For the first time ever, South Korea’s capital, Seoul, has been named the best city for students. After six consecutive editions in first place, London drops to third place, while Tokyo maintains second position.
There has been significant movement among the top 20 cities. Now, 10 of the top 20 cities are in Asia Pacific, highlighting the region’s increased influence on global higher education.
While the top cities excel in many of our indicators, Affordability is a persistent challenge. Low Affordability may lead to international students looking outside the big four destinations or staying in their home country. London’s declining affordability was a significant driver in it losing its top spot. Edinburgh also suffered in this metric compared to the 2025 results.
Why is Seoul the best city for students in 2026?
Seoul improved its Affordability score compared to 2025. It also marginally improved its Desirability, which is measured by safety, pollution, and the number of respondents to the QS International Student Survey that wanted to study in Seoul. While improving in these metrics, Seoul also maintained a higher number of institutions ranked in the QS World University Rankings and performed well for Employer Activity.
The rise of Asia Pacific as a student destination
While Seoul taking top spot is the big story this year, other cities in the Asia Pacific region have seen prodigious rises.
In contrast to many European and United States cities, Asia Pacific cities have improved their Affordability score, with Taipei, Hong Kong (SAR), Tokyo and Seoul all improving their score by over 10. Eight of the 10 APAC cities in the top 20 have improved their Student Mix score, which is measured by the proportion of the city’s population that are students. Improving in this indicator further emphasises APAC’s increasing appeal for international students.
Regional analysis
South Asia, Middle East and Africa
Following a 19-place improvement driven by an increased number of ranked institutions, Amman is now the best city in the Middle East for students. Cairo is Africa’s best city for students following improvements in Desirability.
Mumbai is India’s best city for students, and has moved into the top 100 for the first time. Following improvements across the QS World University Rankings suite, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai have also all increased their rank.
Europe
In Europe, the picture is less positive. London has been dethroned as the best student city, and Desirability scores are down in seven of Europe’s top 10 cities. All ranked UK cities have seen a reduction in Affordability, and all except Nottingham and Leeds have dropped in the Ranking.
North America
Similarly to Europe, North America’s have seen a precipitous decline. All ranked cities except Boston and Baltimore have dropped, with Durham (US) dropping by 54 places. Primarily, this is driven by drops in Student Mix and Desirability scores. While Canadian cities have seen drops in these indicators, US declines are more severe in these two indicators.
Latin America
Improvements in Affordability and Desirability have driven changes across Latin American cities. Buenos Aires improved by 10 positions, now ranking as the 32nd best city or students. Bogota entered the top 100 thanks to improved Desirability and Affordability.
Join us at a QS Summit
Our global Summits are being held in world class student cities. Get the latest higher education insights and improve your institution’s performance.
- The Back to School Summit is taking place on 10-11 September in New York
- QS Higher Ed Summit: Americas is being held in Buenos Aires on 2-3 October
- Seoul will play host to QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific on 4-6 November
- Our Reimagine Education Awards & Conference will be hosted in London on 1-3 December
We hope to see you there.
Frequently asked questions
Which cities are the best for international students in 2026?
According to the QS Best Student Cities 2026 ranking, the top five cities for students in 2026 are:
- Seoul
- Tokyo
- London
- Munich
- Melbourne
How is the QS Best Student City ranking calculated?
We use six indicators to calculate the best city for students. Each are worth 16.67% of a city’s total score. The indicators are selected to best represent what matters to a student when they choose a city to study in.
University Rankings
- How many universities does the city have that are ranked in the QS World University Rankings?
- How do those ranked institutions perform?
Student Mix
- What proportion of the city’s population are students?
- How many international students are enrolled in the city?
- How inclusive is the city and the country it’s located in?
Desirability
- How safe is the city?
- What are the pollution levels like in the city?
- How many respondents to the QS International Student Survey wanted to study in the city?
Employer Activity
- What is youth employment like in the city?
- What do employers think of the graduates produced by universities in the city?
Affordability
- How much does tuition cost at the city’s universities?
- What is the cost of living for students in the city?
Student View
- What ratings did students give the city’s friendliness, sustainability, diversity and more?
- What proportion of students continue to live in the city after graduation?
How do QS city rankings differ from university rankings?
We know that location is a very important factor for students looking to study abroad. The QS Best Student Cities ranking measures how student friendly a city is. While it uses the number of ranked institutions as an indicator, QS Best Student Cities also uses other indicators such as Affordability and Employer Activity to assess a city’s suitability.
What are the safest cities for students according to QS Rankings?
The QS Best Student Cities measures safety as part of its Desirability indicator. The highest performing cities in the Desirability indicator are:
- Amsterdam
- Copenhagen
- Helsinki
- Vienna
- Sydney
How often is the QS Best Student Cities ranking updated?
We release QS Best Student Cities every year.
Who should I contact for media enquiries?
You can use the QS Press Centre to contact us if you have any media enquiries.
