London has ranked third in the QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2027, the best-performing European city on the list.
The annual ranking by higher education analyst QS Quacquarelli Symonds assesses 150 cities across 59 higher education systems using a range of indicators, including university performance, employer activity, affordability, student experience and desirability.
Seoul, in South Korea, tops this year’s list, followed by Tokyo, however six of the top ten cities are all located in Europe.
Melbourne climbed to fourth place in the latest rankings, up from fifth last year, while Munich and Sydney shared fifth position. Paris ranked seventh, followed by Berlin (8th), Vienna (9th) and Zurich (10th).
Looking at the broader list outside the top ten, the UK had the largest number of ranked cities overall, with 16, ahead of the United States with 14 and China with 10.
Read more: Food ordering habits of European students explored in new Foodora study
Top European performers
Of the European cities to feature, Vienna, which rose to ninth overall, ranked second globally for desirability, while Amsterdam climbed to 19th and topped the world in the desirability category. QS attributed Vienna’s improvement in part to the growing international profile of Austrian universities.
Germany also performed strongly, with Munich and Berlin remaining among the highest-ranked cities globally. Hamburg entered the rankings for the first time, placing 103rd.
In Italy, Milan climbed five places to 39th, supported by improved employer reputation and university performance. QS also noted that Italian cities continue to offer relatively affordable study options compared with many other European destinations.
Switzerland is home to two ranked cities – Zurich and Lausanne (23rd) – with QS noting that both are among the world’s most international, ‘reflecting a strategy that prizes research excellence and selective talent’. Read more here.
QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2027 – Top 10
| 2027 Rank | 2026 Rank | 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 |
