The latest ranking by QS has named Zurich in Switzerland as the fourth-best city in the world for students to live in. With the city also being home to the best university in continental Europe, Zurich remains one of the top destinations for international academia.

The Best Student Cities ranking by QS 2023

The Best Student Cities ranking by QS rates the best urban destinations around the world for international students. To qualify for the ranking, each city needs to have a population of over 250.000 people and be home to two universities that are featured on the company’s university ranking.

To determine each city’s score, QS considers the following factors:

• The quality of the university
• The diversity and proportion of students in the city
• How desirable the city is to students
• The attractiveness of the city to employers 
• Affordability criteria like the cost of student accommodation
• How many students choose to live in the city after graduation

Each city is then given a score out of 100 in each category, with the total average used to create the ranking.

London named as the best student city in the world

Of the 164 cities analysed in the 2023 study, London was found to be the best city in the world for students for the fourth year in a row. The city received a perfect score, due to the number and diversity of university courses, and the quality of student life in the British capital.

Seoul, South Korea and Munich in Bavaria were ranked as the joint second-best student cities in the world. These were followed by the Swiss city of Zurich, which rose to fourth in the latest ranking.

Swiss cities rise in the ranking due to great student scores

QS explained that Zurich’s score improved because of more positive student feedback, with one respondent praising its “natural beauty and high standard of living.” Along with the high quality of life, both the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich are ranked in the top 100 best universities in the world, with the latter being the best university outside of the US and UK, according to QS rankings.

Bear in mind that population and university number requirements meant that only two Swiss cities were eligible for the list. The other Swiss city, Lausanne, came in 19th overall, just above the Dutch capital Amsterdam in 21st.

10 best student cities in the world

According to the QS Best Student Cities ranking for 2023, here are the 10 best cities in the world for students:

• 1. London
• =2. Munich
• =2. Seoul
• 4. Zurich
• 5. Melbourne
• 6. Berlin
• 7. Tokyo
• 8. Paris
• 9. Sydney
• 10. Edinburgh

For more information and details about the ranking, check out the QS website.