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Melbourne has added another title to its ever-growing list of accolades. Fresh off being named the world's best city by Time Out’s global editors earlier this year, the Victorian capital has now been crowned Australia's best student city – officially among the world's elite.
The latest QS Best Student Cities 2027 rankings have placed Melbourne as Australia's highest-ranked city, with the annual index assessing destinations around the globe on factors including affordability, quality of life, university standards and cultural diversity.
One of Melbourne's biggest wins came in the Student Mix category, where it ranked first in the world for student diversity. According to the stats, Victoria welcomed more than 322,000 international student enrolments from around 170 countries last year, making the city one of the world's most multicultural study destinations.
Melbourne also landed sixth globally for Student Voice, a measure of the overall student experience that takes into account everything from transport and affordability to employment opportunities, as well as tolerance and inclusion. Victoria is also home to two universities within the world's top 50 in the latest QS World University Rankings – reinforcing its rep as one of the world's best places to up-skill.
What does that mean to those of us who aren’t studying? International education is big business for Victoria. According to the Victorian Government, the further education sector generated $17.9 billion in export revenue in 2025 and supports around 69,000 jobs, making it the state's largest single export industry.
The rankings come as the Victorian Government rolls out its new Study with Victoria strategy, aimed at strengthening the state's position as a global leader in international education and attracting even more students from around the world.
You can check out the full report over here.
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