Seoul retains title as world’s best city for students in latest QS rankings

Seoul has been named the world’s best city for students for the second consecutive year in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Best Student Cities Ranking, besting Tokyo and London once again

The Korean capital earned a perfect score of 100 in the 2027 rankings, followed by Tokyo with 98 points and London with 97.3. The top three remained unchanged from last year

The annual ranking evaluates 150 cities with populations of more than 250,000 that have at least two universities featured in the QS World University Rankings 2027, released last month

Cities are assessed across six indicators: university rankings, desirability, employer activity, affordability, student mix and student voice

Seoul received the highest score for university rankings, with 23 universities in the capital included in the QS World University Rankings. It also ranked second globally for employer activity, behind only Tokyo

“To top a field of 150 cities once is an achievement; to do it twice in succession, and with a perfect score, speaks to something durable,” Ben Sowter, senior vice president at QS, said in a press release

“Seoul’s repeat title reflects sustained investment in higher education. What is most encouraging is the depth beyond the capital: With Daejeon and Gwangju entering for the first time, Korea is showing that quality is spreading across the country, not pooling in one place.”

Five Korean cities were included in this year’s rankings, with Daejeon and Gwangju making their debut

Daejeon, home to KAIST and Chungnam National University, ranked 67th, while Gwangju — home to Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology and Chonnam National University — debuted at 144th

Busan fell three places to 120th from 117th last year, while Daegu slipped one spot to 132nd

QS said Korea’s strong ranking reflects the country’s focus on building “one of the world’s most employability-focused and outward-looking higher education systems.”

It also credited government policy, highlighting the Study Korea 300K initiative, which aimed to attract 300,000 international students by 2027. The target was reached in August 2025, two years ahead of schedule

Among the global top 10, Melbourne climbed one place to fourth with 94.8 points, while Munich dropped to fifth, tying with Sydney at 94.1 points

Paris retained seventh place, Berlin slipped to eighth, Vienna climbed to ninth and Zurich rounded out the top 10 after falling one spot. Singapore ranked 11th, followed by Beijing in 12th

The QS Best Student Cities Ranking evaluates cities across six categories. The university rankings indicator measures the performance of institutions in the QS World University Rankings, while employer activity reflects recognition by domestic and international employers, as well as youth employment levels

Desirability considers factors such as climate, safety, health care and corruption. Affordability measures tuition fees and living costs, while student mix evaluates the concentration of domestic and international students. Student voice is based on survey responses measuring students’ experiences in the city and their willingness to remain there after graduation, adjusted for the level of international participation.

Source: www.koreajoongangdaily.com