Big business is based in big cities, and those looking to study business or business-related programs are after drawn to the world’s major business hubs, not least due to the dream of finding prestigious internships and graduate training schemes nearby. Below, we’ve listed 8 of the best cities for business students. Drawing on the results of the QS Best Student Cities 2015 and the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2015: Business and Management, we look at the number of top business schools in each city, as well as the general industry outlook.
While some of the best cities for business listed below may be more obvious than others (ahem, London!), there’s still plenty of diversity on offer, with cities across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania.
1. London
The UK’s leading financial hub, generating as much as 22% of the entire country’s GDP and home to over 840,000 private sector businesses, London has a lot to offer prospective business students. Not only does the city host the world’s number one institution in the recently released business and management ranking, it is also home to 100 of Europe’s largest companies, meaning graduate opportunities for business students are plentiful.
Ranking in the QS Best Student Cities 2015: 3rd
Top business schools in London: London Business School (1st for business and management); London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE, 9th); Imperial College London (35th); City University London (51-100); King's College London (KCL, 51-100); UCL (University College London, 101-150).
2. Seoul
South Korea is one of the four ‘Asian tigers’, renowned for their remarkable economic development throughout the second half of the 20th century and beyond. The capital city of Seoul is where this growth is most evident; it’s now the world’s fourth largest metropolitan economy, following global cities Tokyo, New York City and Los Angeles. Also one of the largest cities in the world, Seoul is home to another impressive selection of the world’s 200 top business schools.
Ranking in the QS Best Student Cities 2015: 10th
Top business schools in Seoul: Seoul National University (SNU, 33rd for business and management); Korea University (45th); Yonsei University (48=); Sungkyunkwan University (51-100); Hanyang University (151-200); Kyung Hee University (151-200); Sogang University (151-200).
3. Boston
The wider metropolitan area of Boston is home to two of the world’s most famous institutions – Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Boston, which come first and fourth in the overall QS World University Rankings®. These two are also internationally renowned for business and management, thanks to the ultra-prestigious Harvard Business School and MIT’s Sloan School of Management. A fairly affluent, leafy city in the US’s New England region, Boston promises booming industry in biotechnology, financial services and tourism.
Ranking in the QS Best Student Cities 2015: 6th
Top business schools in Boston: Harvard University (2nd for business and management); Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, 6th); Boston University (51-100); Boston College (101-150).
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