London

QS Best Student Cities ranking: 3^rd

In the wake of 2016’s Brexit vote, there’s been concern that the UK could lose some of its appeal as an international study destination. But the 2017 edition of the QS Best Student Cities sees the nation’s capital climb two places to rank third overall – helped in part by the fall in the value of the pound, which has made it a more affordable proposition for international students.

Of course, London is still not exactly a cheap option. For international students, tuition fees at the city’s top universities approach those charged in the US, while home and EU undergraduate students are feeling the impact of fee increases implemented since 2012. In addition, rent and living costs are significantly higher in London compared to the rest of the UK.

Yet thanks to the concentration of world-class universities, professional and social opportunities, and a mind-boggling cultural confluence that mixes the corporate and the alternative, the historical and the cutting-edge, studying in London may well be worth every penny.

Few cities in the world can rival London's credentials as a nerve-center of global academia. Among its fleet of internationally ranked universities, the current leaders are UCL (University College London) and Imperial College London, which rank 7^th and 9^th respectively in the QS World University Rankings® 2016-2017.

King’s College London is also just one place outside the global top 20, and a whole host of other prestigious institutions are scattered throughout the metropolis – along with world-leading facilities such as the British Library, which constitutes one of the most extensive and significant collections of books and manuscripts in the world.

And of course, the UK's capital is not just an academic hub – it’s an epicenter of international finance and business, culture and creativity, famed for its museums, arts scene, nightlife and diversity. Anything you want to try, see, eat, learn or experience: it’s here.

Are you dreaming of studying in London? Tell us why.

Internationally ranked universities in London

More about London 

 To find out how each of the above categories is calculated, view the methodology.