How is higher education organised?

In the Grand Duchy, almost ⅔ of the population has higher education, the highest figure in the EU. Higher education in Luxembourg develops in two main fields:

• Technical, practically oriented vocational education, for those who graduate from the technical lyceum.
• A university degree, obtained in one of the few universities in the country, the main of which is the University of Luxembourg.

The University was opened in 2003: rather late compared to the first lyceum, for example. This is because Luxembourg is surrounded by Germany, France, and Belgium, which offer many universities available to citizens of the Grand Duchy.

However, despite the late establishing, the University of Luxembourg deserves recognition.

Luxembourg University

The University has three faculties:

• Natural Sciences, Technology, and Medicine;
• Law, Economics, and Finance;
• Humanities, Pedagogical and Social Sciences.

It offers Bachelor’s degrees (18 courses), Master’s degrees (52 courses), and PhD studies (4 schools) — a standard set of higher education levels for Europe is also available here.

As for the Master’s degree, the price depends on the chosen field: from 200 euros per semester to 1600 and more. You can find out about the cost of education on the university website, in the specific department. Living expenses — from 1800 euros per month.

All study programmes are based on multilingualism, which means the opportunity to study in English, German or French. The academic year consists of 2 semesters. Students are required to attend lectures and seminars and take exams.

The teaching staff comprises about 200 lecturers, associate professors, and professors, including local and invited experts. The University of Luxembourg has about 7,000 students. The educational process is organised through the campuses of Belval, Kirchberg, and Limpertsberg.

Technical universities of the Grand Duchy

Graduates of these institutions are highly valued, face no employment issues, and are in high market demand. Here are several institutions where students can get a diploma in higher technical education:

• School commerce and Ecole de Commerce de Gestion.
• Technical Lyceum Lycée technique pour Professions de Santé.
• Technical Lycée Technique des Arts et Métiers.

Branches of international universities

There are several branches of large institutions in the Grand Duchy.

1. Sacred Heart University Luxembourg — American university. The main fields are management and business. It cooperates closely with Luxembourg companies. Training costs depend on the programme and range from 29,000 to 39,000 euros.

2. Miami University Dolibois European Center. The overseas campus of the University of Miami. The main fields are architecture, history, political science, and languages. It focuses on international students, mostly American, who want to study in the centre of Europe. The cost of studying for a Bachelor’s degree is approximately 12,000-18,000 euros per year, and for a master’s degree, 12,000-20,000 euros per year. The exact amount should be checked with the university when choosing the faculty and form of study.

3. Brookins Business Institute — American institute. The main fields are tourism and hospitality. It offers undergraduate and graduate programmes. The cost of a Bachelor’s degree for citizens of Europe is 11,950 euros per year; for others, 12,950. For Master’s, 12,950 and 13,950 euros per year for citizens and non-citizens, respectively.

Scholarships and financial support

The main ways to get allowance benefits:

• AIDEFI. Government financial assistance can be requested online through MyGuichet.
• ERASMUS + Scholarships. Suitable for those who go on an internship outside the country.
• Foreign Scholarships. The countries providing them are Germany, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, South Korea, Turkey, USA, France, Italy, Japan, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Taiwan.
• Private scholarships. These are awarded to architects, physicians, and financiers. You can also receive a merit scholarship for outstanding results or win a research grant.
• A scholarship from the University of Luxembourg is available for students with financial difficulties.

The conditions for applying for assistance are published on the Ministry of Education website.

Studying abroad

Students can either immediately enter a foreign university or transfer after the 1st year to the universities of neighbouring countries: Germany, Belgium, and France, and continue their studies there. There are many world-renowned universities close to Luxembourg.

Germany

• The University of Trier, Universität Trier;
• The University of Munich named after Ludwig-Maximilians.
• The Humboldt University of Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

France

• The Henri Poincare University in Nancy, Henri Poincaré University;
• The Robert Schuman University in Strasbourg, Robert Schuman University;
• The Sorbonne in Paris, Sorbonne University.

Belgium

• The Free University of Brussels, Université Libre de Bruxelles;
• The Catholic University of Louvain, Université Catholique de Louvain;
• The University of Liège, Université de Liege.

It is also possible to enrol at any higher education institution. You can read about studying abroad on the website of the Ministry of Education. It is important to remember that not all the countries represented are covered by the state funding programme.