa is also referred to as Visa Type D; for non-EEA students, the Authorisation for Provisional Sojourn is commonly known as the Student Visa. Hasselt University warns about one shortcut: non-EEA students should not enter Belgium with a tourist visa if they intend to stay longer than 90 days or three months, and the university will not support an application for a change of status or visa.
On cost, Hasselt University prints: in January 2026 the Belgian Federal Government set a new visa fee of € 251 or €152; typically Master's and PhD students pay €251, and if you come with a Host Agreement you pay €152. The page gives no separate figure for bachelor students.
When you apply for a visa or a residence permit, you are asked to prove your solvency, and depending on the country one of several proofs applies. One of them is a blocked account: for year students the amount for a full year must be transferred at once (12 months), from September 1st until August 31, and Hasselt University recommends transferring 13 months because of the many extra start-up costs.
Registering on arrival
Upon arrival in Belgium, all foreigners staying longer than one month must register at their local town hall within eight working days. Hasselt University states this for all foreigners and does not give a separate rule for EEA students. After your initial appointment a local police officer formally determines your address, and the town hall then contacts you about a second appointment to receive your A-card residence permit.
Renewal has its own limit: you must apply for the renewal of your residence permit at least 15 days before your current residence card expires.
The orientation year after graduation
The orientation year, also called the search year, is open to a non-EEA student with a residence permit in Belgium for study reasons, graduating at Hasselt University. Then you are eligible for a 12-months residence permit for a search year. To get it, apply at the latest 15 days before the expiration date of your Belgian residence permit.
Who is Hasselt University for? Summary
Hasselt University suits an applicant who is ready to study in Dutch: students with an international diploma who choose a Dutch-taught programme must show sufficient Dutch, and an EEA student pays 1181,40 euro for a year in 2026-2027, the latest published fee year. It does not suit an applicant who wants an English-taught bachelor, because its English-taught programmes are master's programmes.
Who Hasselt University suits
- You want a Dutch-taught bachelor: the bachelor of Medicine, for example, is an academic bachelor of 180 credits on Campus Diepenbeek, taught in Dutch.
- You can take a compulsory starttoets without pressure: for the programmes that use it, you can enrol after the starttoets and everyone can start the programme, because the result is non-binding.
- You can budget the EEA fee shown above. Fees for other student types are in the tuition chapter.
- For Medicine, you must be ready for the Flemish admission exam: you must first pass the toelatingsexamen arts, which the Department of Education of the Flemish Community organises every year.
Dates to plan around for September 2027 entry
The sitting dates for the starttoets are 1 July 2027 and 21 August 2027. Hasselt University's own page still prints the 2026 exam for doctors, 2 July 2026, which is past, so the 2027 dates come from the Flemish government.
What to check again
Hasselt University's English page says the admission requirements for the 2027-2028 academic year are not yet available. On the Dutch admission page, only the starttoets list names the new year: Informatica and Revalidatiewetenschappen en kinesitherapie join the compulsory ijkingstoets from academic year 2027-2028.
- Check the 1 May and 15 August deadlines against the page for 2027-2028 once it names a year.
- Check the fee page: the EEA amount comes from 2026-2027 and the non-EEA categories also start from 2026-2027.
- Check Hasselt University's Medicine page for the 2027 exam, since it still shows the 2026 sitting.
- Check whether your programme is on the starttoets list.
Hasselt University: frequently asked questions
What is the acceptance rate at Hasselt University for international students?
Hasselt University does not publish applications, admits or an admit rate for its bachelors. What it publishes is the entry route: a secondary education diploma (a bso certificate is not enough), a ranked admission exam for Medicine, and a starttoets for some science and engineering bachelors that is non-binding and not an admission exam.
Do I need the SAT, ACT or an interview to get into Hasselt University?
Hasselt University does not publish an SAT, ACT, interview or motivation-letter requirement for its bachelors. Medicine uses the toelatingsexamen arts, which the Department of Education of the Flemish Community organises every year, and some bachelors require a starttoets (verplichte ijkingstoets) whose result is non-binding.
What is the Hasselt University application deadline for September 2027 entry?
If you need a visa, submit the admission dossier by 1 May; all other candidates are strongly advised to submit it by 15 August. Hasselt University prints both dates without an academic year, and its English page says that the admission requirements for the 2027-2028 academic year are not yet available, so confirm the dates when you apply.
Are Hasselt University bachelors taught in English?
