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.

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