Two Ontario cities made list of best places in the world for students

A new ranking reveals that several Canadian cities are among the top 100 destinations for students looking to study abroad.

QS, a higher education analyst, has released its latest Best Student Cities 2026 ranking, a list of the top places for students seeking to relocate for higher education.

Cities are scored based on six categories: university rankings, student mix, desirability, employer activity, affordability and student view.

Four Canadian cities have secured spots in the top 100, standing out as desirable destinations for international students.

This year, the top 10 destinations are mostly comprised of cities in Asia and Europe, with Seoul jumping two spots to number one as the most desirable city to study, boasting an overall score of 100 due to its affordability and employment opportunities. Tokyo retains its second spot for the second year, followed by London in third place.

"There has been significant movement among the top 20 cities," reads the report. "Now, 10 of the top 20 cities are in Asia Pacific, highlighting the region's increased influence on global higher education."

Although North American cities remain desirable places to study, international students are increasingly seeking more affordable options.

"Similarly to Europe, North America's [cities] have seen a precipitous decline," the report continues. "While Canadian cities have seen drops in these indicators, U.S. declines are more severe in these two indicators."

In the 18th spot, Montreal is the only Canadian city in the top 20, after dropping eight spots since last year. Toronto is ranked 22nd due to its diverse population and excellent employment opportunities, followed by Vancouver in 28th spot, and Ottawa in 80th spot.

While the desirability of Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto is roughly the same, Montreal surpasses the other Canadian cities on the list due to its affordability. Affordability in Montreal is rated 30.5 compared to 17.4 in Toronto and 16.9 in Vancouver. Ottawa is the only city to come close in terms of affordability, with a score of 22.1.

Studying in Canada certainly comes at a cost — in comparison, Seoul has an affordability score of 51.8. Here are the four Canadian cities that made the list, along with their rankings.

Montreal

Rank: 18
Overall score: 87.8
Student view: 94.4
Student mix: 91.5
Employer activity: 80
Desirability: 74.8
Affordability: 30.5
Rankings: 69.4

Toronto

Rank: 22
Overall score: 87
Student view: 93.1
Student mix: 91.8
Employer activity: 85.6
Desirability: 82.4
Affordability: 17.4
Rankings: 57.2

Vancouver

Rank: 29
Overall score: 83.4
Student view: 82.2
Student mix: 90.5
Employer activity: 81.6
Desirability: 84.5
Affordability: 16.9
Rankings: 54.1

Ottawa

Rank: 80
Overall score: 65.4
Student view: 80.3
Student mix: 82.3
Employer activity: 35.6
Desirability: 73.6
Affordability: 22.1
Rankings: 27.4