The latest edition of the QS Best Student Cities 2023 uses the opinions of current students to rate university locations on factors including affordability and desirability.

This year's top ten cities include Melbourne, Sydney, Tokyo, Seoul and Zurich – but once again, the top spot goes to London.

London received exceptional scores for Student Mix (94.9), Desirability (94.9), Employer Activity and Student Voice. Its high concentration of world-class universities also helped boost its position, achieving the world’s second-best score in the Rankings Indicator.  

Despite this performance, there’s still a lot of work to be done regarding the affordability of the city – London scored 19.4 and ranked 127th for this indicator. 

Seoul and Munich are in joint second place this year, both receiving a score of 95.1. Munich stood out this year for its Student Voice score (an indicator of overall student experience), whilst Seoul’s top position was supported by the number of outstanding institutions it hosts, receiving a perfect score of 100 in the World University Ranking indicator.

While Berlin dropped one position – switching with Melbourne to be ranked sixth this year – its appeal as a study-abroad destination remains strong.

In fifth place Melbourne is a highly attractive destination for international students and is home to one of the world’s most diverse student communities. Therefore, it’s no surprise it achieved one of the ranking’s highest scores for student view and for student mix.

Seven universities in Melbourne are featured in the QS World University Rankings 2023, the highest-ranked of which is the University of Melbourne at 33rd in the world, the second-highest ranked university in Australia.

Melbourne ranked third in the student view indicator, and it received a whole host of compliments in the student survey.

One student said: “Melbourne is very internationally diverse and student friendly. It is very easy to move around the city and there is always something interesting happening at any given time” while another loved the “friendliness of locals and the vibrant culture” on offer. 

Although Melbourne takes the crown as Australia’s leading student city, Sydney remains a very strong rival, finishing in ninth place for the third year running.

Sydney comes just two spots behind Melbourne for the student mix indicator, thanks to its large, diverse and inclusive student community. It also ranks fourth in the world for desirability, reflecting the all-round high quality of life in the city, as well as its popularity among prospective students.

Sydney also remains ninth worldwide for employer activity, highlighting the excellent reputation of its graduates. There are also lots of opportunities available for Sydney graduates who want to work in Australia after graduation.  

As well as being Australia’s financial and economic hub, Sydney is known for the stunning panorama of its harbour, iconic opera house, large selection of green spaces within the city, and proximity to beaches which are among the most beautiful not just in Australia but anywhere in the world. It’s also been ranked one of the 10 most liveable cities on the planet by both Mercer and The Economist.

Sydney currently has five universities included in the QS World University Rankings, with both the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales featuring in the global top 50. 

Top 10 Best Student Cities for 2023:

#1 London, United Kingdom            Score = 100

=#2 Munich, Germany                      Score = 95.1

= #2 Seoul, South Korea                   Score = 95.1

# 4 Zurich, Switzerland                     Score = 95

#5 Melbourne, Australia                   Score = 93.3

# 6 Berlin, Germany                           Score = 93.2

# 7 Tokyo, Japan                               Score = 92.9

#8 Paris, France                                 Score = 92.4

#9 Sydney, Australia                          Score = 91.6

#10 Edinburgh, United Kingdom      Score = 90.6