Education ( +18 y.o.)
Coming from another country, the Belgian education system can look unfamiliar at first - different types of institutions, a grading scale you might not recognise, and a credit system with its own logic. The good news is that once you know the basics, it is easy to find your way around.
This page explains the types of institutions, the qualifications you can get, how grading works, and how credits are counted.
Overview
Higher and continuing education in Belgium is organised around a few key choices: whether you study at a university or a university college, whether you are aiming for a full diploma or a single course, and whether your goal is academic, professional or purely practical.
These choices affect the type of institution you attend and how your credits and results are recorded.
Types of institutions
Belgium has three main types of institutions for education beyond secondary school:
- Universities (universiteiten) - focused on academic, research-based programmes, from bachelor's to doctoral level
- University colleges (hogescholen) - focused on professional, practice-oriented bachelor's and master's programmes
- Adult education centres (centra voor volwassenenonderwijs, or CVO) - offer flexible courses for adults, including Dutch language courses, professional courses and second-chance secondary education, usually without needing a full-time commitment
If you already hold a job or a family, adult education centres are often the most practical starting point, since courses are shorter and scheduled around evenings or weekends.
Types of qualifications
The qualification you work towards depends on the path you choose:
- Professional bachelor's degree - practice-oriented, usually 3 years, offered by university colleges
- Academic bachelor's degree - research-oriented, usually 3 years, offered by universities
- Master's degree - 1 to 2 years, builds on a bachelor's degree
- Doctorate (PhD) - independent research, usually 4 years or more
- Postgraduate certificate - a short, specialised programme after a bachelor's or master's degree
- Course certificate - awarded for single courses, often through a CVO, without leading to a full diploma
You do not always need to commit to a full diploma. Many institutions allow you to register for a single course under a credit contract, which is a good option if you only need specific knowledge or skills.
Grading system
Belgian institutions grade on a scale out of 20, rather than a percentage or a letter grade. A score of 10/20 is generally the pass mark, and anything above 14/20 is usually considered a good result. Exact pass marks and distinction levels can vary slightly between institutions, so always check the specific rules of your programme.
How credits work
Credits in Belgium follow the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), the same system used across the EU. A full-time academic year is generally worth 60 credits, and each course or module is assigned a number of credits based on its workload. Because ECTS is standardised across Europe, credits you earn in Belgium are usually recognised if you continue your studies in another EU country, and vice versa.
Good to know: if you already hold a diploma from another country, you may need to have it officially recognised before it counts for further study or certain jobs in Belgium. NARIC-Vlaanderen, the Flemish authority for foreign diploma recognition, handles this process.
Sources
- Education in Flanders
- NARIC-Vlaanderen, diploma recognition
- CVO Scala
- Volwassenenonderwijs Creo - cvo CREO
