Top 10 friendliest cities for international students: London tops the list

Each year, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) (the world's largest global higher education network) publishes its Student-Friendly Cities rankings to showcase the ideal destinations for international students, based on a variety of indicators grouped into six main categories.

To be considered for inclusion, each city must have a population of over 250,000 and have at least two universities featured in the most recent QS World University Rankings. The six main categories include: university ranking, student diversity, liveability, employer preference, affordability and student opinion.

London has held the top position as the friendliest city for international students for 6 consecutive years (Photo: Pexels).

1. London (United Kingdom)

Since 2018, London has consistently held the top spot in the QS rankings. The UK capital has 18 prestigious universities featured in the QS World University Rankings 2025, with two of them making it into the top 10 globally, Imperial College London at 6th and University College London (UCL) at 9th.

Although the cost of living in the UK capital is high with average tuition fees for international students, the universities and city often offer valuable financial support and scholarships. London ranks 4th in the employer preference rankings, showing that graduates from London universities are highly sought after by employers.

2. Tokyo (Japan)

Tokyo is the most student-friendly city in Asia in the rankings, coming in second after London. In the QS World University Rankings 2025, the University of Tokyo in this city ranked 32nd globally.

The quality of life in Japan is very high, which is one of the reasons why Tokyo has been ranked as the most livable city for another year. As one of the world's top three financial centers, along with New York and London, the Japanese capital also offers excellent internship and career opportunities.

Seoul is also a high-tech center that gives students many options after graduation (Photo: Pexels).

3. Seoul (South Korea)

An impressive fact is that no less than 20 universities in Seoul feature in the QS World University Rankings 2025, with Seoul National University being the highest ranked at 31st place. Students and graduates in the city rate their experience highly. Compared to other cities in the rankings, the average tuition fee for an international student in Seoul is considered reasonable at around $6,300 per year.

In addition to being home to more than a dozen Fortune Global 500 companies, Seoul is also a high-tech hub for innovation.

4. Munich (Germany)

Munich rose to fourth place, one place higher than the previous year. Munich is home to the Technical University of Munich, which is ranked 28th in the QS World University Rankings 2025.

Although the cost of living may seem higher than other major cities in the world, it seems to be commensurate with the quality of life – this is reflected in the livability rating, where Munich is ranked 12th worldwide. Munich is in the world’s top 10 for employer quality, as it is a business hub not only in Bavaria, but also in Germany and Europe.

Melbourne ranks 5th for international student friendliness and 16th for employer preference (Photo: Pexel)

5. Melbourne (Australia)

In fifth place in the best student city rankings is Melbourne. Seven universities in Melbourne feature in the QS World University Rankings 2025, with the highest ranked being the University of Melbourne at 13th in the world, which is also the highest ranked university in Australia.

Melbourne is one of the most diverse cities in Australia, with around 94,000 international students from around the world. Melbourne also ranks 16th in the employer preference index.

6. Sydney (Australia)

Although Melbourne is ranked as Australia’s top student city, Sydney is still a strong contender, coming in at number 6 in the QS rankings. Sydney now has six universities in the world university rankings, with both the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales in the global top 20.

Sydney is not only home to some of the world’s best universities, it is also one of the largest business hubs in the Asia-Pacific. In Sydney, graduates can find jobs at world-leading companies such as Google, Apple, Deloitte, KPMG, Microsoft, EY…

Universities in Paris are considered to have reasonable tuition fees for international students (Photo: Pexels).

7. Paris (France)

The French capital remains firmly in the top 10 of the QS student-friendly cities rankings. It is a major international education hub and is home to 12 universities featured in the QS World University Rankings 2025, with Université PSL ranked 24th globally.

Although Paris is known for its high cost of living, this is balanced by affordable tuition fees for international students. Ranked 6th in the employer preference index, Paris graduates are highly regarded by employers.

8. Zurich (Switzerland)

At number 8 in the rankings is Zurich. ETH Zurich is the highest-ranked university in Europe – and the best-performing university outside the US and UK (ranked 7th in the QS World University Rankings 2025).

While rent and living costs can be expensive, tuition fees in Switzerland are “affordable” for international students. Graduate jobs in Zurich are popular in the finance sector, including banking, accounting, tax consulting, business consulting and asset management. Overall, Zurich ranks sixth in terms of employer activity.

Zurich (Switzerland) is in the top 10 cities friendly to international students (Photo: Pexels).

9. Berlin (Germany)

Germany is increasingly popular as a study abroad destination and in QS's student-friendly city rankings, the country's capital Berlin has secured a spot in the top 10.

All undergraduate (and some postgraduate) programmes are free at public universities in Germany, even for international students. Job prospects are very good for graduates in Berlin. The most sought-after professions are healthcare practitioners, engineers and IT professionals. For this reason, Berlin ranks 14th in terms of employer preference.

10. Montreal (Canada)

Montreal is currently ranked 10th in the QS list of most student-friendly cities. Montreal is home to several of Canada’s top-ranked universities, including McGill University and the University of Montreal. Ranked 32nd for employer activity, Montreal remains a hub for a number of sectors, including technology, finance, retail, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, transportation and commerce.

List of top 10 international student-friendly cities according to QS (Screenshot).

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/top-10-thanh-pho-than-thien-nhat-doi-voi-sinh-vien-quoc-te-london-dung-dau-20240727074409716.htm