This year, the well-known rankings of best student cities of the world, as compiled by the British company Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), are ruled by the Czech Republic. In a brand-new category based on ratings from students and recent graduates, Brno and Prague achieved 4th and 2nd place respectively. The highest score went to the Canadian capital Ottawa, with Shanghai and Montréal making up the top five.
According to the QS website, although Brno is less well known than Prague, the Czech capital, it provides a great student experience: “The city gets extremely strong ratings for tolerance and inclusivity, and ease of getting around, while also scoring very well for both affordability and nightlife. Respondents praised the attractiveness of the city, as well as the large and friendly student community.”
Between December 2016 and January 2017, more than 18,000 students and graduates rated their cities in eight QS Best Student Cities categories: arts and culture, affordability, nightlife, employment opportunities, diversity, tolerance and inclusion, ease of getting around, and friendliness. They were also asked whether they would stay, or had stayed, in the city after graduating.