Best Student Cities Rankings 2026
Snapshot 2026-09-16. QS Best Student Cities 2027: Seoul 100 No. 1 for a second year, Tokyo 98, London 97.3. 150 cities. No blended score.
Snapshot 2026-09-16. The main table is QS Best Student Cities 2027, announced 21 July 2026 (150 cities). Seoul is first at 100 for a second year, Tokyo 98, London 97.3. Liveability sits in Global Liveable Cities 2026. Visitor arrivals: Global Travel Cities 2026.
QS Best Student Cities 2027
QS scores university rankings, employer activity, affordability, desirability, student mix and student view. Seoul has 100 on Rankings, 94.1 on employer activity, 89 on desirability, 80.1 on student mix, 77.9 on student view and 52.4 on affordability. Munich and Sydney share fifth at 94.1. Lausanne and New York share 23rd at 84.7. The numbers are copied from the live QS page.
| QS | City | Location | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seoul | South Korea | 100 |
| 2 | Tokyo | Japan | 98 |
| 3 | London | United Kingdom | 97.3 |
| 4 | Melbourne | Australia | 94.8 |
| =5 | Munich | Germany | 94.1 |
| =5 | Sydney | Australia | 94.1 |
| 7 | Paris | France | 92.5 |
| 8 | Berlin | Germany | 91.8 |
| 9 | Vienna | Austria | 90.9 |
| 10 | Zurich | Switzerland | 90.6 |
| 11 | Singapore | Singapore | 90.2 |
| 12 | Beijing | China (Mainland) | 89.2 |
| 13 | Edinburgh | United Kingdom | 89.1 |
| 14 | Taipei | Taiwan | 88.4 |
| 15 | Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | 88 |
| 16 | Kyoto | Japan | 87.9 |
| 17 | Hong Kong SAR | Hong Kong SAR | 87.7 |
| 18 | Boston | United States | 87.6 |
| 19 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | 86.8 |
| 20 | Montreal | Canada | 86.2 |
| 21 | Shanghai | China (Mainland) | 85.9 |
| 22 | Toronto | Canada | 85.8 |
| =23 | Lausanne | Switzerland | 84.7 |
| =23 | New York | United States | 84.7 |
| 25 | Stockholm | Sweden | 84.6 |
| 26 | Auckland | New Zealand | 84.2 |
| 27 | Prague | Czech Republic | 84 |
| 28 | Copenhagen | Denmark | 83.4 |
| 29 | Madrid | Spain | 83.2 |
| 30 | Brisbane | Australia | 83.1 |
Top 10 versus the 2026 edition
The QS press release lists last year’s places on the same ruler. Seoul, Tokyo and London stay put. Melbourne moves from 5th to 4th. Vienna moves from 10th to 9th. Zurich moves from 9th to 10th.
| 2027 | 2026 | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Seoul |
| 2 | 2 | Tokyo |
| 3 | 3 | London |
| 4 | 5 | Melbourne |
| =5 | 4 | Munich |
| =5 | 6 | Sydney |
| 7 | =7 | Paris |
| 8 | =7 | Berlin |
| 9 | 10 | Vienna |
| 10 | 9 | Zurich |
Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taipei
The press release says mainland China now has 10 ranked cities. Inside the top 30 on the live page: Beijing 12th (89.2), Taipei 14th (88.4), Hong Kong 17th (87.7), Shanghai 21st (85.9). Other mainland ranks are not on this page of 30, so they are not invented here.
| QS | City | Location | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Beijing | China (Mainland) | 89.2 |
| 14 | Taipei | Taiwan | 88.4 |
| 17 | Hong Kong SAR | Hong Kong SAR | 87.7 |
| 21 | Shanghai | China (Mainland) | 85.9 |
How this list is ranked
Snapshot 2026-09-16. The main table is QS Best Student Cities 2027, announced 21 July 2026 (150 cities). Whole-university tables sit in Global Universities 2026. Chinese undergraduate tables: China Universities 2026. Liveability: Global Liveable Cities 2026. China air-quality cities: China liveable cities 2026. Visitor arrivals: Global Travel Cities 2026. China domestic trips: China travel cities 2026. Method: QS Best Student Cities methodology. Names: docs/glossaries/student-cities-2026-glossary.md.
| Source | Snapshot | Basis | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| QS Best Student Cities 2027 | Announced 2026-07-21; rechecked 2026-09-16 | 150 cities / 59 higher-education systems; Seoul 100; Rankings 100, Employer Activity 94.1, Desirability 89, Student Mix 80.1, Student View 77.9, Affordability 52.4 | Primary |
| QS press release | 2026-07-21 | Top 10 vs 2026 edition; UK 16 cities, US 14, mainland China 10 | Support |
互动体验：拖拽排位《Global Student Cities Tier List 2026》
Global Student Cities Tier List 2026
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