Flemish universities, with the exception of KU Leuven, posted minimal profits last year, according to financial reports reviewed by De Tijd on Wednesday.
The combined operating profit of the five universities dropped to just €37 million in 2024, a steep decline of €94.4 million compared to 2023 — more than four times less. This follows a downward trend observed over the past five years. Total profits across the institutions amounted to €160 million in 2024, significantly bolstered by €130 million in returns from investments. However, this is still far below the €258 million total profit achieved in 2023.
New investments in education and research infrastructure, driven by stricter safety, climate, and digitalisation requirements, contributed to the reduced profits. At the same time, persistent inflation created additional financial pressures for both universities and students’ families.
KU Leuven stood out with €180 million in total profits for 2024, only slightly reduced from €193 million the previous year. The other four universities generated far lower profits, with none exceeding €10 million. UHasselt, for instance, saw its profits fall from €14 million in 2023 to €9.5 million last year, while UAntwerpen’s figures plunged from €13 million to €2.3 million.
VUB, meanwhile, narrowed its losses, improving from a €17 million deficit in 2023 to just €200,000 in 2024. UGent experienced the opposite trajectory, moving from a net profit of €54 million in 2023 to a €32 million loss in 2024.
The Flemish government did increase operational funding and allocated additional resources to teacher training, medicine, and dentistry programmes. However, this funding was only partially indexed to inflation, and investment budgets were not adjusted at all, leaving rising costs largely uncompensated.
