Paris ranked world’s best city for students

In a world ranking of university cities, using criteria from results, employability, fees and the price of a hamburger, a UK research group has ranked Paris the best city in the world in which to study. 

Paris has been ranked the best city in the world for students, according to a UK study, although some French undergraduates felt the results were wide of the mark.

Researchers at QS Best Student Cities looked at quality of life and affordability in terms of fees and living costs, as well as the number of institutions and their overall reputations among employers.

QS has been ranking individual universities since 2004, although this is the first time their researchers took the cities into account.

Cambridge in the UK and Harvard in the US (Boston) have consistently come out first, but the 2012 city survey placed Paris top, with London ranking second and Boston third.

QS Head of Research Ben Sowter said: “Paris has always been one of the world’s most important centres of higher education, but its [individual] universities have under-performed in international rankings.”