São Paulo climbed one place and returned to the world's top 100 student cities, according to the QS Best Student Cities 2027 ranking released on Tuesday (July 21). Brazil's largest city, the country's only representative in the ranking, placed 100th with 60.2 points, although it remains three positions below its 2025 ranking. Seoul tops the list for the second consecutive year, followed by Tokyo and London.Among the seven Latin American cities included in the ranking, São Paulo ranks fourth, behind Buenos Aires, Santiago and Mexico City. The city performs particularly well in the link between higher education and the job market, ranking 42nd for employer activity and 46th for affordability. However, it continues to lag in student experience and internationalization, with declines in student mix, student views and attractiveness. The sharpest drop came in university performance, where the city's institutions fell 12 places.
According to Ben Sowter, QS Senior Vice President, Brazil's main challenge lies in its internationalization strategy rather than in the quality of its universities. "Brazil uses international education as a tool for research and diplomacy rather than student recruitment, and the numbers show exactly what that produces: strong partnerships, weak visibility," he said.
