Research: London Is World’s Best City to Be a Student in 2024, Vienna Second

London has been crowned as the best city in the world to pursue education in 2024, according to a recent study.

The research by MastersDegree.net considered various factors crucial for a good student experience, such as student popularity, quality of life, friendliness, English language proficiency, safety, monthly budget, scholarship opportunities, and employment rate.

Just behind London are Vienna, Melbourne, and Munich, making up the top four list of student cities. The three cities are known for attracting significant numbers of international students.

London, United Kingdom. Score 31.4

London accumulates the highest score of 31.4 points. It boasts a student popularity score of 3.2, indicating an attractive environment for students from around the world.

London is also known as a welcoming and safe environment for international students. Regarding friendliness and safety, London achieved a score of 56 and 1.7, respectively.

A high quality of life is evident in the city, as indicated by its score of 164.30. It also performs well in terms of employment opportunities, with a solid employment rate of 75.5, the study found.

The average monthly budget in the city is about €1,700, and students also have the advantage of receiving fully funded scholarships.

Despite changes in immigration policies for EU students resulting from Brexit, there has been a continuous increase in the number of international students in the entire United Kingdom, particularly in postgraduate programs.

Official data indicate there were 679,970 international students studying in the UK in the 2021/22 academic year.

The University College London has the highest number of international students (24,145), followed by the University of Manchester and the University of Edinburgh.

According to the Office for National Statistics, one in three international students lived in London in 2021.

Vienna, Austria. Score 20.6

Vienna is known as the largest university city in the German-speaking world. The MastersDegree.net index shows Vienna is the second-best city to be a student next year.

The city score is 20.6, making Vienna a strong competitor for international students. The average monthly budget in the city is €1,200, and students here can apply for fully funded scholarships.

Vienna has a higher friendliness score, surpassing that of London, totaling 64 points, yet it records a lower safety score of 1.3. The employment rate in the city is 74.1.

Four out of five university students in Austria are employed two years after graduation, another study found.

Austria is among the countries with very high English proficiency (632).

Melbourne, Australia. Score 13.4

Melbourne claims the third spot, with an overall city score of 13.4. The city provides students a well-balanced environment, combining safety, quality of life, and educational excellence.

The research shows the average monthly budget one should have in Melbourne is €1,370.

Melbourne is officially the best international student city in Australia. Data from the Department of Home Affairs reveal there are more than 140,000 student visa holders in Victoria, most of whom are from China, India, Vietnam, Nepal, and Colombia.

“Melbourne is Australia’s best city, and it’s fantastic that the official rankings say we’re also number one in the country for international students,” Acting Minister for Trade and Investment Danny Pearson said in a statement this past summer.

The University of Melbourne is ranked fourth for the most international students in Australia, with 14,166 students.

Victoria’s largest service export is international education. Last year, international students contributed $8.4 billion to Victoria’s economy, supporting over 40,000 jobs throughout the state.

Munich, Germany. Score 10.4

Munich, which stands out as a popular choice among international students in Germany, is fourth on the list with an overall score of 10.4.

According to the research, Munich is known for its quality of life, which has the highest score compared to the abovementioned cities, totaling 77.5.

A remarkable 48 percent of international students completing studies in Munich choose to stay in the city even after five years. The average monthly budget in Munich is over €1,400.

The city is home to the Technical University of Munich (TUM), where international students account for 44 percent of the university’s student population.

Paris, France. Score 8.10

In the rankings for the best cities to be a student in 2024, Paris has the fifth spot, with an overall city score of 8.10. When it comes safety, the city has a score of 1.9 and 56 points for friendliness. The monthly budget aligns with that of Munich, and the employment rate stands at 68.6.

Last year, 90 percent of international students recommended France as a study destination, and about 84 percent said it was a good country to work.

French educational institutions hosted more than 370,000 international students in 2022. Over 127,400 studied in Ile-de-France (Paris).

The study sheds light on other cities comprising the top ten list, that prioritize and enhance the student experience. These destinations are:

• Montreal, Canada, which holds an overall score of 6.5.
• Sydney, Australia, achieving a score of 5.2.
• Toronto, Canada, with a score of 4.0.
• Zurich, Switzerland, holding an overall score of 2.5.
• Amsterdam, the Netherlands, scoring 1.9.

Although Zurich and Amsterdam are the last on the list, they lead in quality of life and job opportunities. There were 8,660 new international students in Amsterdam in the 2021/22 academic year.

>> OECD Countries See Record Influx of International Students in 2022

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