Jumping three places in this year’s QS Best Student Cities ranking, Melbourne overtakes Sydney to become the leading student city in Australia, and second in the world.
There are seven universities in Melbourne featured within the QS World University Rankings® 2014/15, the highest-ranked of which is the University of Melbourne at 33rd in the world – second only to Australian National University on the Australian leaderboard. To compare the top two universities in Melbourne on factors such as subject strengths and tuition fees, visit this article. You can also search for business-related programs at universities in Melbourne using QSCourses.com.au.
But why study in Melbourne? Known as Australia’s cultural capital, Melbourne has been repeatedly ranked as one of the world’s most livable cities, and is full of all the attractions that make the Australian lifestyle so appealing – including beautiful beaches, nightlife and a fair proportion of sunny days. If you’re a genuine culture sponge, you’ll be pleased to know that Melbourne’s range of museums is world class and the city’s cultural calendar is full all year round. If you’re into comedy or live music, Melbourne has much to entertain you, from world-famous annual comedy festivals to grungy gig venues packed with students looking for a good time. To wind down, the city offers cool rooftop bars, chic cafés and tasty restaurants serving world cuisine.
Within the QS Best Student Cities ranking, Melbourne boasts the highest score in the “student mix” category, which is calculated based on the relative size and diversity of each city’s student population, as well as levels of social inclusion and tolerance. Melbourne also scores very highly for “employer activity” and “desirability”, categories which respectively look at the city’s institutions from the point of view of employers and the overall quality of living to be had in the city.
The only factor that Australian cities tend to stumble on is affordability, due to relatively high tuition fees and high living costs, and this applies to Melbourne alongside its country-mates. But for high standards of living and incredible natural surroundings, Melbourne is a tough city to beat.
