The best student cities worldwide
According to QS 2023 (Quacquarelli Symonds, a British consultancy specializing in higher education), London is ranked as the best city for international students, ahead of Munich and Seoul. Zurich came in 4th, followed by Melbourne, Berlin, Tokyo, Paris and Sydney. Edinburgh ranked 10th. The 2023 edition was published in June 2022. The 2024 edition, published on July 19, brings a few changes. London is still a favorite destination, but only 2 points ahead of Tokyo, which leaps to 2nd place. Seoul remains 3rd. Melbourne moves up one spot to 4th while Munich drops to 5th. Paris climbs to 6th place and Sydney climbs to 7th. Berlin and Zurich are tied for 8th, and Boston ranks 10th.
Other rankings rank Montreal as the best city for international students, just ahead of Tokyo and Vancouver. Glasgow, Melbourne, Munich, Sydney, Manchester, Liverpool and Copenhagen are also in the top 10. These rankings take into account not only the quality of education but also the number of international students, the cost of living, safety and the city's openness (welcome, leisure activities, etc.). While the rankings differ according to the comparison methods used, it is worth noting that the same cities can appear in different rankings. This is true of Melbourne, Munich and Tokyo. Other cities, such as Amsterdam, do not feature in the top 10 but are just as popular with international students.
Melbourne and Amsterdam: Popular student cities
According to the rankings, Amsterdam is the 5th or 4th best European city for international students. The Netherlands currently welcomes more than 100,000 international students, attracted by the quality of life, the high standard of the universities and the multicultural environment. The Delft University of Technology, the University of Twente and the University of Amsterdam are among the best in the country, offering a wide range of courses, including some in English. In fact, the University of Amsterdam is one of the world's top 100 universities. The Netherlands shows that excellence doesn't have to mean exorbitant tuition fees. The cost of an academic year varies between EUR 2,000 and EUR 4,000 for a European student. For students from other countries, on the other hand, it can cost between 8,000 and 20,000 EUR per year. Nevertheless, these costs are well below those in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Melbourne, the state of Victoria's capital, is Australia's best city for international students. The city also ranks highly among the world's best student cities, close to London, Zurich, Tokyo and Seoul. Victoria currently welcomes over 140,000 international students. Building on this success, the government presented its International Education 2025 Stimulus Plan last year. The Plan includes a $53 million fund to boost and expand its international education network. Australia is already a popular expat destination for its privileged living environment, dynamic job market, culture and quality of life. In 2023, Melbourne was crowned the world's most liveable city for the 7th year in a row. Two other Australian cities, Perth and Adelaide, ranked 8th and 9th respectively.
What does it take to get into the best universities?
Good academic results are essential if you want to be considered by one of the world's best universities. Then there are the entrance exams, a prerequisite for admission to the university of your dreams. But academic results alone are not enough.
Prepare well in advance
Applying to a prestigious university isn't something you decide overnight. International students preparing to join a prestigious university abroad need to start preparing as early as the beginning of high school.
Getting support
In the United States, students benefit from a support system that helps to prepare their application to the best possible institutions. Not all countries offer this system, but if you want to succeed at all costs, it's better to seek the assistance of professionals. Remember to have solid letters of recommendation.
Choosing the right program
To be able to join a prestigious university, you need to have the right background. Good results, but a diploma from a course deemed inadequate, can hinder your plans to study abroad at a prestigious university. Hence the growing interest in preparatory courses. These courses are intended for students with outstanding academic results. Selection is based on diplomas and money. However, preparatory schools have a cost that you must consider besides enrolling in a university abroad.
Having an interesting profile
As mentioned above, excellent grades are not enough. Top universities are also looking for personalities. In this age of soft skills, developing abilities other than technical ones is essential to stand out from the crowd. Here again, you need to prepare well in advance of your university application. Do you have an interest in arts or sports? Are you involved in an association? Have you ever traveled abroad or worked in a small job? Have you ever set up a project? All these activities and experiences are skills that universities look at carefully. Don't overlook these experiences, and work on the essays that universities may ask you to write. Don't botch this written work, which will tell them more about you, your character and your motivation.
Learning the host country's language
It is always recommended to learn the host country's language. Of course, many most prestigious universities around the world offer courses entirely in English, as well as language courses to help international students integrate. An excellent student has every chance of getting into a prestigious university, even if they don't know the local language. On the other hand, they will be expected to have an excellent level of English, evidenced by a passing grade on language tests. But here again, it all depends on the university and course of study chosen. Some require you to pass a test in the local language, while others require you to pass both the local language and English tests.
Are the world's most prestigious universities accessible?
Enrolling into one of the world's most prestigious universities is quite challenging. Take, for example, the very closed circle of the most influential universities in the USA, known as the "Ivy League": Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Pennsylvania and Yale. These universities, which are also among the best in the world, have an average admission rate of only 3-7%. By comparison, Cambridge and Oxford Universities have an acceptance rate of around 19%.
International students may face other challenges, starting with the cost of living abroad. In addition to tuition fees that can be substantial, the cities where the best universities are located are also expensive. Student grants are usually not enough to cover expenses. Of course, there are student jobs available, but combining study and work can be risky when it comes to studies. It's hard to be at 100% all the time when you're thinking about all the expenses you'll have to pay (rent, electricity, food, etc.). That's why you are advised to prepare your project well in advance with the help of professionals in the field. Remember that other universities, located in the most attractive cities for students, also offer quality courses.
