[15] For centuries, the university flourished due to the presence of famous scholars and professors, such as Adriaan Florenszoon Boeyens (Pope Adrian VI), Desiderius Erasmus, Johannes Molanus, Juan Luís Vives, Andreas Vesalius and Gerardus Mercator.

[c] In its statutes, KU Leuven officially declares against the rulings of the Court of Cassation[21] and the Cour d'Appel, to be the continuation of the Studium Generale Lovaniense established in 1425,[22] and together with UCLouvain it sets out to celebrate its 600th anniversary in 2025.

It has led to numerous spin-offs, such as the technology company Metris, and manages tens of millions of euros in investments and venture capital.

The project offers the Question Mark Perception assignment software to all institution members and has implemented the Ariadne KPS to reuse digital learning objects inside the Blackboard environment.

It also had 22 central bilateral agreements in 8 countries: the United States, China, South Africa, Japan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Vietnam, Poland, and the Netherlands.

Although a representative from the Church sits in its Board of Governors and "a yearly report is submitted to the bishops," their function is observational and has no voting power.

The university is dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus, under her traditional attribute as "Seat of Wisdom", and organizes an annual celebration on 2 February in her honour.

In addition, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Groot Begijnhof, a historic beguinage in the south of city, is owned by the university and functions as one of its many residence halls.

KU Leuven has campuses in Kortrijk, Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Ostend, Geel, Diepenbeek, Aalst, Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Brussels.

Academics at KU Leuven is organized into three groups, each with its own faculties, departments, and schools offering programs up to doctoral level.

[51][56] According to QS World University Rankings by Subject in 2019, KU Leuven ranked within the world's top 50 universities in the following fields: Sports-related Subjects (11), Theology (14), Dentistry (17), Classics and Ancient History (22), Library and Information Management (23), Psychology (24), Statistics and Operational Research (26), Mechanical Engineering (30), Philosophy (31), Geography (34), Pharmacy & Pharmacology (35), Education and Training (36), Law (37), Social Policy and Administration (39), Development Studies (43), Materials sciences (45), Chemical Engineering (46), Politics (49), Sociology (50), Life Sciences and Medicine (56), Social Sciences and Management (60), Arts and Humanities (61), Engineering and Technology (61).

Also according to QS, many other KU Leuven programs rank within the top 100 in the world, including Linguistics, English Language and Literature, History, Anatomy and Physiology, Architecture, Anthropology, Computer Science and Information System, Biological Sciences, Civil and Structural Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Business and Management Studies, Mathematics, Economics and Econometrics, Chemistry, Accounting and Finance .

Majori certe solatio affici non possumus, quam cum eos, qui in partem solicitudinis Nostrae sunt vocati, pastorali zelo flagrare, acriterque ad spirituale commissarum sibi Ovium bonum novimus vigilare.

Licet porro praecipuam Fraternitatum Vestrarum virtutem satis jam multa declarassent eaque de causa jure Nobis laetari liceret; conceptam tamen animo Nostro opinionem confirmarunt, Nostrumque gaudium abunde auxerunt obsequentissimae Litterae, quas die decimaquarta proxime elapsi Mensis ad Nos dedistis, et quibus ne dum Vestrum de Catholica in Belgio constituenda, et a Vobis tantum regenda Studiorum Universitate consilium significastis, sed etiam expositis commodis, quae tum animarum salus, tum Religio ipsa inde possunt accipere, Apostolica Nostra Auctoritate probari illud voluistis.

Hanc Vos rationem sequuti, id egistis, quod ab antiquis temporibus consuetudo induxit, quodque debita huic Sanctae Sedi reverentia et observantia merito exigit.

Cum enim ad Romanos Pontifices pro concredito Ipsis Apostolici Officii munere maxime pertineat Catholicam Fidem tueri sanctaeque ejus doctrinae depositum integrum ac intemeratum custodire; Eorum quoque esse debet Sacrarum Disciplinarum, quae publice in Universitatibus traditur,[58] institutionem moderari.

Atque haec causa fuit cur Catholici etiam Principes, cum de hujusmodi Academiis, seu Universitatibus Studiorum statuendis cogitarunt, Apostolicam Sedem consulendam, Ejusque Auctoritatem exquirendam duxerint.

Hinc celebriores, illustrioresque Europae Universitates nonnisi ex sententia et assensu Romanorum Pontificum fuisse constitutas gravissimae illarum historiae amplissime testantur.

Nobis itaque quibus persuasum est ex recte comparatis Studiorum Universitatibus plurimum emolumenti in Christianam Rem publicam dimanare, jucundius nihil accidere potest, quam ut Vobis gratificemur et ad litterarum praesertim Sacrarum praesidium et incrementum Supremae Nostrae auctoritatis robur adjiciamus, atque hinc sapientissimum, quod una simul inivistis consilium, adprobamus, Vestramque ea de re solicitudinem summa laude, ac commendatione prosequimur.

Eo autem libentius Vestris votis annuimus, quo certius Vestra industria, opera et cura futurum confidimus, ut quotquot ad istam Universitatem convenient bene morati juvenes, non scientia, quae inflat, sed scientia, quae cum charitate aedificat, non sapientia hujus saeculi, sed sapientia cujus initium timor Domini est, imbuantur.

At illud probe intelligitis, Venerabiles Fratres, memoratam mox Universitatem ita quidem constitui oportere, ut nihil prorsus derogetur juribus, quae singulis Episcopis circa Clericorum in suis Dioecesanis seminariis institutionem, eorumque in Litteris, et disciplinis maxime Theologicis eruditionem Tridentini Patres adjudicarunt.

Interim Apostolicam Benedictionem Paternae Nostrae charitatis, et benevolentiae testimonium erga Fraternitates Vestras, peramanter Vobis impertimur.'