QS World University Rankings: The UK's 10 best cities for students in 2026 - including two in Scotland

Two Scottish cities are among the most student-friendly in the UK, according to global higher education experts QS.

Edinburgh and Glasgow were ranked second and third respectively in QS’s Best Student Cities rankings for 2026 - beating Manchester, Newcastle and Bristol.

The rankings showcases the best destinations for students based on six key categories: university rankings, student mix, desirability, employer activity, affordability and student view.

To be included, cities must have a population of above 250,000, and have at least two universities in the most recent iteration of the QS World University Rankings.

‘Student mix’ considers what proportion of the city's population are students, as well as how inclusive the city is and the country it is in.

Desirability includes safety, pollution levels, and general desire among students across the world to study there.

Affordability covers tuition fees and cost of living in the city.

Meanwhile, student view considers the ratings given by students themselves for the city's friendliness, sustainability and diversity, as well as the proportion of students who continue to live in the city after graduation.

Seoul was crowned top city for students in the world according to this year's ranking, with Tokyo coming in second. London, Munich, Melbourne, Sydney, Berlin, Paris, Zurich and Vienna also made the top ten based on their scores across the six categories.

Here are the ten universities that came out top in the UK.