One of the world’s most prestigious ranking agencies, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), has released its list of the Best Student Cities in the World for 2026, the State Agency for Science and Higher Education told APA.
Baku is ranked 117th among 150 cities from 58 countries in the 2026 edition of the QS Best Student Cities ranking.
The ranking identifies the best cities globally for living and studying as an international student.
In the 2023 edition of the ranking, Baku was ranked 126th. The city was not included in the 2024 and 2025 editions.
Notably, Azerbaijan is the only country from the South Caucasus represented in the QS Best Student Cities ranking. Compared to Central Asia, Baku ranks second after Kazakhstan's Almaty (91st position). Astana (Kazakhstan) ranks 127th, and Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) is in 138th place.
The ranking is based on criteria such as desirability (environment and safety), affordability (tuition fees and overall cost of living), the student population ratio, city reputation in terms of tolerance and inclusivity, employment opportunities, the number of universities in the QS World University Rankings located in the city, as well as feedback from students who have lived and studied there.
