Paris is judged the best city for students for the third year running

For the third year running, Paris has been ranked first among 50 cities for its attractiveness to students, ahead of Melbourne and London.

British education consultancy Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) produces an annual ‘Best Student Cities Report.’ It ranks cities on five key indicators: the reputation of the universities, quality of life, employment prospects, a vibrant student community and affordability.

Paris scores highly for its 17 internationally ranked universities. And employers find it among the most rewarding cities for recruitment.

Living expenses in Paris are higher than in some other cities on the list. But the generally low university tuition fees make it more affordable for students than other global centers.

QS says the average tuition fee in Paris in 2014 is around $2,400 (€1,950), only $125 (€100) more than in 2013. By contrast students can expect to pay $22,700 (€18,400) in Melbourne and $22,100 (€17,900) in London.

The City of Light’s lively ambience, cultural heritage and legendary cuisine also attract a host of foreign students every year. Around 285,000 students in French higher education are from foreign countries, 12% of the total. Many of them choose to study in Paris.

However, the supply of student accommodation falls well short of demand. It’s estimated that in Paris, the student housing provision rate is 6%, compared with 11% nationwide. This shortage will become more acute as the number of international students is growing rapidly.

Some people whose children want to study in Paris have found that a solution is to buy an apartment. They can use it as a pied-à-terre once their children have finished studying, with an interesting potential capital gain after several years.

Photo Credit – Myr Muratet