Vienna reaches ninth place in QS ranking of best student cities

Methodology of the QS Ranking

Vienna performed particularly well in quality of life. The city received top marks here. Vienna also achieved above-average scores for the share of international students and in the survey among students themselves. This mix of safety, good infrastructure, and a diverse student environment makes the city attractive to prospective students from around the world.

Another plus are the low or entirely absent tuition fees. The low or entirely absent tuition fees also stand out positively, as QS notes. This sets Vienna clearly apart from many Anglo-Saxon locations, where high tuition fees make studying expensive.

Why US Universities Barely Appear

Unlike in many other rankings, US universities barely play a role here, since their strong student-to-faculty ratios and research performance do not count at QS. The best US city, Boston, is only in 18th place. This weighting explains why European cities with high quality of life and an international orientation tend to rank particularly high in this list.

Europe's frontrunner is Munich, which is ranked even ahead of Vienna. Tokyo follows immediately ahead of Vienna in one of the top spots, while London is also represented in the Top Ten. Seoul and other Asian metropolises round out the field of the highest-ranked student cities.

Vienna's Strengths in Detail

Overall, the ranking shows that students are increasingly paying attention to factors such as safety, air quality, and affordability when choosing where to study. Vienna meets these criteria to a remarkable degree and thereby distinguishes itself as a location that combines academic quality with a high quality of life.

For the coming years, Vienna is expected to be able to further consolidate its position, provided that study conditions remain stable and the share of international students continues to grow. The placement in the Top Ten is seen as an important signal for the international visibility of Vienna as a higher education location.