London has been ranked the best student city in the world for the fifth consecutive year. Tokyo came in second place, followed by Seoul, Melbourne, and Munich.

London has been ranked the best student city in the world for the fifth consecutive year, according to a new ranking by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The UK capital city scored highly in all six key indicators used to create the list: employer activity, student mix, desirability, and affordability.

Tokyo in Japan came in second place, followed by Seoul in South Korea, Melbourne in Australia, and Munich in Germany.

The list only includes cities with more than 250,000 residents and with at least two universities in the QS World University Rankings.

Seoul dominated the World University Rankings indicator with its record 23 ranked universities.

Other indicators include student mix, including how many international students are enrolled in the city, desirability, and affordability.

Coventry and Edinburgh, both in the UK, topped the student mix indicator, with Copenhagen in Denmark ranked highly for safety, low pollution levels, and students saying they’d like to live in the city.

Zurich and Sydney also both did well in the desirability indicator.

Three cities in Indonesia were among the top 10 locations for affordability, with Yogyakarta coming out top.

Overall, 70% of the 160 ranked cities saw declines for the affordability indicator in 2024.

Germany and Australia are each home to two of the world’s 10 best student cities, while Canada and the US each boast three top-20 student cities.

The top-ranked city in Latin America is Buenos Aires at 34, mainland China is Beijing at 37, India’s is Mumbai at 118, and Cape Town is top in Africa at number 86.

The top student city in the Middle East for the 11th edition of the ranking is Dubai coming in at 54.

“London’s recognition as the ‘Best Student City 2024’ is a celebration of its role as a premier destination for education, innovation, and cultural vibrancy,” said Jessica Turner, QS CEO.

“London offers students a unique blend of academic excellence, multicultural vibrancy, and a thriving economy,” she added.