QS Best Student Cities 2024 released
Introduction
In July 2023, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) released the Best Student Cities 2024, which is about the 160 world’s best locations to be a student based on six key factors: QS World University Rankings, student mix, desirability, employer activity, affordability, and student voice (QS, 2023). To be considered for inclusion in the study, each city must have more than 250,000 people and two universities or more listed in the most recent QS World University Rankings (QS Top Universities, 2023a).
QS Best Student Cities in the UK and their QS Top Universities 2024
London takes the top spot once again, accumulating the second-highest score in student voice (98.4) and World University Rankings (94.9) and strengthening the city’s and the UK’s position as a leading global study destination (QS, 2023). This capital city is home to some of the world’s most prestigious academic institutions, such as Imperial College London, UCL, King’s College London, LSE, Queen Mary University of London, etc. (see Table 1 below for more information, QS Top Universities, 2023b). In total, 16 UK cities have been named QS Best Student Cities 2024: London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne, Bristol, Coventry, Birmingham, Nottingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Belfast, Sheffield, Aberdeen, Brighton, and Leicester. Most of the Best Student Cities are in England, followed by Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Table 1. QS Best Student Cities in UK & QS Top Universities 2024
Sources: QS Top Universities (2023b); QS Top Universities (2023c).
QS Best Student Cities in the UK 2024 with photos
1. London
Universities in London: Imperial College London, University College London, King’s College London, London School of Economics and Political Science, Queen Mary University of London, City, University of London, and Brunel University London.
16. Edinburgh
Universities in Edinburgh: The University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University.
30. Manchester
Universities in Manchester: The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University.
36. Glasgow
Universities in Glasgow: The University of Glasgow, the University of Strathclyde, and Glasgow Caledonian University.
39. Newcastle upon Tyne
Universities in Newcastle Upon Tyne: Newcastle University and Northumbria University at Newcastle.
44. Bristol
Universities in Bristol: The University of Bristol and the University of the West of England.
44. Coventry
Universities in Coventry: The University of Warwick and Coventry University.
49. Birmingham
Universities in Birmingham: The University of Birmingham, Aston University, and Birmingham City University.
52. Nottingham
Universities in Nottingham: The University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University.
55. Leeds
Universities in Leeds: The University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University.
58. Liverpool
Universities in Liverpool: The University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University.
60. Belfast
University in Belfast: Queen's University Belfast.
68. Sheffield
Universities in Sheffield: The University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University.
76. Aberdeen
Universities in Aberdeen: The University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University.
78. Brighton
Universities in Brighton: The University of Sussex and the University of Brighton.
102. Leicester
Universities in Leicester: The University of Leicester and De Montfort University.
The complete list of QS Best Student Cities 2024: https://www.topuniversities.com/city-rankings/2024?tab=indicators
References
QS (2023) QS Best Student Cities 2024. Available at: https://www.topuniversities.com/city-rankings/2024?tab=indicators (Accessed: 4 November 2025).
QS Top Universities (2023a) QS Best Student Cities methodology. Available at: https://www.topuniversities.com/best-student-cities/methodology (Accessed: 21 August 2023).
QS Top Universities (2023b) QS Best Student Cities 2024. Available at: https://www.topuniversities.com/city-rankings/2024?tab=indicators®ion=Europe (Accessed: 4 November 2025).
QS Top Universities (2023c) QS World University Rankings 2024: Top global universities. Available at: https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2024 (Accessed: 31 July 2023).
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