London is the world’s best student city for the first time, it has emerged. The fifth edition of the QS Best Student Cities Ranking, released today by analysts QS Quacquarelli Symonds, sees London replace Canada’s Montreal as the world-leader.

London rises to first primarily as a result of increasingly positive responses to QS’s student survey, which asks students about the quality of experience in a city, and their willingness to remain there after graduating. It rises ten places to 13th in QS’s Student View indicator.

Key Observations:

• Tokyo reaches 2nd, its highest-ever position;
• Melbourne rises from 5th to 3rd;
• No US city achieves a top-10 rank;
• US cities see declines in their ranks for Affordability, Employer Activity, and Student Mix;
• Zurich (8th) enters the top ten, rising five places;
• Germany and Australia both achieve two top-ten ranks;
• Latin America’s best student city is Buenos Aires, which rises from 42nd to 25th;
• In total, QS rank the world’s top 100 cities.

Methodology

QS use six indicator groups to compile the ranking, each analysing a different aspect of concern to prospective students.

1. Rankings;
2. Student Mix;
3. Desirability;
4. Employer Activity;
5. Affordability;
6. Student View.

Top 10 cities in the world for students. See the full ranking at: https://www.topuniversities.com/best-student-cities

Ben Sowter, Research Director at QS, said: “The 2018 ranking highlights the enduring quality of the student experience available in London. The city benefits from outstanding employment prospects, more world-class universities than any other city, and enviable lifestyle opportunities. These factors mean that the capital remains a great place to study despite eye-watering costs – as more than 50,000 student respondents to QS’s survey have made clear.”

Full rankings: https://www.topuniversities.com/best-student-cities.