Top 10 municipalities in Flanders with the most schools (school year 2025-2026)

Which Flemish municipalities have the most schools? We counted the school locations per municipality in nursery, primary, secondary and special needs education (school year 2025-2026). Because large municipalities have more inhabitants, we also show the number of school locations per 10,000 inhabitants.

The top 10

1. Antwerpen

Antwerpen (Antwerpen) has 580 school locations: 198 for nursery education, 194 for primary education, 143 for secondary education and 45 for special needs education. That is 10.3 per 10,000 inhabitants. Childcare offers 45.0 places per 100 children under 3, around the Flemish average (45.0).

2. Gent

Gent (Oost-Vlaanderen) has 307 school locations: 96 for nursery education, 98 for primary education, 71 for secondary education and 42 for special needs education. That is 11.2 per 10,000 inhabitants. Childcare offers 55.9 places per 100 children under 3, above the Flemish average (45.0).

3. Brugge

Brugge (West-Vlaanderen) has 158 school locations: 47 for nursery education, 48 for primary education, 37 for secondary education and 26 for special needs education. That is 13.1 per 10,000 inhabitants. Childcare offers 59.7 places per 100 children under 3, above the Flemish average (45.0).

4. Kortrijk

Kortrijk (West-Vlaanderen) has 128 school locations: 36 for nursery education, 37 for primary education, 40 for secondary education and 15 for special needs education. That is 15.7 per 10,000 inhabitants. Childcare offers 54.9 places per 100 children under 3, above the Flemish average (45.0).

5. Leuven

Leuven (Vlaams-Brabant) has 116 school locations: 38 for nursery education, 36 for primary education, 32 for secondary education and 10 for special needs education. That is 11 per 10,000 inhabitants. Childcare offers 79.6 places per 100 children under 3, above the Flemish average (45.0).

6. Aalst

Aalst (Oost-Vlaanderen) has 113 school locations: 39 for nursery education, 35 for primary education, 26 for secondary education and 13 for special needs education. That is 12.1 per 10,000 inhabitants. Childcare offers 43.2 places per 100 children under 3, around the Flemish average (45.0).

7. Hasselt

Hasselt (Limburg) has 112 school locations: 34 for nursery education, 37 for primary education, 30 for secondary education and 11 for special needs education. That is 12.3 per 10,000 inhabitants. Childcare offers 52.3 places per 100 children under 3, above the Flemish average (45.0).

8. Mechelen

Mechelen (Antwerpen) has 104 school locations: 34 for nursery education, 36 for primary education, 26 for secondary education and 8 for special needs education. That is 11.5 per 10,000 inhabitants. Childcare offers 57.5 places per 100 children under 3, above the Flemish average (45.0).

9. Sint-Niklaas

Sint-Niklaas (Oost-Vlaanderen) has 102 school locations: 28 for nursery education, 27 for primary education, 39 for secondary education and 8 for special needs education. That is 12.2 per 10,000 inhabitants. Childcare offers 42.6 places per 100 children under 3, below the Flemish average (45.0).

10. Roeselare

Roeselare (West-Vlaanderen) has 86 school locations: 22 for nursery education, 26 for primary education, 28 for secondary education and 10 for special needs education. That is 12.7 per 10,000 inhabitants. Childcare offers 57.3 places per 100 children under 3, above the Flemish average (45.0).

More on education

A school location is a school at a specific address; one school with two campuses therefore counts as two locations. See the education figures on each municipality's page.

Source: Flemish Ministry of Education, school year 2025-2026; childcare: Opgroeien, 2024.