Study in UK: Why is London the Best Student City 4 Consecutive Times?

The QS World University Rankings also releases a ranking for best student cities every year. From 2019 to 2024, London has ranked #1 every time on the list with an unbeatable score. 

Despite the fact that the city is comparatively more expensive than other locations it topped all the ranking factors commendably. While currently facing accommodation shortages, the city is all on its toes to provide the best facilities for the oncoming batch in 2024. 

This urge to provide the best and strive to make student lives easier has made London an ideal study-abroad destination. It is time to evaluate the formula behind this unbeatable success. 

London Performs Best on all Ranking Factors

Yes, London has consistently ranked the best on all ranking factors. Is this a bias in designing the factors in this way? Let’s have a look at the ranking methodology to have a better understanding. 

• University Rankings: An evaluation of how many universities in the city rank in the QS list.
  In addition, evaluators assess the performance of these universities in the recent rankings. 
• Student Mix: QS notes the number of students who are part of the city population and specifically the count of international students among them. Furthermore, this parameter also includes the evaluation of inclusivity.
• Desirability: This factor talks about the safety factor, pollution levels and the survey opinion of students willing to study there.
• Employment Factor: The condition of youth employment in the city and what ideas have the employers formed about the graduates produced by the universities in the city.  
• Affordability: The cost of the tuition fee as well as the cost of living is evaluated. Even though, the cost of living in London is expensive the city has affordable tuition fee options. 
• Student Voice: Parameters such as friendliness, sustainability and diversity are considered for this. What proportion of students actually stay back after graduation is also taken into consideration. 

London Score Evaluation Over the Years

The rankings were not released for the years 2020 and 2021 but London has otherwise maintained its position on the top. Let’s have a look at the scores it got under different evaluation factors during these years. 

Year	Overall Score
2019	484 (Different evaluation pattern)
2022	100
2023	100
2024	100

Here is an evaluation of the scores over the years. 

Factors	2019	2022	2023	2024
University Rankings	100	98.2	94.8	94.9
Desirability	84	84.4	94.9	87.4
Employment Factor	93	92.9	92.7	91.7
Affordability	22	36.9	19.4	26.2
Student Voice	94	98.4	98.5	98.4
Student Mix	92	95.9	94.9	94.7

With all these factors into play, there has been genuinely no city to beat London over the years. Therefore, London has earned itself the best city title four consecutive times. Will it be on the top in 2025? Share your thoughts with us. Also, If you want to read more such exciting information, make sure you follow Leverage Edu News Updates.