Mar 5, 2012
Two German cities - Berlin and Munich - have made it into the top 20 in the QS World University Rankings' first ever "QS Best Student Cities" roster.
Enlarge image Berlin's Humboldt University
QS, which bills itself as "the leadings global career and education network for ambitious professionals looking to further both their personal and professional development," publishes annual rankings of the world's top universities.
To be considered for inclusion in the new 2012 "Best Student Cities" list, cities had to fulfill two key requirements - they had to have a population of more than 250,000 inhabitants and they had to be home to at least two ranked universities.
Some 98 cities qualified under these requirements, and QS ranked the top 50 in a list visible on its Web site (see related link at right).
With a list of eligible cities parred down, QS then considered university rankings, student mix, affordability, quality of life (according to the Mercer Quality of Living Survey 2011), and employer activity. Each city was then awarded points in each category, a total of which created the QS ranking.
The top three cities were Paris, London and Boston, followed by Melbourne, Vienna, Sydney and Zurich. Several other US cities also received high marks
Several US Cities Also Received High Marks
Here are the top 25 cities in the QS Best Student Cities 2012 top 50 rankings (including two ties):
1.Paris (France)
2.London (United Kingdon)
3.Boston (United States)
4.Melbourne (Australia)
5.Vienna (Austria)
6.Sydney (Australia)
7.Zurich (Switzerland)
8.Berlin (Germany)
9.Dublin (Ireland - tied for 8th place with Berlin)
10.Montreal (Canada)
11.Barcelona (Spain)
12.Singapore (Singapore)
13.Munich (Germany)
14.Lyon (France)
15.Chicago (United States)
16.Madrid (Spain)
17.San Franciso (United States)
18.New York (United States)
19.Tokyo (Japan)
20.Hong Kong (Hong Kong - tied for 19th place with Tokyo)
21.Milan (Italy)
22.Brisbane (Australia)
23.Seoul (South Korea)
24.Buenos Aires (Argentina)
25.Perth (Australia)
