Baku enters the TOP-100 best student cities in the world
One of the world's leading ranking organizations, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), has published the "Best Student Cities" ranking for 2026.
According to the State Agency for Science and Higher Education of Azerbaijan, in this prestigious ranking comprising a total of 150 cities, Baku rose 22 spots compared to last year and claimed the 95th place. The capital of Azerbaijan shares this position with cities such as Aberdeen (United Kingdom), Guangzhou (China), and Johannesburg (South Africa).
According to the results, Baku achieved the highest result in the South Caucasus region and was declared the region's leading student city. The city also managed to surpass several major Central Asian cities: in the ranking, Astana took 119th place, Bishkek 137th, and Tashkent 146th.
The "QS Best Student Cities" ranking comprehensively evaluates cities based on higher education opportunities and favorable living conditions for students. Key criteria taken into account when compiling the list include universities' performance in international rankings, graduate employment rates, affordability of education, cost of living, the number of international students, and direct student feedback.
