It’s official: London is the best city in Europe for students

London boasts some of the planet’s most prestigious universities, from the London School of Economics (LSE) and Imperial to King’s College and UCL. In QS’s latest 2026 ranking of the best universities in the world, two of those unis cracked the top 10 – with Imperial impressively placing second overall.

So, we know that the capital has some top-tier unis but academic prestige aside, how good is London for students? Pretty great, it turns out, as QS has just published its ranking of the best student cities in the world – and London ranks very highly indeed.

QS (Quacquarelli Symonds, a higher education analytics firm) ranked its student cities according to a range of factors. Cities were judged based on metrics ranging from affordability, safety, pollution levels and inclusivity to youth employment levels, the number of international students and, of course, the number of high-performing educational institutions. Surveys of actual students also played an important part in the study.  

London has dominated QS’s student cities ranking for years, having topped the list for six years between 2018 and 2024. This year our capital has slightly slipped down the ranking, but it’s still right up near the top. London placed third, behind Seoul and Tokyo but ahead of any other city in Europe.

The Big Smoke thrived in most of QS’s major categories, receiving very high scores for its ‘student mix’, ‘employer activity’, ‘desirability’ and for the prestige of its universities. London also scored very well in reviews from students, getting a rating of 98.3 out of 100 – second highest in the world (behind Berlin).

Predictably, the main category in which London floundered was affordability. The capital received a pitiful affordability score of just 12.6 out of 100, putting it 137th out of 150. QS noted that London’s international fees are high (though not as high as many institutions in the US), as are expected monthly costs. LSE apparently recommends that students budget £1,100 to £1,300 per month to live in the city.

Despite its priciness, London received praise for a bunch of other factors – including its buzzy nightlife, free museums, bountiful greenery and diverse international community. You can find out more about the city’s ranking on the QS website here.

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