The QS Best Student Cities 2025 rankings are now live!
Now in its 12th year, the QS Best Student Cities rankings compare 150 study destinations in indicators important to international students – student feedback, university ranking, affordability, employment opportunities, and diversity.
London is the world’s best student city for the sixth consecutive edition. Tokyo is second, with Seoul in third. Munich climbs to fourth, while Melbourne drops to fifth.
Where are the QS Best Student Cities 2025?
1. London, United Kingdom
2. Tokyo, Japan
3. Seoul, South Korea
4. Munich, Germany
5. Melbourne, Australia
6. Sydney, Australia
7. Paris, France
8. Zürich, Switzerland
9. Berlin, Germany
10. Montreal, Canada
Why is London the best student city?
London leads thanks to:
- World-class universities, achieving the second-best score in the World University Rankings indicator, after Seoul. London is home to two of the world’s top 10 universities in the recently released QS World University Rankings 2025.
- Excellent feedback from current and former students, placing third for Student Voice, behind Berlin and Melbourne.
- A diverse and eclectic student population, boasting the world’s seventh-best score for Student Mix.
- Exceptional career opportunities, placing fourth in Employer Activity.
Key analysis
Asia Pacific
Australia has two of the world’s top 10 best student cities, with Melbourne in 5th and Sydney in 6th. Auckland, in New Zealand, placed 24th.
With Tokyo in 2nd and Osaka in 12th, Japan has two cities in the world’s top 20. Tokyo is the top city for Employer Activity and Desirability metrics.
Seoul dominates the World University Rankings indicator, with 23 ranked universities.
China (Mainland’s) top entry is Beijing at 31st, buoyed by excellent universities and career opportunities in the city.
South Asia, Middle East and Africa
Izmir in Turkey is the most affordable ranked city, while Indonesia is the most affordable country. Delhi is India’s highest ranked city in 111th. Cairo is the best student city on the African continent, placing 75th, with Cape Town next, in 81st.
In 72nd, Dubai is the top-ranked city in the Arab region.
Europe
With Munich and Berlin, London and Edinburgh, and Zurich and Lausanne, Germany, the UK and Switzerland have solid representation in the top 20. Berlin is the most well-regarded city among current and former students. Copenhagen and Zurich are second and third for Desirability, respectively.
North America
Canada boasts three of the world’s best student cities – Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver are 10th, 11th and 19th respectively. All three cities have improved year-on-year, and Montreal and Toronto score very well in the Student View category.
The United States doesn’t have a city in the world’s top 10 – with Boston dropping from 10th to 16th. New York is the second best city for students in the United States, placing 19th.
Latin America
The best city for students looking to study in Latin America is Buenos Aires, Argentina, though the city has dropped in the rankings by 19 places over two years to 42nd. In contrast, Santiago, Chile, increased by 10 spots over the same time period, and is ranked 50th in 2025.
