The Best Cities To Be A Student

Many cities around the world are well-known for offering excellent options for university study. But which of these are actually the best student cities in the world?

We’ve ranked the best locations to study abroad, looking for cities that offer an unbeatable student experience, an affordable environment to study in, and of course world-leading research and teaching to help you get the most out of your studies abroad.

If you’re looking to become an international student, make sure to include these awesome student cities on your shortlist.

The most popular cities for international students

The first question to ask is which cities worldwide offer the most vibrant culture for students?

Some cities are famous for boasting a huge number of students across multiple universities. In cities with a high number of students, you can expect a local culture geared towards the young and studious, with plenty of quiet cafes for studying, bars for nightlife, sports and leisure facilities, and excellent employers ready to offer jobs to post-graduates.

As an international student, you’ll have no trouble fitting into the student population in these cities, and will find ample opportunities to make new friends.

As the largest city in the world by population, it is perhaps no surprise that Tokyo tops the world leaderboard for the highest number of university students. With over 2 million people enrolled in higher education (out of an urban population of 37 million) across nearly 150 universities, Tokyo is far and away one of the best places to study in the world.

The USA is also highly-represented on the world leaderboard, with four cities in the top ten for the total number of students. Other US cities such as Philadelphia, Miami, Washington D.C. and Dallas also come close to appearing in the top 10. In 2024, the United States had 84 universities in the QS World Universities top 500 institutions worldwide, of which 4 are in the top 10, with Massachusetts Institute of Technology the number one university in the world.

Meanwhile, for international students, London must surely rank as one the best cities worldwide. Being one of the most diverse cities in the world, it is perhaps no surprise that London has one of the highest proportion of international students. Of the UK’s international student community, 11% are from India, 11% are from China and 5% are from Nigeria, while around 17% are from the European Union.

The best cities to find top-ranked universities

Another question we could ask is which cities worldwide have the most top-ranked universities? For this, we can turn to the QS Top Universities World University Rankings 2024.

From the 500 best universities in the world, we find that these cities have the highest numbers of world-class institutions:

If you’re looking for the best city in the world to study, London tops the list with the highest number of world-class universities, followed closely by Paris and Seoul. Not only are these considered some of the most prestigious cities in the world to study, they are also the cities with the best access to high-quality education resources and the highest number of top staff and students.

Don’t worry if these cities don’t appeal to you. Any top university, no matter where it is, is just as prestigious. Furthermore, a great number of major cities narrowly missed the list with three universities in the top 500, including Singapore, Shanghai (China), Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth (Australia), Milan (Italy), Berlin (Germany), Dublin (Ireland), Lyon (France) and Chicago (USA).

The best cities for student experience

Having the best universities is all well and good, but if you are moving abroad to a foreign city to study, you’ll need to think about much more than the quality of the teaching. It’s also important to think about the culture of your chosen city and whether it will suit your tastes and interests.

To provide a great student experience, the university and the city must collectively offer its students a desirable, safe and fun place to live, with plenty to do at an affordable price and the opportunity to develop one’s career.

Every year, QS Top Universities compiles a list of the top student cities in the world using a scoring system based on six key metrics:

• University rankings
• Student mix
• Desirability
• Employer activity
• Affordability
• Student voice

According to Top Universities 2024 rankings, the QS Best Student Cities are:

The best student cities for your subject

Another thing you must consider when moving abroad is which countries offer the best learning environment for your chosen subject. Thanks to their world-class infrastructure, some cities can boast of offering the best learning experiences for students in one particular subject area. Let’s look around the world to find the best university cities for popular subjects.

Best student city for Business Studies

London, UK

While Harvard Business School may dominate the leaderboards as the best university in the world for business and management studies, London offers not one, not two, but three of the top 30 business schools in its midst. Moreover, as the financial and business capital of Europe, London offers its students unrivalled opportunities, both in the form of corporate internships while they study and graduate career pipelines after they’ve graduated.

Best business universities in London

Source: QS Top Universities

Best student city for Engineering

Boston, USA

When it comes to engineering, no university in the world comes close to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). That is, except one: Boston’s other university is the world-famous Harvard University, which also ranks in the top 10 universities worldwide for engineering. In 2024, MIT topped the QS Top Universities leaderboards for almost every category of engineering, whether that’s chemical engineering, civil engineering or electrical engineering.

Best universities for engineering in Boston

Source: QS Top Universities

Best student city for Medicine

London, UK

London once again seizes the top spot for medicine. With 4 of the world’s top 20 universities for medicine in the city, plus 84 hospitals offering world-leading hands-on teaching, it’s no wonder medical students flock from around the world to study in London. The capital of the UK also offers great post-graduate employment opportunities, which is why many medicine graduates choose to stay in Britain after their studies.

