DON’T MISS
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Education
Swiss news & articles
Zurich named the eighth-best student city in the world by QS
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Zurich named the eighth-best student city in the world by QS

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

Zurich one of the best student cities in Europe, study revealsZurich one of the best student cities in Europe, study reveals
Tuition fees for internationals at ETH and EPFL to be tripled in 2025Tuition fees for internationals at ETH and EPFL to be tripled in 2025
ETH Zurich crowned the best university in Europe by latest QS rankingETH Zurich crowned the best university in Europe by latest QS ranking
University of Zurich withdraws from Times Higher Education rankingUniversity of Zurich withdraws from Times Higher Education ranking
Zurich named one of the 25 best cities in the world for studentsZurich named one of the 25 best cities in the world for students
ETH Zurich ranked as the second best university in Europe by QSETH Zurich ranked as the second best university in Europe by QS
Swiss students build fastest-accelerating electric car in the worldSwiss students build fastest-accelerating electric car in the world
Two Swiss universities among the three most international in the worldTwo Swiss universities among the three most international in the world
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Jul 1, 2024
Jan de Boer

Editor at IamExpat Media

Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016. While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more

Zurich is one of the 10 best student cities in the world, according to a new ranking by Quaquerelli Symonds (QS). The Swiss city was given high praise for its world-class universities and liveability but lost out when it came to cost.

Best Student Cities report by QS

Using a combination of student reviews and official metrics, the Best Student Cities report seeks to reveal what the best places in the world are for international students. To qualify for the list, a city must have a population of more than 250.000 people, and be home to two universities that were included in QS’ university ranking. 

Each city was given a rating based on the following main categories:

  • University rankings: Scores in QS’ latest university ranking.
  • Student mix: Size of student population, international students and inclusivity.
  • Desirability: Safety, pollution and how many students surveyed wanted to study there.
  • Employer activity: Job opportunities for students and graduates, employer reputation.
  • Affordability: Tuition fees and living costs.
  • Student view: How students rate a city and how many want to stay there after graduation.

Cities were given a score out of 100 in each of the categories, with an average score out of 100 used to place them on the ranking.

Zurich is the third-best student city in Europe, say QS

This year, London has maintained its status as the best city in the world for students. The city took the top spot thanks to high ratings by employers and from students themselves and for the sheer number of top universities located in the British capital. Tokyo took second place, while Seoul rounded out the podium. The Bavarian capital, Munich, was rated as the best student city in Europe, placing fourth in the global list.

However, you don't have to go far down the report to find a Swiss city, with Zurich rated as the eighth-best student city in the world and the third-best in Europe behind Paris and ahead of Berlin. Despite remaining in the top 10, the latest ranking saw the city’s score wane slightly, dropping four places compared to 2023.

Zurich: Desirable but expensive

QS wrote that “Zurich is renowned for its prosperity, orderliness and low taxes, which may make it sound more like a place for millionaires than international students. However, look a little closer and you’ll see it certainly deserves its place among the world’s top student cities.” Along with being home to one of the best universities in the world, ETH Zurich, the Swiss metropolis seems to be high on student bucket lists, with the city scoring third best in the world for desirability.

As the national hub for Swiss banks and insurance firms, Zurich was also rated as a good place for student and graduate careers. Finally, it earned good scores for safety, liveability and nature.

However, Zurich was held back, as usual, by the bill: QS noted that while costs are somewhat eased by having lower tuition fees compared to the UK and US, student housing and overall living costs meant it placed 98th in the world for affordability.

10 best student cities for 2024

In all, here are the 10 best student cities in the world, according to QS

  1. London, United Kingdom
  2. Tokyo, Japan
  3. Seoul, South Korea
  4. Munich, Germany 
  5. Melbourne, Australia
  6. Sydney, Australia
  7. Paris, France
  8. Zurich, Switzerland
  9. Berlin, Germany 
  10. Montreal, Canada

For more information about the study, and to see which other cities made the ranking, check out the QS website.

Thumb image credit: DrimaFilm / Shutterstock.com

By Jan de Boer