10 of the Most Diverse Student Cities

Australia’s capital is another ideal choice for those looking for a multicultural study destination – 6.9 percent of the population are students, and of these, 39 percent are international. Canberra also placed 23^rd overall in the QS Best Student Cities index, with one individual in our student survey stating: “Almost the entire population is made up of students or diplomats so it’s a pretty cool mix of people.”

The joint sixth most diverse city according to the QS Best Student Cities index is Sydney, which was also rated ninth overall. It gets the second-highest score in the city ranking for the student mix indicator, thanks to its large and multicultural student population. Respondents in our student survey said they loved the opportunities to meet people from other countries, while others pointed out the relaxed lifestyle, friendly people and employment opportunities.

The final of the four Australian cities to feature in this list is Melbourne, which is the most diverse city in the country according to our data. Students in Melbourne make up 4.7 percent of the population, with 40 percent coming from abroad – no doubt attracted to the amazing lifestyle, cityscape and cultural offerings available. Melbourne was ranked third in the QS Best Student Cities this year, and first in the student mix indicator.

In fourth place in our list of the most diverse cities for students is London, which was also featured in first place overall in the QS Best Student Cities index in 2019. Perhaps unsurprisingly given its huge population (over 14 million, depending on who you ask), London has the highest number of international students of any student city (more than 107,000), making up 41 percent of the student population. It also boasts the largest number of ranked universities in the World University Rankings (18).

As well as being the third most international location in the QS Best Student Cities index this year, Coventry boasts the highest ratio of students to overall population in this list, with students making up 8.1 percent of its 652,000 population. Located in the West Midlands of England, Coventry’s highest-ranked university, the University of Warwick, is consistently ranked in the global top 65 of the QS World University Rankings.

Given the huge expatriate population in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), it’s probably unsurprising to find Abu Dhabi in this list. 46 percent of students in the Emirati capital are international, and around 80 percent of the overall population is made up of expats. Abu Dhabi was a new entry in this year’s Best Student Cities index at 88^th, with Khalifa University its highest-ranked university in the world rankings at joint 268^th.   

And finally, the number one student city when looking at the ratio of international students is the combined metropolitan area of Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman in the United Arab Emirates, which was ranked joint 60^th in the Best Student Cities index and is home to around 5.6 million people. Half of its student population of 20,800 are from outside the UAE, reflecting the diversity of the country itself. One student said this about Dubai in our survey: “Very diverse but very friendly and tolerant. Also, the city has so many activities, you can never get bored.”

Of course, you’re not limited to Australia, New Zealand, the UAE or the UK if you want a diverse study destination. Other diverse cities featuring in this year’s QS Best Student Cities index include:

• Brussels – 33 percent of students at Belgium’s capital are international, and the city is ranked joint 43^rd overall in the QS Best Student Cities index
• Vienna – 32 percent of students come from outside Austria, and the city was ranked 13^th overall
• Hong Kong – Ranked 14^th overall in the city ranking, 32 percent of Hong Kong’s 90,800 students are international
• Tomsk – The Russian city of Tomsk is home to nearly 5,000 international students, or 30 percent of the student population. It places 73^rd overall in 2019.

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