Best universities for medicine in London

Source: QS Top Universities

Best student city for Mathematics

Paris, France

Don’t worry if you don’t speak French. Mathematics is the second language of Paris. No other city in the world can boast of having 4 universities in the top 20 worldwide for mathematics, which is why it’s no surprise Paris has churned out some of the world’s best mathematicians over the years, including Fields Medal winners Pierre-Louis Lions, Jean-Christophe Yoccoz, Wendelin Werner, Ngô Bảo Châu and Artur Avila. If you’re comfortable with numbers, you’ll feel right at home in Paris.

Best universities for mathematics in Paris

Best student city for Arts and Humanities

New York City, USA

When it comes to art and culture, few cities in the world compare to New York. As well as hosting prestigious specialist colleges such as The Juilliard School of drama, the New York Fashion Institute of Technology and the Parsons School of Design, New York is home to several of the world’s top universities teaching arts and humanities to the highest global standard. Whether your passion lies in history, philosophy, art, theology or linguistics, you are guaranteed to find not only the best-quality teaching in New York, but a city-wide community of fellow like-minded academics.

Best universities for arts and humanities in New York City

Best student city for Biological Sciences

San Francisco, USA

Silicon Valley has already given the world social media and electric cars. Now it has its heart set on disrupting the worlds of bio-engineering, genetics, immunology and biomedical sciences too. It should come as no surprise, then, to see San Francisco dominate the leaderboard for the top universities in the world for biological sciences. Not only will students have the opportunity to study biology at the cutting edge, they will also benefit from world-leading employment opportunities after graduation.

Best universities for biological sciences in San Francisco

Best student city for Chemistry

Boston, USA

Despite being one of the most competitive subject areas in the world, one city stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to chemistry – and that city is Boston. With an impressive one-two on the QS World Universities leaderboards, batting away fierce competition from London, Paris, Berlin and Singapore, Boston should be the number one destination for any serious chemist. Home to some of the world’s leading chemical engineering companies, it’s no wonder the Boston-metro area is so invested in providing world-class education in this subject.

Best universities for chemistry in Boston

Source: QS Top Universities

Best student city for Physics and Astrophysics

Los Angeles, USA

If you want to study the stars, what better place than LA? The city has long held a popular part in the imaginations of famous physicists, from Albert Einstein to Richard Feynman, to modern-day Nobel Prize winners like John Clauser and Andrea Ghez. And from the Griffith Observatory to the headquarters of SpaceX, there’s plenty in the way of infrastructure, too. As a student of physics and/or astrophysics, you’ll no doubt find Los Angeles to be a truly stimulating environment, offering opportunities to delve into all sorts of interesting avenues.

Best universities for physics in Los Angeles

Source: QS Top Universities

Best student city for Psychology

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Dutch people are very open-minded and great at expressing themselves, which might help to explain why the Netherlands seems to have a great knack for the teaching and researching of psychology. Dutch universities are at the leading edge of psychological research, and their cities – known for being some of the happiest on earth – help to ensure their students stay in good psychological health during their studies, too. But of course, to enjoy the complete Dutch experience as a psychology experience, one city surely tops the list. Amsterdam, known for its incredible nightlife and forward-thinking culture, is an incredible place to study as well as to live.

Best universities for psychology in Amsterdam

The best student cities for cost of living

So, you’ve found your ideal student city for the quality of education, culture and learning environment. All that’s left is to make sure you can afford it.

As you’ve probably noticed, the cities that have topped our leaderboards so far have included some of the most expensive cities on earth, such as London and New York City. This is not to say that all university cities will set you back a lot of money – indeed, some student cities are well-known for offering a low cost of living to students.

Let’s look at some of the most reasonably priced student cities in the world, where you will also find at least two world-class universities.

The cheapest student cities

Source: Numbeo

Next step: choose international health insurance

So, now you know the most popular student cities worldwide, the cities with the best universities and the most affordable student cities – all that’s left to decide is which city is going to be best for you.

Once you’ve decided on your ideal destination, the next thing to think about should be your health. As an international student, you may want to think about choosing international health insurance. This ensures you get:

• Flexible coverage to suit your budget
• Access to world-class medical treatments
• Cover that travels with you

At William Russell, we have over 30 years’ experience helping international students like you to get the best deal on international health insurance. Our policies give you access to an extensive network of over 40,000 medical facilities worldwide, meaning you’ll always have access to the best-quality treatment when you need it.

Get an online quote today and start your studies overseas with total peace of mind.