Montreal has replaced Paris, which had held the title for four years, as the best city in the world for international students. The ranking was released by QS Rankings, which conducts regular major surveys of students worldwide to find the top cities and countries for higher education across various categories.
This survey questioned 18,000 students about the desirability of cities around the world. It also researched a number of factors, including the quality of universities, student facilities, cost of living, employment opportunities, and levels of tolerance and openness in order to reach its conclusion. In total, six categories were assessed: student mix, desirability, employer activity, affordability, student opinion, and the number of institutions in a city that place in the QS University Rankings.
Canada as a whole was well represented in the rankings, with Vancouver claiming the 10th spot and Toronto the 11th. Ottawa and Quebec City also placed in the top 100 cities worldwide, at positions 26 and 72, respectively. This data reinforces recent statistics showing that increasing numbers of individuals are looking to study in Canada, attracted by its high quality of life, world-class education system, and permanent immigration opportunities.
Why Montreal?
With a student population of almost 250,000, Montreal has the highest proportion of post-secondary students in any major Canadian city. The city hosts 11 universities, including two of Canada’s top English-language universities: McGill University and Concordia University. According to QS, McGill University is the top-ranked university in Canada.
The bilingual nature of the city’s education system is a major lure for many international students: there are plentiful opportunities to live and study in English and/or French. International students are also drawn to Montreal for its comparatively low costs of living, lively arts scene, and unique ambience that is often compared to a city in Europe. The city’s tolerant culture, diverse opportunities, and “vibrant clash of North American and European values” were also valued by students.
