QS Best Student Cities 2027 Ranks Seoul First as London Slips to Third

QS released the Best Student Cities 2027 rankings on July 21, 2026, keeping Seoul in first place for a second year running. The result reshapes shortlists for Indian students weighing Asia, Europe and Australia for the 2027 intake. QS ranked 150 cities across 59 higher education systems, using six weighted indicators. London slipped to third, ending a long stretch at the summit of past editions.

• Seoul, Tokyo and London lock the top three, followed by Melbourne fourth and Munich fifth.
• Mumbai climbed seven places to 91st, leading four Indian cities on the table with an overall score of 61.8.
• Delhi topped the global affordability sub-ranking, with international tuition averaging USD 2,700 a year (about ₹2.3 lakh).

The 2027 edition adds a fresh layer for Indian applicants sizing up cost, employer reach and quality of life. Mumbai’s jump lifts India’s profile at home, but the four Indian entries still trail Asian rivals like Kuala Lumpur, Beijing and Shanghai on the same table.

Also Read: Top Universities Abroad

Seoul Retains Top Spot as London Falls to Third

Seoul stayed first for a second straight year, riding strong employer activity and a large international student mix. Tokyo held second, cementing a Northeast Asian lock on the top two. London dropped to third after years at the peak, though it remains the highest-ranked English-speaking destination.

Melbourne took fourth, ahead of Munich in fifth. Sydney, Paris, Berlin, Vienna and Zurich rounded out the top ten. Amsterdam topped the desirability sub-ranking, with Vienna placed second on the same measure, per the QS Best Student Cities release.

How Indian Cities Ranked in QS 2027

Four Indian cities made the 150-city list. Mumbai led with the sharpest climb, while Bengaluru dropped six places on higher tuition relative to peers.

Mumbai scored 78.3 for Employer Activity and 84.4 for Affordability, its two strongest pillars. It scored 43.5 for Student View, 44.9 for Desirability and 39 for the University Rankings pillar. Student Mix stayed low at 15, a signal that Indian metros still draw few international students.

Why Delhi Was Named the World’s Most Affordable

Delhi topped the affordability sub-ranking with average international tuition of USD 2,700 a year, or roughly ₹2.3 lakh at current exchange rates. That is a fraction of a UK master’s, which typically runs £20,000 to £35,000 a year for Indian students.

For Indian applicants abroad, the benchmark cuts both ways. It underlines that European public systems remain the cheapest overseas alternatives: France offers near-free public tuition, and Italian cities stay among Europe’s most affordable, per the QS release. It also reframes the sticker shock of Anglo-Saxon destinations.

Which Countries Dominate the 2027 Table

The United Kingdom leads with 16 ranked cities, followed by the United States with 14 and China with 10. That distribution mirrors where Indian outbound demand has clustered for a decade. Only Sydney represents Oceania inside the top five.

Kuala Lumpur held its place inside the world’s top 15, keeping Malaysia on the map for Indian students hunting a lower-fee Asian option with English-medium courses. Continental Europe placed five cities in the top ten, the strongest showing for the region in recent editions.

How Indian Applicants Should Read the 2027 List

Rankings shift year to year, so the 2027 list is a starting filter, not a final answer. Use it to shortlist three to five cities that clear your budget, then dig into course fit, post-study work rules and city-level living cost.

Seoul and Tokyo now sit above London on the composite score, but tuition and language of instruction still favour the UK, Ireland and Australia for most Indian applicants. Compare the shortlist against the THE World University Rankings 2026 to sanity-check the university-quality signal for your subject.

The 2027 rankings arrive as global tuition and visa fees continue to rise. Mumbai’s climb and Delhi’s affordability crown will not divert most outbound Indian applicants, but they do change the reference point when families weigh domestic study against a costlier overseas move. The next benchmark to track is QS’s subject-level release in 2027, which drills the same data into course-specific choices.

Action Plan for 2027 Intake Applicants

1. Build a three-city shortlist from the 2027 list that clears your annual budget cap.
2. Cross-check each city against the QS World University Rankings for your target course.
3. Confirm post-study work rights in each shortlisted country before locking test prep dates.
4. Lock IELTS or TOEFL slots at least six months before your earliest application deadline.
5. Compare public-tuition options in Germany, France and Italy against private tuition in the UK, US and Australia.