Paris Claims Top Spot In Student City QS Ranking

Paris Is The Best City For Students
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Photographer: Christophe Morin/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Bloomberg via Getty Images

Paris has claimed the top spot in QS best student cities rankings for the fourth year running, whilst London has been dropped from the top three.

The chart, created by the higher education data experts QS, ranks cities based on diversity, employment opportunities, affordability, and the quality of universities.

For the second year in a row Melbourne has held onto second place, while Tokyo has risen from seventh to grab bronze.

London, which was third last year, has dropped to fifth - with the high cost of living apparently to blame. Sydney meanwhile managed to hold onto fourth place.

Paris has a high ratio of international students but did not score so well when it came to levels of tolerance and inclusion. They also boast low student fees, which won them a respectable ranking in the Mercer Cost of Living Index.

Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, said: “Paris is proud to be ranked as the best world student city. Our youth represents our greatest strength and incarnates our greatest hope.

"We carry an ambitious politic to make youth able to blossom, be successful, be able to choose and to build its future. We will continue to support students by offering them opportunities, in an open, dynamic and creative city.”

The rankings were complied prior to the ISIS terrorist attacks that hit the city November 13, which caused the death of 130 civilians. An official memorial was held on Friday in honour of the dead which included a minutes silence and the victims names were read out. Around 1,000 people attended.

Thierry Coulhon, president of Paris Sciences et Lettres university, said: "After the terrible attacks that this city has experienced, Paris is more determined than ever to defend its values of solidarity, freedom and creativity.”

QS University Rankings
1) Paris (01 of10)
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Paris have held onto the top spot for the fourth year running. (credit:KENZO TRIBOUILLARD via Getty Images)
2) Melbourne (02 of10)
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Melbourne continue to take silver. (credit:Nina Dermawan via Getty Images)
3) Tokyo(03 of10)
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Tokyo has risen from seven to grab bronze. (credit:KAZUHIRO NOGI via Getty Images)
4) Sydney (04 of10)
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Sydney remains at number four. (credit:Wally Skalij via Getty Images)
5) London (05 of10)
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London has been kicked out of the top three - mainly due to costs. (credit:eter Macdiarmid via Getty Images)
6) Singapore(06 of10)
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Singapore has made the biggest leap - going from 15 to six. (credit:ROSLAN RAHMAN via Getty Images)
7) Montreal (07 of10)
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Montreal climbs from eight up to seven. (credit:George Rose via Getty Images)
8) Hong Kong(08 of10)
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Hong Kong has also dropped - going from five down to eight. (credit:PHILIPPE LOPEZ via Getty Images)
9) Berlin(09 of10)
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Berlin has risen from 16 to nine - probably due to the abolishing of tuition fees. (credit:Frank Herrmann via Getty Images)
10) Seoul(10 of10)
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Seoul manages to cling on to last years spot. (credit:ED JONES via Getty Images)