History
In 1852, two commercial institutes were founded in Antwerp: the Rijkshandelshogeschool (the State School of Economics) and the Sint-Ignatius Handelshogeschool (the Sint Ignatius School of Economics). Initially geared to business and commerce, they helped to make Antwerp a world centre for commerce and culture.
Education
Excellent academic education is closely connected with scientific research. Students acquire knowledge about research results during lectures, through course materials and/or digital media. They gain a better insight by discussing research findings with each other and by writing papers about them. They become proficient in different research methods and also learn to conduct their own research.
The education we provide emphasises the development of competences. In addition to knowledge and insight, these competences will also include particular skills and attitudes. Thanks to competence-oriented education, our academic graduates are able to function successfully in professional environments.
Research
The University of Antwerp, as a true research university, strives to excel in as many research areas as possible. This is why the University Board decided in 2010 to define nine frontline research domains and three emerging frontline research domains in which the University of Antwerp is recognized world leader. Key to the Board's eventual selection was long-term research excellence. As a result, the 12 selected domains are all areas in which the University of Antwerp has a strong tradition of producing cutting-edge research that is considered internationally excellent, in terms of quality, output as well as relevance.
Career
With more than 5000 employees, the University of Antwerp is one of the largest employers in the province of Antwerp. Every day, our employees' efforts ensure that innovative education is provided to more than 20,000 students, that groundbreaking fundamental and applied research is conducted and that the university is able to play its important role as a service provider in society.The University of Antwerp employs people with very wide-ranging profiles and educational backgrounds. 3,700 academic and scientific personnel work in the most diverse disciplines. In addition to this 1,200 employees work in administration, logistics, ICT, technology, infrastructure, communication, management and policy.
Student services
The Education Board is the highest advisory body at the University of Antwerp. The Board has three main objectives:
- To develop and implement the university's educational vision
- To prepare the general education and examination rules
- To coordinate curriculum reviews and educational assessments
Housing services
You can explore accommodation options via Kotweb. Kotweb offers the largest range of student accommodation in Antwerp and is moreover the reference for top quality student accommodation.
Library services
The University of Antwerp library has a collection of first-rate specialist literature for every field of knowledge. Each campus has its own library, specialising in a specific field of study.
- The Biomedical library is located on Campus Drie Eiken
- The Exact Sciences library is located on Campus Groenenborger
- The Mathematics and Computer Science library is located on Campus Middelheim
Medical services
When you come to work in Belgium, you are obliged to join a Belgian health insurance scheme or the HZIV. Contact a health insurance provider or the HZIV as soon as possible after your arrival in Belgium. After registering, you will receive a identification number (national registration number) and identification stickers.
Campus life
Antwerpen Studentenstad (Antwerp, city for students) works hard for a student-friendly city: sufficient and high-quality housing, a clean and safe student district, cheap rental bikes, cultural offers to great advantage, cheap and safe party areas, clear policies with respect to mounting posters and ragging, and much more.
Sports facilities
Sport activities at the University of Antwerp are open for all UAntwerp-students and where possible for UAntwerp-staff, UAntwerp-alumni and college students of the Antwerp University and Colleges Association.
Student clubs
Antwerp has a very broad system of student associations. Nearly every faculty has at least one association, most of the time even one for each subject/discipline. The associations organize several activities throughout the year ("cantus", parties, grand ball and cultural excursions). Students are not obliged to join a students' association, but it is an easy and pleasant way to get to know lots of new people and to speed up the integration process. The leadership (the "praesidium") or the members can also give you some information on student life in Antwerp and about different courses.
Accreditation
There is a (compulsory) educational review that is carried out by the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR). These external reviews are organised for all programmes in Flanders and result in accreditation from the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). All study programmes at the University of Antwerp received accredidation from NVAO.
University of Antwerp Overview
University of Antwerp Rankings
Study Portals Meta Ranking
Top 3% Belgium
Top 8.6% Worldwide
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
World University Rankings
170
By Times Higher Education
Dropped 2 places compared to 2025
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 161 | 168 | 170 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Best Global Universities Rankings
204
By U.S. News & World Report
Climbed 9 places compared to 2025
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
3 year trend Best Global Universities Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 223 | 213 | 204 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
QS World University Rankings
280
By TopUniversities
Dropped 13 places compared to 2025
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend QS World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 248 | 267 | 280 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Academic Ranking of World Universities
301
By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend Academic Ranking of World Universities
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 201 | 301 | 301 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
University of Antwerp Campus Locations
#1 Main Campus
Belgium Country
Antwerpen City
#2 Branch Campus
Italy Country
Roma City
#3 Branch Campus
France Country
Paris City
#4 Branch Campus
United Arab Emirates Country
Dubai City
#5 Branch Campus
Spain Country
Almería City
University of Antwerp Student Reviews & Awards
4.3
Based on 69 reviews
- 5 Star 30 Reviews
- 4 Star 30 Reviews
- 3 Star 7 Reviews
- 2 Star 1 Review
- 1 Star 1 Review
How Students Rated This University
- Overall Satisfaction 4.3
- Student Teacher Interaction 4.3
- Student Diversity 4.1
- Admission Process 4.5
- Quality of Student Life 4.3
- Career Development 4.2
positive learning environment
very good in terms of gaining knowledge, skills and positive learning behavior
Innovative and Practical Academic Experience
My overall study experience has been very positive and rewarding. Throughout my academic journey, I have built a solid foundation in computer science, supported by dedicated professors and a well-structured curriculum. One of the aspects I appreciated the most is the balance between theoretical knowledge and practical application. I had the opportunity to work on several projects, which allowed me to apply concepts such as data analysis, software development, and intelligent systems to real-world problems. These experiences helped me develop both technical and problem-solving skills. Additionally, my program encouraged autonomy and critical thinking, which pushed me to go beyond what is taught in class and explore new technologies independently. However, one area that could be improved is the integration of more industry-oriented experiences, such as collaborations with companies or more hands-on projects involving real datasets. Overall, I would summarize my experience as enriching and motivating, as it prepared me well for advanced studies and strengthened my ambition to pursue an international Master’s degree in Computer Science Engineering.
I am looking forward for this admission
I have done 2 cbt exams for I’m brilliant and done with college
Studied here? Share your experience
Global Student Satisfaction Awards 2025
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2025. Universities with a score above 4.0 (out of 5) in any of the 7 award categories, receive Badges of Excellence. Congratulations!
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Overall SatisfactionHow would you rate your overall study experience?
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Student Teacher InteractionHow helpful were your teachers?
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Student DiversityHow diverse was the atmosphere at your university?
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Admission ProcessHow simple was it to apply to your programme?
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Quality of Student LifeHow was your everyday life?
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Career DevelopmentDid the university provide support for your career development?