Should you need more information, don’t hesitate to contact communications@coleurope.eu

The College in numbers (2024): 

• 1949: College of Europe – Bruges Campus is established
• 1992: College of Europe – Natolin Campus is established
• 2024: College of Europe – Tirana Campus is established
• 340 students in Bruges (Belgium)
• 120 students in Natolin (Warsaw, Poland)
• 32 students in Tirana (Albania)
• Annual fee: 29.000€ in Bruges and Natolin, 27.000€ in Tirana
  • Includes: tuition fee, full-board (accommodation and food), study trips, teaching material
  • Full cost of a student for the College of Europe: approx. 50.000€
• 70% of our students are funded through scholarships
  • The majority of scholarships are financed by national governments
  • Private sponsors, private foundations and alumni donations also constitute a source of scholarships
• 50 to 60 nationalities represented across the three campuses
  • 5 most represented citizenships: France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany
• 300+ professors
  • The College of Europe works mainly with a ‘flying faculty’ of guest professors
• 17.000+ alumni
• 7 Masters programmes (https://www.coleurope.eu/study)
  • 5 in Bruges
  • 1 in Natolin
  • 1 in Tirana
• 10-month experience (Academic calendar: https://www.coleurope.eu/bruges/academic-offer/calendar-academic-year-bruges-tirana)
• Average age of students: 25.3 years

Bruges Campus:

• 180 overall staff members (Bruges Campus who’s who: https://www.coleurope.eu/bruges/whoswho)
• 2 main teaching and administrative buildings
• 8 residences across the city

History

The College of Europe was the world's first university institute of postgraduate studies and training in European affairs. It was founded in 1949 by leading European figures, such as Salvador de Madariaga, Winston Churchill, Paul-Henri Spaak and Alcide De Gasperi, in the wake of the Hague Congress of 1948, which led to the creation of the European Movement. At the Congress, the Spanish statesman Salvador de Madariaga strongly advocated for the creation of a College of Europe, where graduates from different European states could study together as a way to heal the wounds of World War II. Although the cultural resolution adopted at the end of the Congress did not include explicit references to the establishment of a College of Europe and only advocated for the creation of a "European Cultural Centre and a European Institute for Childhood and Youth Questions", the idea of establishing a European University was put forward by Congress attendees immediately after the Congress.

A group of Bruges citizens led by the Reverend Karel Verleye succeeded in attracting the college to Bruges. Professor Hendrik Brugmans, one of the intellectual leaders of the European Movement and the President of the Union of European Federalists, became its first Rector (1950–1972). The topic of the first session taught the first promotion of the college (frequently called préparatoire, for it is the only promotion not named after any prominent figure) was "Teaching history and the development of a European spirit in universities."

After the end of the Cold War, in 1992 the College of Europe in Natolin was founded in Warsaw with the support of the European Commission and the Polish government. Back then, Natolin began its mission to prepare students to think beyond disciplinary boundaries, beyond preconceptions, and to encourage them to build bridges and embrace a wider perspective on Europe.

Today, the College of Europe in Natolin looks at Europe and its complex neighbourhoods, both facing major external and internal challenges of which security comes to the fore yet again.

To discover more about the history of the College of Europe: https://www.coleurope.eu/events/creating-college-europe-bruges-1949-1950-reflections-inspired-improvisation

Admission Process and Requirements

https://www.coleurope.eu/admission/academic-requirements

Governance

You’ll find more information about our governance, statuses and governing bodies on our website: https://www.coleurope.eu/about-college/governing-bodies-administration-and-academic-council

Other projects and programmes

• Our Executive Education, Training and Projects team offers:
  • Executive education courses on European affairs and skills, organised annually in Bruges, Tirana and online.
  • Tailor-made training courses for a wide range of public and private organisations.
  • Participation in consortia and partnerships to implement projects in its core areas of expertise, including training and capacity building, European diplomacy, EU governance, and EU policies. 

• European Union Diplomatic Academy and European Union Diplomatic Programme
  • Since 2022, the College of Europe has implemented the EEAS’ European Union Diplomatic Academy to welcome junior diplomats from EU member-states for a semester-long residential training.

  • Starting in early 2025, the College of Europe, funded by DG NEAA, will implement the European Union Diplomatic Programme. A complementary programme for junior diplomats from EU candidate countries.