No: all Bachelor programmes are taught in Dutch. The English-taught programmes are masters, and Hasselt University counts 6 English Master programmes. Students with an international diploma who choose a Dutch-taught programme must show sufficient knowledge of Dutch, and Hasselt University does not offer a preparatory year to learn Dutch.
Which Dutch level do I need, and how do I prove it?
Hasselt University's requirements page does not print one named level for bachelors. You prove sufficient Dutch with the AUHL language test, which costs 105 euro for level B2 and 125 euro for level C1 on that page (the page for non-Flemish diplomas prints 75 euro for the same test), or with an accepted certificate such as ITNA at level B2.
How much does it cost to study at Hasselt University?
In the academic year 2026-2027, the latest published, an EEA student pays 1181,40 euro for a full year of 60 credits. The non-EEA fee categories on the fee page apply to the English-taught masters, from 3 900 euro to 9 493,80 euro for the same full year; Hasselt University prints no separate non-EEA rate for a Dutch-taught bachelor.
Are there scholarships for international bachelor students at Hasselt University?
Hasselt University names no scholarship for bachelor students from abroad; the scholarships on its incoming-students page are for master's programmes, for example the ICP Master of Transportation Sciences, which has 10 scholarships available each year, supported by VLIR UOS. The Flemish study grant (studietoelage) lowers the fee to as little as 139,40 euro for a full study year for students who receive it. Also note that an admission letter always comes directly from Hasselt University and from an official e-mail address ending with @uhasselt.be.
How do I get into Medicine at Hasselt University?
Medicine is a Dutch-taught bachelor, and you must first be favourably ranked in the Flemish admission exam for doctors (toelatingsexamen arts). According to the Flemish government's admission-exam page, the 2027 exam for doctors is held on 2 July 2027, with registration from 1 March to 17 May 2027; Hasselt University's own page still prints the 2026 sitting.
Which diplomas does Hasselt University accept for a bachelor?
You need a secondary education diploma (a bso certificate is not enough), or a qualification recognised as equivalent. Hasselt University judges a foreign diploma by whether it gives access to similar university studies in the country where it was issued. With a UK diploma you can be admitted with a GCE diploma with 3 A-levels passed, and with a US diploma Hasselt University asks for a transcript listing at least 4 AP exams.
Do I have to take the starttoets, and what if I do not pass?
The starttoets (verplichte ijkingstoets) is compulsory for the science and engineering bachelors named on the admission page. Taking part is free, and the result is non-binding: whatever your score, you can enrol. If you do not pass, you must follow compulsory remediation when you enrol. In 2027 it is held on 1 July 2027 and 21 August 2027.
Do I need a visa to study at Hasselt University, and what does it cost?
Non-EEA students apply at the Belgian Embassy or Consulate in the home country, well in advance. For the visa, Hasselt University prints € 251 for typically Master's and PhD students and €152 with a Host Agreement, and gives no separate figure for bachelor students. Applicants who need a visa must submit the admission dossier by 1 May.
Does Hasselt University have student housing?
No: Hasselt University does not have rooms under its own management, so you rent privately. Its housing page prints an average rent of €400 for a room and €510 for a studio, and its free database lists more than 2500 student rooms from private owners. Hasselt University advises that March and April is the ideal period to begin looking.
Where these numbers come from
Official pages of Hasselt University, UCAS, gov.uk and the ranking publishers. Applicant reports, where shown, are self-reported and labelled.
Facts and figures - UHasselt · Programmes - UHasselt · Application Process for International Students - UHasselt · Toelating aanvragen wanneer je geen Vlaams diploma hebt - UHasselt · Toelatingsvoorwaarden - UHasselt · Kosten en studietoelagen - UHasselt · Student housing - UHasselt · Geneeskunde studeren aan UHasselt - UHasselt · Studeren aan UHasselt - UHasselt · Programmes - UHasselt · Ingenieurswetenschappen - UHasselt · Toelatingsexamens arts, tandarts en dierenarts | Vlaanderen.be · Why choose Hasselt University? - UHasselt · Tuition fees and scholarships - UHasselt · Other study costs - UHasselt · Scholarships incoming students - UHasselt · Op kot - UHasselt · Before arrival - UHasselt · Living in Belgium - UHasselt · Upon Arrival - UHasselt · Residence permit - UHasselt · Orientation Year (search year) - UHasselt
Photos: UHasselt: photo Liesbeth Driessen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons · Campus Hasselt, Ancienne Prison: photo Aren8488, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons · Campus Diepenbeek, Science Tower: photo Aren8488, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons