A recent study has included Berlin and Munich amongst the top-rated student cities in Europe. Both cities scored highly across a number of categories including public transport, amenities and nightlife but lagged behind when it came to living costs.
A study by The Campus Advisor has revealed the top 30 student cities in the world, as voted for by students. Students were asked to rate over 2.500 cities from all over the world in six categories: Student Friendliness, Cost of Living, Nightlife, Public Transport, Amenities and Safety. Each respondent gave each category a score from one to five, and each city received a final score based on the average score it achieved across the six categories.
The ranking is based entirely on student reviews; 12.164 student reviews were gathered and analysed to create the ranking of the top 30 student cities in the world.
Two cities in Germany made it into the ranking. Both cities performed well, with Munich ranking 11th and Berlin sixth.
Munich received a score of 4,33 out of 5, making it the second-highest ranked city in Germany and the sixth highest-ranked European city. Munich scored highly across the board, doing particularly well in the Safety and Nightlife categories. 100 percent of respondents indicated that Munich had a large student population, that there were enough job opportunities for students and that there was a good nightlife.
When it came to lifestyle, the vast majority of respondents (97.5 percent) indicated that there was plenty of variety when it came to eating out in the city, that there were interesting cultural attractions, and that Munich had a diverse population. Overall, 84 percent of respondents said they would recommend living in Munich.
The one area which let the capital of Bavaria down was Cost of Living. Munich only scored 2,72 out of five in that category, with many students bemoaning how expensive it was. "Munich is one of the most liveable cities in the world. It's a bit expensive though for the students. It’s a beautiful city with a good covering of green spaces around. A lot of opportunities exist to take part in outdoor sports and activities. The public transport is highly accessible and safe. However, winters are a bit harsh and depressing. Overall, a great place to live in,” said one reviewer during the study.
Berlin scored a total of 4,42 out of 5, coming ahead of places like Prague, Kuala Lumpur, Chicago and London. The German capital is the best-rated student city in Germany, and the third highest in Europe. Like Munich, Berlin received high scores across all categories apart from Cost of Living. However, with a Cost of Living score of 3,65, Berlin is regarded as significantly cheaper than Munich, which is no doubt why it placed higher on the list.
Berlin received its highest scores in the Student Friendliness and Nightlife category, something that was reflected in a lot of student reviews. "Berlin is just one of a kind! It has some of the best nightlife in the world. It's extremely safe and has some of the best public transportation the world has to offer on top of that all! Berlin is one of my favourite cities and I think it is one of the best places to study in the world," said a reviewer.
Berlin proved to be extremely popular with its student residents, with 100 percent of reviewers saying they would recommend Berlin to students. 100 percent of reviewers also said Berlin had a diverse population, plenty of opportunities for student jobs, a good variety of restaurants, bars and clubs, as well as great cultural attractions.
The top ten cities for students in the world, as ranked by The Campus Advisor, are:
The full ranking can be found on The Campus Advisor website.