Are you wondering which study abroad destination you should choose? Every year, Quacquarelli Sydmonds publishes a ranking of world’s best student cities. Cost of education, quality of life, cosmopolitanism... To rank best cities for study, many criteria are taken into account. Find out which are the world’s most student-friendly cities.
World’s 10 best student cities
Rank |
City |
Country |
1 |
Paris |
France |
2 |
Melbourne |
Australia |
3 |
London |
United Kingdom |
4 |
Sydney |
Australia |
5 |
Hong Kong |
Hong Kong |
6 |
Boston |
United States |
7 |
Tokyo |
Japan |
8 |
Montreal |
Canada |
9 |
Toronto |
Canada |
10 |
Seoul |
South Korea |
In the 2015 QS Best Student Cities rankings, Paris has once again been named best student city in the world! This study ranks 50 cities around the world based on their attractiveness to international students. 29 countries are represented. Only the cities of over 250,000 inhabitants with at least 2 universities featured in the QS university ranking could be taken into consideration. 116 cities met these criteria.
Best student cities ranking methodology
The ranking of world’s best student cities is based on a set of 18 indicators, grouped into 5 different categories:
- university rankings,
- student mix,
- desirability,
- employer activity,
- affordability.
Indicators such as the number of foreign students, average university tuition fees, the level of pollution, the cost of living (Mercer index) or security are then taken into account. Some indicators, like pollution levels, the cost of a Big Mac or the price of an iPad are more unexpected. Once the data are compiled, each city receives a total score.
To find out more about world’s best student cities:
View full QS Best Student Cities 2015 rankings.