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These are officially the best cities for students in 2024-25

QS Top Universities has done the legwork to rank the best student cities across the planet

Liv Kelly
Written by
Liv Kelly
Contributing Writer
Young people sitting along the Seine in Paris
Paris is one of the world’s best cities for students | Photograph: Shutterstock
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When it comes to deciding where to get your degree, there’s a little more to consider than just the university itself. You also need to think about what’s on offer in the city around the campus – what’s the nightlife like, and is it affordable?

Thankfully, QS Top Universities, the platform behind this prestigious university ranking, has done some digging on the best cities in the world for students by evaluating the affordability, desirability, employer activity, student voice and (obvs) the university rankings of each place. 

And claiming the top spot was London! That’s right – the UK capital is home to the world’s second-best university, and is celebrated by QS Top Universities for its free culture, nightlife, green space, international community and as an academic hotspot. 

Tokyo claimed second place, and Seoul claimed third. Two Australian cities, Melbourne and Sydney, and two German cities, Munich and Berlin, made the top 10, too. Have a look at the full list below. 

These are the 10 best cities in the world for students

1. London, UK

2. Tokyo, Japan

3. Seoul, South Korea

4. Melbourne, Australia

5. Munich, Germany

6. Paris, France

7. Sydney, Australia

8. Berlin, Germany = Zurich, Switzerland

10. Boston, USA

To read about the best cities for students in a little more detail, you can do so on the QS Top Universities website here. And here’s the list of the 20 best universities in the world for 2025

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