Awarded International Education Learning Center

London still rated as top student city by QS

In the QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2025 released today on June 18th, London ranks as number one for the sixth year consecutively, ahead of Tokyo, which rose to second last year, and Seoul. Munich leapfrogging Melbourne into fourth place was the only change in the top five.

QS said that London has again been crowned as the top city “thanks to the excellent feedback from students and graduates about their experience in the city, and its world-class higher education landscape, which includes two universities in the world’s top 10, the highest number in the world, alongside Boston”.

“As a region, London is home to over 50 of the world’s best higher education institutions, together with the global headquarters of some of the world’s biggest enterprises – from financial services to the creative industries. With a wealth of social and cultural opportunities across all 32 London boroughs plus the City of London, it is easy to see why students rate living in London above any other global city,” Diana said.

Click here to access the QS World Best Cities 2025 rankings:

London still rated as top student city by QS

In the QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2025 released today on June 18th, London ranks as number one for the sixth year consecutively, ahead of Tokyo, which rose to second last year, and Seoul. Munich leapfrogging Melbourne into fourth place was the only change in the top five.

QS said that London has again been crowned as the top city “thanks to the excellent feedback from students and graduates about their experience in the city, and its world-class higher education landscape, which includes two universities in the world’s top 10, the highest number in the world, alongside Boston”.

“As a region, London is home to over 50 of the world’s best higher education institutions, together with the global headquarters of some of the world’s biggest enterprises – from financial services to the creative industries. With a wealth of social and cultural opportunities across all 32 London boroughs plus the City of London, it is easy to see why students rate living in London above any other global city,” Diana said.

Click here to access the QS World Best Cities 2025 rankings:

QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2025 Thinking of studying abroad? Explore the world's most student-friendly locations with the QS Best Student Cities 2025.

When you arrive in the UK, there will be some procedures you will need to follow:

Travel and arrival information:
Due to Covid-19, there are some measures you will need to follow before and after arriving in the UK.

Police registration
Students from certain countries are required to register with the police within seven days of arrival in the UK. To find out whether or not you have to do so, check your visa, residence permit or entry clearance stamp.

Biometric Residence Permit:
If you need a visa to study in the UK, then you’ll probably need to collect your Biometric Residence Permit after you arrive in the UK. You may be able to collect this from somewhere in your university, or from a specific post office, but this will be made clear to you by your university. You should collect this as soon as possible after arriving, but don’t worry if you are isolating on arrival and can’t collect it within the first ten days. Once you have finished isolating, then you should collect your BRP.

Opening a bank account:
It’s never wise to carry large amounts of cash about. You’re in the UK for a long period and therefore you’ll need to open a bank account. To open a bank account, you’ll need to provide the bank with your passport, your letter of acceptance from your university/college and proof of address.

Registering with a doctor:
If you’re studying in the UK for six months or longer, you’re entitled to receive free treatment from the National Health Service (NHS) from the beginning of your stay. This applies to both routine appointments with a doctor (called a General Practitioner, or GP, in the UK) and to hospital treatment. You may have a medical centre on campus. To register with a GP, take your passport, letter of acceptance at your university, and proof of address to the medical centre or nearest GP surgery.

Your GP will be your first point of contact for any medical enquiries. If your GP is closed, or if you are in need of support before you have registered with a practice, you can still access NHS services. You can call 111, which will direct you to the best local service. If it’s an emergency, call 999 or visit your local A&E (Accident and Emergency) department, which manages life-threatening emergencies.

As an international student, you will be able to access the Covid-19 vaccine for free in the UK.

Travel cards:
If you’re living away from campus, you can save money on travel by getting the right kind of ticket or card, particularly if you’re traveling regularly. Check with your local bus service. If you live in London, you will save money by using an Oyster Card or a contactless credit or debit card to pay for travel on buses or the Underground – paying with cash is more expensive. For travel between towns and cities, long-distance buses are cheap; trains are more expensive but you can save money by buying a 16-25 Railcard or a 26-30 Railcard