Manila slides in best city for students rank

MANILA, Philippines —  Manila’s ranking in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Best Student Cities 2027 has dropped to 102nd, from 88th place last year.

Based on the latest QS report, Manila received an overall score of 60.1 based on  affordability (83), employer activity (64.4), student view (53.5), desirability (32.1) and student mix (35.6).

The results showed a continued rise among Asia-Pacific cities, with Seoul ranking first overall, ahead of Tokyo in second and London in third. Seoul and Tokyo gave East Asia the top two positions in the 2027 results.

“Seoul, ranking number one for the second year in a row, benefits from the top rank in our World University Ranking sub-indicator and a very strong employer activity position, supporting a city narrative around academic strength, graduate opportunity and global city appeal,” the report said.

The report added that Tokyo’s performance reinforced the leadership of Asian cities. It ranked second overall, first for employer activity and fourth for desirability, given students’ increasing desire for positive post-graduate work opportunities, adding that employer activity is a key metric.

It said that London remains close behind as Europe’s leading student city but failed to improve its rank.

The report ranked Melbourne fourth, Sydney fifth, Singapore 11th, Beijing 12th, Taipei 14th, Kuala Lumpur 15th, Kyoto 16th and Hong Kong 17th.

“This is remarkably strong performance while other regions are facing challenges. The Asia-Pacific is the most represented region in the top 20, and reflects broader trends we’ve seen across QS metrics – Malaysia is one of the highest-growth-forecast markets in the world, and ASEAN countries are acquiring global visibility,” the report said.