QS Best Student Cities 2026: Seoul Tops Global Rankings as Four Indian Cities Feature Among Top 130.
International
In mid-July 2025, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) released its annual Best Student Cities 2026 report, ranking Seoul (South Korea) first with a perfect score. Four Indian metros—Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai—secured places within the top 130, marking significant improvement in global education visibility.
- Seoul vaulted to the number one position with an ideal score of 100, driven by standout performance in university quality, student satisfaction, and employer engagement. For the first time, Asia claimed the top two positions with Tokyo securing second place at 99.9, noted for its strong student satisfaction and employer activity indices. London, previously six years on top, fell to third with 97.1, largely due to a low affordability rating of 12.6.
- The QS report ranked 150 global cities using six key criteria: university rankings, student mix, desirability, employer activity, affordability, and student satisfaction.Following the top three, Munich (4th, 96.3) and Melbourne (5th, 95.7) completed the top five, while Sydney, Berlin, Paris, Zurich, and Vienna rounded out the top ten.
Main Point :- (i) India’s Mumbai made its global top‑100 debut at 98th, moving up from 131st last year, scoring 61.6 overall. Delhi climbed to 104th, celebrated globally as the most affordable student city, earning distinction as the world’s cheapest destination for students. Bengaluru surged to 108th—up 22 places—boosted by strong employer activity, while Chennai improved to 128th, climbing 12 spots.
(ii) Indian cities showed strength in several QS indicators: Mumbai ranked 11th worldwide in affordability and 37th in employer activity, underlining both economic access and job readiness. Delhi scored 96.5 in affordability, while Bengaluru (84.3) and Chennai (80.1) also performed strongly on cost-effectiveness.
(iii) The QS report suggests that India's upward mobility in rankings is influenced by reforms from the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which has enhanced global engagement and student-centric focus in higher education. The growing presence of Indian cities on this global map signals strong improvements in academic quality, exposure, and student life.
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