The South Korean capital of Seoul retained the No. 1 spot for the second consecutive year while Japan's Tokyo ranked second in the Best Student Cities 2027 ranking released by British higher education analytics firm Quacquarelli Symonds last week.
To be considered for inclusion, each city must have a population of over 250,000 and be home to at least two universities featured in the most recent QS World University Rankings.
The eligible cities were evaluated based on six key categories: university rankings, student mix, desirability, employer activity, affordability, and student view.
Seoul scored a perfect 100 in the global university rankings criterion and posted an employer activity score of 94.1.
Students and graduates of Seoul universities rate their experience highly. One respondent to the student survey said: "The diverse culture makes for a great experience, and everything is so convenient," while another described it as "a city which has the possibilities of a truly metropolitan city without almost any danger," as quoted by the QS.
